LFCS Networking Practice Question
Which TWO commands can display a list of active TCP connections listening on the system? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse commands that show network configuration (like `ifconfig` or `ip route`) with commands that show active socket states, leading them to pick options that display interface or routing information instead of listening TCP ports.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ss -tuln
`ss -tuln` displays TCP (`-t`) and UDP (`-u`) sockets in a listening (`-l`) state with numeric (`-n`) addresses and ports, directly showing active TCP listening connections. Option D is correct because `netstat -tuln` performs the same function, listing TCP and UDP listening sockets with numeric output, and is the traditional tool for this purpose.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
ss -tuln
Why this is correct
Modern replacement for netstat; shows listening sockets.
- ✗
nmcli connection show
Why it's wrong here
Shows NetworkManager connection profiles, not listening ports.
- ✗
ifconfig
Why it's wrong here
Shows interface configuration, not listening ports.
- ✓
netstat -tuln
Why this is correct
Displays listening TCP and UDP ports.
- ✗
ip route show
Why it's wrong here
Shows routing table, not listening ports.
Visual reference
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LFCS practice question is part of Courseiva's free Linux Foundation certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the LFCS exam.