LPIC-1 Essential System Services and Networking Practice Question
Which of the following commands will display the default gateway of a Linux system?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse `netstat -r` (which does show the routing table) with `netstat -i` (which only shows interface statistics), leading them to incorrectly select option B.
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
✓
ip route show
The `ip route show` command displays the kernel routing table, which includes the default gateway as a default route (typically `default via <gateway-IP>`). This is the standard modern tool for viewing routing information on Linux systems.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
arp -a
Why it's wrong here
arp -a lists the IPv4-to-MAC address cache for hosts on the local segment, which contains no routing information. The default gateway appears in the routing table, shown by ip route or route -n. arp suits verifying layer-2 neighbour reachability.
- ✗
netstat -i
Why it's wrong here
netstat -i reports per-interface packet and error statistics, not routing entries, so no gateway address appears. The default route lives in the kernel routing table, displayed by ip route. Interface statistics suit diagnosing dropped packets or link errors.
- ✓
ip route show
Why this is correct
The ip route show command prints the kernel routing table, whose default entry (destination 0.0.0.0/0) lists the gateway address. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement to display the default gateway, unlike ip addr, which only shows interface addressing.
- ✗
ifconfig
Why it's wrong here
ifconfig shows interface addresses, netmasks and counters but never the routing table, so the default gateway is absent. ip route or route -n lists it. ifconfig suits confirming an interface's IP configuration or bringing a link up and down.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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