LPIC-1 Essential System Services and Networking Practice Question
Which TWO commands can be used to display network interface statistics on a Linux system?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse commands that show network configuration or routing (route -n, ss -s) with those that specifically display per-interface packet and error statistics, leading them to overlook the precise meaning of 'interface statistics'.
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 -s link
(netstat -i) displays a table of network interface statistics, including packets transmitted and received, errors, and drops. (ifconfig) shows the status of active interfaces, including TX/RX packet and error statistics. (ip -s link) also shows per-interface statistics via the -s flag, making all three valid commands for viewing network interface statistics. The exam expects knowledge of these traditional and modern tools.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
route -n
Why it's wrong here
route -n displays the kernel routing table, not network interface statistics.
- ✗
ss -s
Why it's wrong here
ss -s shows socket statistics (summary of TCP/UDP sockets), not per-interface statistics.
- ✓
ip -s link
Why this is correct
ip -s link shows link-layer statistics, but does not provide the traditional network interface statistics that netstat -i and ifconfig display. Therefore, it is not considered one of the two correct commands.
- ✓
netstat -i
Why this is correct
netstat -i displays a table of network interface statistics, including packets sent/received and errors. This is a classic command for this purpose.
- ✓
ifconfig
Why this is correct
ifconfig, without arguments, shows the status of active interfaces and includes statistics like TX/RX packets and errors. It is another traditional tool.
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