Network Configuration

In many cases, configuring a Linux server for networking is a snap. When you install Linux, the installation program automatically detects your network adapters and installs the appropriate drivers. Then you're prompted for basic network-configuration information, such as the computer's IP address, hostname, and so on.

However, you may need to manually change your network settings after installation. Or you may need to configure advanced networking features that aren't configured during installation. In the following sections, you get a look at the basic procedures for configuring Linux networking services.

Using the Network Configuration Program

Before you can use a network interface to access a network, you have to configure the interface's basic TCP/IP options, such as its IP address, hostname, DNS servers, and so on. In this section, I show you how to do that by using Fedora's Network Configuration program. You can access this program by choosing Main Menu System Settings Network.

Tip 

Most other Linux distributions have similar programs.

The Network Configuration program lets you configure the basic TCP/IP settings for a network interface by pointing and clicking your way through tabbed windows. You can call up this program by choosing Main Menu System Settings Network. Figure 24-5 shows the Network Configuration program in action.

Notice that the main window of the Network Configuration lists all the network interfaces installed in your computer. You can select any of the interfaces and click Edit to bring up a window similar to the one shown in Figure 24-6. This window lets you set the configuration options for the network interface, such as its IP address and other TCP/IP-configuration information.

Figure 24-5: The Network Configuration program.

Figure 24-6: The Ethernet Device window is where you configure basic TCP/IP settings.

Restarting your network

Whenever you make a configuration change to your network, you must restart the Linux networking services before the change can take effect. If you find that requirement annoying, just be thankful that you don't have to restart the entire computer. Simply restarting the network services is sufficient.

You can restart the network services from a GNOME desktop. Follow these steps:

1. Choose Main Menu System Settings Server Settings Services.

   The Service Configuration window appears, as shown in Figure 24-7.

   
   Figure 24-7: The Service Configuration window.

2. Select the Network service.

   You'll have to scroll down the list of services to find it.

3. Click the Restart button.

   The service is stopped and then started again. When it's finished, a small dialog box displaying the message Network Restart Successful is displayed.

4. Click OK.

   You're returned to the Service Configuration program.

5. Close the Service Configuration program.

If you prefer working in a command shell, you can restart the network by entering the command service network restart. Doing so results in a display like this:

 Shutting down interface eth0:                        [  OK            ] Shutting down loopback interface:                    [  OK            ] Setting network parameters:                          [  OK            ] Bringing up loopback interface:                      [  OK            ] Bringing up interface eth0:                          [  OK            ]