Today's article has you checking to see if you're plugged in...

[KGIII]

The last article showed some sheer laziness, but this one goes even further. Why look behind your computer to see if it's plugged in? Why look at the wireless icon to see if it's connected? Pfft... There's no need for that! You can just use ifplugstatus.

A Fun Way To Check If Your Network Devices Are Connected • Linux Tips

Today is going to be a fun article, mostly good for lazy people, where we discuss a way to check if your network devices are connected.

linux-tips.us

Hmm... I'm not sure if I want feedback for this one!

 

[sphen]

I use "ping".

 

[KGIII]

Ping will indeed work if the device is connected. This one just tells ya if the cable is plugged in (though it also tells you if a wireless device is configured and ready to connect). It's pretty much the epitome of laziness (for most of us). It'd be useful if you had to remotely connect to a device that had multiple networking cards and you wanted to know if they're all plugged in, that's not something my average reader is going to face in their daily travels.

 

[bob466]

If I have no internet connection...the first thing I do is check if the landline is working as the net and landline are both on the same fiber cable...if I get a dial tone...it's the Modem.

I then turn off the Modem...if that doesn't work I'll reset it...if all fails I'll ring my ISP on my Mobile phone and give it to them.

 

[KGIII]

This will only really say that there's a something there, a beat, and that's all it does.

It was in my notes. I don't think I've used it all that many times. I'm sure I've used it before, as it is in my notes.

 

[bob466]

Yesterday my internet dropped out...did what I said in post 4 but no luck. I have some terminal commands to check if the net is working but by the time I found (10 mins) them it was back.

From now on I'll keep the list on the Desktop...commands I use...

  speedtest-cli

 nm-online

  netstat

ping google.com

 

[KGIII]

I found (10 mins) them it was back.

In my personal situation, I'd first check to see if there's a ping. If not, I'd wait. I'd be willing to wait for 30 minutes. I'd ping a few times along the way (if I really cared) and I'd then look deeper if the connection was still misbehaving.

In my case, I get network dropouts fairly often, though over the past couple of months they're less frequent and shorter.

 

[sphen]

I use ping. It is simple, and it troubleshoots most network failures we have here at home, which are uncommon. This applies to my network. It might help, or your network might be completely different.

Most Common Failure: Cable Modem Drops Connection.
Keep in mind that your issues may not be the device itself but something upstream. There were many previous attempts to correct the issue with filters, replacing components, etc. It was dropping the connection several times a week at random times without pattern. The problems essentially disappeared when the cable company replaced a weird active device up high on the phone pole near our home. Alarming is that most cable repair people have never seen it before or knew anything about it. I wonder which government owns it. :-(

Second Most Common Failure: Laptop WiFi Drops Connection.
This is very rare, but it happens. I suspect overload from too many virtual machines doing too much concurrently but can't prove it. A reboot fixes it. It happens less than once a year, I would say.

Wits End:
Check your network switches. Failures are so rare that when one needs a power reset, you don't think of them.

 

[f33dm3bits]

 

[KGIII]

I can usually be certain that stuff is connected. That's what this command does, it makes sure stuff is connected, basically a sort of heart beat test. If there's a beat, you're physically connected.

I usually don't have any issues like that. If I'm not connected, it's at the ISP's end. I can verify that with a second device pretty easily. My ISP is just a cellular provider (I'm still mad at the DSL company) and they drop the connection for at least 30 minutes a day. It used to be one drop out for 30 minutes. Now, it's sporadic drop outs that total about 30 minutes. I'm pretty sure my cellular provider hates me.

Every now and then there are rumors of fiber going down the main road. I'd not only pay for a trunk, but I'd also pay for them to bury fiber lines to my house. (In areas getting fiber right now, they're hanging the line from the telephone poles - which is really kinda silly.)