We have ifconfig, a.k.a the interface config, for setting up a network on the machine. To get information about the availability of interface devices available on the current machine, open a terminal and execute the following as the root:


[siynuJqj;gnuxbox -]# ifconfig -a

ethO Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00: 1 C:23:FB:37:22 inet6 addr: fe80::21c:23ff:felb:3722/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU: 1500 Metric: 1
RX packets:9724 errors:O dropped:O overruns:O frame:O TX packets:2720 errors:O dropped:O overruns:O carrier:O collisions:O txqueuelen: 1 000
RX bytes:2400589 (2.2 MiB) TX bytes:645396 (630.2 KiB) Interrupt: 1 7

10 Link encap:LOCal Loopback inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0 inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host UPLOOPBACKRUNNIIiIG MTU:I6436 Metric:l RX packets:76320 errors:O dropped:O overruns:O frame:O TX packets:76320 errors:O dropped:O overruns:O carrier:O collisions:O txqueuelen:O

wlanO Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00: 1 C:BF:87:252 inet addr: 192.168.1.143 Bcast:l92.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: fe80::21c:bfff:fe87:25d2/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST RUNNIIiIG MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:l RX packets:45302 errors:O dropped:O overruns:O frame:O TX packets:3751 0 errors:O dropped:O overruns:O carrier:O collisions:O txqueuelen: 1 000
RX bytes:31091293 (29.6 MiB) TX bytes:9734025 (9.2 MiB)

Here I have three interfaces -- ethO, 10 and wlanO, where:

• ethO corresponds to the Ethernet card
• {o corresponds to a loopback device that points to the localhost network
• wlanO corresponds to the wireless LAN card