Networking Cheat Sheet - by

Codelivly

1. Basic Networking Concepts

Concept Description

IP Address Unique address assigned to each device on a network.

Subnet Mask Defines the network and host portions of an IP address.

Gateway Network point that acts as an entrance to another network.

DNS Resolves domain names to IP addresses.

DHCP Automatically assigns IP addresses to devices on a network.

TCP/IP Fundamental communication protocols for the internet.

UDP A connectionless protocol used for speed over reliability.

2. Common Network Configuration Commands

Command Description

Displays network settings, IP address, subnet mask,

ipconfig (Windows)
and default gateway.

ifconfig (Linux) Configures or displays network interface parameters.

ping Tests connectivity between source and destination.

traceroute (Linux) / tracert

Traces path packets take to a host.
(Windows)

Displays network connections, routing tables, interface

netstat
stats.

Queries DNS to obtain domain name or IP address

nslookup / dig
mapping.

Networking Cheat Sheet - by Codelivly 1

 3. Network Troubleshooting Tools
Tool Description

Wireshark Network protocol analyzer for network troubleshooting and analysis.

Network scanning tool used to discover hosts and services on a

Nmap
computer network.

TCPDump Command-line packet analyzer; useful for network traffic capture.

Netcat Networking utility for reading from and writing to network connections.

Iperf Measures the bandwidth performance on IP networks.

4. Essential Networking Protocols

Protocol Description

HTTP/HTTPS Protocols for transmitting web pages. HTTPS includes encryption.

FTP/SFTP File transfer protocols, with SFTP being the secure version.

SMTP Protocol for sending email messages between servers.

Collects and organizes information about managed devices on IP

SNMP
networks.

SSH Provides a secure channel over an unsecured network.

5. IP Addressing and Subnetting

Task Description

IPv4 vs IPv6 IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses; IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses.

CIDR Notation Abbreviated format for specifying IP addresses and routing.

Subnetting Dividing a network into smaller networks.

Private IP Ranges IP ranges for internal use (e.g., 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x).

6. Command-Line Network Scanning

Command Description
nmap -sP <network> Discover hosts on a network without sending data to them.
nmap -sT <target> Conduct a TCP connect scan of a target.

Networking Cheat Sheet - by Codelivly 2

 nmap -sS <target> Perform a stealthier SYN scan.
nmap -O <target> Enable OS detection during the scan.

7. Network Security
Concept Description

Systems that protect networks by controlling incoming and

Firewalls
outgoing network traffic.

Extend a private network across a public network, allowing users

VPNs to send data across shared networks as if their devices were
directly connected to the private network.

Securing data by converting it into a code to prevent unauthorized

Encryption
access.

Intrusion Detection Monitors network traffic for suspicious activity and issues alerts
Systems (IDS) when such activity is discovered.

8. Advanced Router and Switch Configuration

Command Description

Router Configuration show running-config (Cisco)

config terminal (Cisco)

Switch Configuration show vlan (Cisco)

vlan database (Cisco)

9. Security Protocols and Implementations

Protocol Description

A suite of protocols for securing Internet Protocol communications by

IPSec
authenticating and encrypting each IP packet.

Protocols that provide communications security over a computer

TLS/SSL
network; widely used in web browsing and email.

Network authentication protocol designed to provide strong

Kerberos
authentication for client/server applications.

RADIUS A networking protocol that provides centralized Authentication,

Networking Cheat Sheet - by Codelivly 3

 Authorization, and Accounting management for users.

10. Network Design and Architecture

Concept Description

A physical or logical subnet that separates an internal local

DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)
area network (LAN) from other untrusted networks.

SDN (Software Defined An approach to network management that enables dynamic,

Networking) programmatically efficient network configuration.

MPLS (Multi-Protocol A data-carrying technique for high-performance

Label Switching) telecommunications networks.

Different VPN configurations like Site-to-Site, Client-to-Site,

VPN Types
and Layer 2 vs Layer 3 VPNs.

11. Performance Monitoring and Optimization

Tool/Command Description

Use for deep packet analysis to troubleshoot latency issues

Wireshark
or unexpected traffic patterns.

Tools for measuring the bandwidth between two hosts over

Iperf/Jperf
a network connection.

Software that provides monitoring and alerting services for

Nagios
servers, switches, applications, and services.

SolarWinds Network A powerful network monitoring software that helps identify

Performance Monitor and resolve network performance issues.

12. Network Troubleshooting Techniques

Technique Description

Layer-by-Layer Start troubleshooting from the physical layer and move up to the
Approach application layer.

Isolate network segments and test each segment to identify where

Divide and Conquer
an issue occurs.

Compare current network performance against a known good

Baseline Comparison
baseline to identify anomalies.

Networking Cheat Sheet - by Codelivly 4

 13. Scripting and Automation in Networking

Tool/Script Description

Automate network device configuration and management tasks using

Ansible
playbooks.

Puppet Use to manage and configure network devices declaratively.

Bash/Python Scripts to automate routine tasks like backups, log reviews, and
Scripts configurations checks.

14. Compliance and Best Practices

Practice Description

Conduct network audits to ensure compliance with security policies

Regular Audits
and standards.

Maintain comprehensive documentation of network architecture,

Documentation
settings, and changes.

Change Implement a structured process for network changes to minimize

Management disruptions and maintain security.

Networking Cheat Sheet - by Codelivly 5