What is the most efficient command that the IT support technician should recommend using?

A Linux system administrator wants to document the MAC addresses of various network interfaces on a server.

What is the most efficient command that the IT support technician should recommend using?
A . ifconfig -a
B . ip link show
C . dmesg | grep MAC
D . cat /sys/class/net/*/address

View Answer

Answer: B

Explanation:

Correct Answer. B. ip link show The ip link show command provides a concise list of all network interfaces and their properties, including MAC addresses. This command is part of the modern ip utility, making it preferable for current Linux distributions.

Option A is incorrect because ifconfig -a is considered deprecated in many modern Linux distributions, and while it still works, it’s being replaced by the ip command suite.

Option C is incorrect because dmesg | grep MAC can show initial system messages related to network interfaces but is less reliable for documenting as it depends on the buffer’s current state.

Option D is incorrect because although reading directly from the system’s filesystem provides the MAC address, it’s less practical for users who need to check multiple interfaces efficiently.