iproute2 vs net-tools Comparison
Published: (December 18, 2025 at 02:44 AM EST)
1 min read
Source: Dev.to
Source: Dev.to
Feature Comparison
| Feature | net-tools | iproute2 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Deprecated (2011) | Actively maintained | iproute2 |
| Size | ~5 MB | ~3 MB | iproute2 |
| Performance | Slower | Faster, kernel‑native | iproute2 |
| Functionality | Basic networking | Advanced (policy routing, tc) | iproute2 |
Common Command Replacements
| net-tools | iproute2 Equivalent |
|---|---|
netstat -tlnp | ss -tlnp |
netstat -an | ss -an |
ifconfig | ip addr / ip a |
route -n | ip route / ip r |
arp -a | ip neigh / ip n |
route add default gw 8.8.8.8 | ip route add default via 8.8.8.8 |