HowTo: Linux Restart Network Interface

How do I restart network interface under Linux operating systems after making changes to IP configuration without rebooting the box?

Use the following commands as per your Linux distribution to restart the networking service. You must run the command as root user:

Debian / Ubuntu Linux

To restart network interface, enter:

sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

To stop and start use the following option (do not run them over remote ssh session as you will get disconnected):

sudo /etc/init.d/networking stop
sudo /etc/init.d/networking start

Redhat (RHEL) / CentOS / Fedora / Suse / OpenSuse Linux

To restart network interface, enter:

/etc/init.d/network restart

To stop and start use the following option (do not run them over remote ssh session as you will get disconnected):

/etc/init.d/network stop
/etc/init.d/network start

Slackware Linux

Type the following command:

/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 restart

You can take down or restart particular interface such as eth1 as follows:

/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 eth1_restart
/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 eth1_start <-- start eth1
/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 eth1_stop <-- stop eth1

Posted by: Vivek Gite

The author is the creator of nixCraft and a seasoned sysadmin and a trainer for the Linux operating system/Unix shell scripting. He has worked with global clients and in various industries, including IT, education, defense and space research, and the nonprofit sector. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+.

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