How To Add Route In Linux

Adding a route in Linux is a task that you often need to perform as a system administrator. It’s pretty straightforward, and in this blog post, I’m going to guide you on how to do it.

What is a Route?

A route is essentially a path that network traffic takes to get from one network to another. In Linux, the routing table determines where all data will be directed. The routing table is a data file in RAM that is used to store route information about directly connected networks.

Adding a Route

To add a route, you will need to use the ip command followed by route add. This command allows you to create static routes or switch on dynamic routing. Here is the general syntax for this command:

    ip route add {NETWORK} via {IP}
    

In this command, you should replace {NETWORK} with the network you want to add, and {IP} with the IP address of the next hop.

For example, if you want to add a route to the 192.168.1.0/24 network through the gateway at 192.168.0.1, you would use the following command:

    ip route add 192.168.1.0/24 via 192.168.0.1
    

Conclusion

Adding a route in Linux is as simple as using the ip route add command. By doing this, you can control the flow of traffic in your network, ensuring that data is sent and received as efficiently as possible. Remember to replace the variables with the actual network and IP. It’s always good to double-check your work to avoid any misconfigurations which could potentially disrupt the network.