10 ways to check ports in Linux to help troubleshoot systems

System and network troubleshooting often involves checking and obtaining information about ports to ensure functionality and determine the source of problems. Learn some handy tips to help keep systems running smoothly.

Networking is the backbone behind much of technology, and while a standalone device isn’t without significant value due to its local processing capabilities, the bread and butter behind business operations involves communication. Namely, getting systems and devices communicating with one another across networks to access or share data, maintain security and monitor operations.

When using TCP/IP, the universal language of networks, the process of checking ports to ensure they are configured, listening and accepting traffic is standard fare for system and network administrators. Ports are associated with processes running on target systems such as web servers, email servers, Active Directory domain controllers and other centralized resources. Gathering information about them is essential to proper communicative functionality.