iwconfig:tldr:abfac

The "iwconfig" command is a Linux utility used to configure and display information about wireless network interfaces. It allows users to manage various wireless parameters such as the mode, channel, SSID, encryption key, and power management settings.

The basic syntax of the "iwconfig" command is as follows: iwconfig [interface] [options]

• "interface": Specifies the name of the wireless network interface, such as wlan0 or eth1.
• "options": Refers to various parameters that can be configured or displayed using the command.

Some commonly used options of the "iwconfig" command are:

1. "mode [mode]": Sets the operating mode of the wireless interface. Modes include "Managed" (station mode), "Ad-Hoc" (peer-to-peer mode), "Monitor" (sniffing mode), and "Master" (AP mode).

2. "channel [channel]": Sets the channel on which the wireless interface operates. Channels are specific frequencies used for wireless communication.

3. "essid [SSID]": Sets the ESSID (Extended Service Set Identifier) of the wireless network to which the interface should connect. It specifies the name of the network.

4. "key [encryption key]": Sets the encryption key or passphrase for securing the wireless connection. It can be used to enable WEP, WPA, or WPA2 encryption.

5. "power [on/off]": Enables or disables power management for the wireless interface. This option allows the system to manage the power consumption of the interface.

6. "retry [number]": Sets the number of retransmission attempts in case of packet loss or interference.

Besides these options, "iwconfig" also provides information about the current configuration and status of the wireless interface, including the speed, signal quality, noise level, and MAC address.

Overall, "iwconfig" is a versatile command-line tool used to manage and troubleshoot wireless connections in Linux systems.