route

Additional Notes

route displays and modifies the kernel routing table using the older net-tools interface. It shows where packets go for local networks, default gateways, and specific destination routes.

Modern Linux systems usually prefer ip route. Keep route knowledge for older systems and legacy documentation.

Syntax

route [options]
route add [route-options]
route del [route-options]

Parameters

• destination: Network or host route to add or delete.
• gateway: Router address used as the next hop.
• interface: Interface such as eth0 or wlan0.
• options: Output and route-modification flags.

Common Options

• -n: Show numeric addresses instead of resolving names.
• add default gw GATEWAY: Add a default gateway.
• del default: Remove the default route.
• add -net NETWORK netmask MASK gw GATEWAY: Add a network route.
• add -host HOST gw GATEWAY: Add a host route.

Examples

route -n

Show the routing table with numeric addresses.

sudo route add default gw 192.168.1.1

Add a default gateway.

sudo route del default

Remove the default route.

sudo route add -net 10.20.0.0 netmask 255.255.0.0 gw 192.168.1.254

Add a route for a private network through a gateway.

Practical Notes

• Prefer ip route for modern systems: ip route show, ip route add default via GATEWAY.
• Temporary route changes usually do not survive reboot.
• A wrong default route can break internet access or remote SSH access.