Comprehensive guide to monitoring network routing and connectivity on Linux servers. Learn how to track routing tables, monitor network connectivity, detect routing issues, and set up automated routing monitoring with Zuzia.app.

Last updated: 2026-01-11

Network Routing and Connectivity Monitoring Guide

Network routing and connectivity monitoring is essential for maintaining network reliability and ensuring servers can communicate effectively. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about monitoring network routing, tracking connectivity, detecting routing issues, and setting up automated routing monitoring on Linux servers.

For related network topics, see Network Bandwidth Monitoring Guide. For troubleshooting routing issues, see Network Routing Misconfiguration.

Why Network Routing Monitoring Matters

Network routing monitoring helps you ensure network connectivity remains stable, detect routing problems quickly, track routing table changes, prevent connectivity issues, and maintain network reliability. Without proper routing monitoring, network problems can cause service outages, connectivity failures, and communication issues.

Effective routing monitoring enables you to:

Detect routing table changes immediately
Track network connectivity status
Monitor routing protocol health
Prevent connectivity failures
Maintain network reliability
Respond quickly to routing issues

Understanding Network Routing

Before diving into monitoring methods, it's important to understand network routing:

Routing Components

Routing Table: Table of network routes and next hops
Default Gateway: Default route for unknown destinations
Static Routes: Manually configured routes
Dynamic Routes: Routes learned from routing protocols

Routing Metrics

Destination: Target network or host
Gateway: Next hop router
Interface: Network interface for route
Metric: Route priority or cost

Method 1: View Routing Tables

Viewing routing tables provides current routing configuration:

Display Routing Table

# View routing table
ip route

# View routing table with details
ip route show

# View routing table in table format
route -n

# Display default gateway
ip route | grep default

Analyze Routing Information

# View routes for specific network
ip route show 192.168.1.0/24

# View routes via specific interface
ip route show dev eth0

# Display routing table statistics
ip route show | wc -l

# View default route
ip route | grep "^default"

Check Routing Table Changes

# Save current routing table
ip route > /tmp/routes-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).txt

# Compare with previous routing table
diff /tmp/routes-previous.txt /tmp/routes-current.txt

# Monitor routing table in real-time
watch -n 1 'ip route'

Method 2: Monitor Network Connectivity

Monitoring connectivity helps verify network paths are working:

Test Basic Connectivity

# Ping default gateway
ping -c 4 $(ip route | grep default | awk '{print $3}')

# Ping external host
ping -c 4 8.8.8.8

# Test connectivity to specific host
ping -c 4 hostname.example.com

# Check connectivity with timeout
ping -c 4 -W 2 8.8.8.8

Monitor Network Paths

# Trace route to destination
traceroute 8.8.8.8

# Trace route with IP
traceroute -n 8.8.8.8

# Trace route with specific interface
traceroute -i eth0 8.8.8.8

# Use mtr for continuous monitoring
mtr 8.8.8.8

Check Network Interfaces

# View network interfaces
ip addr show

# View interface status
ip link show

# Check interface statistics
ip -s link show eth0

# View interface routes
ip route show dev eth0

Method 3: Detect Routing Issues

Detecting routing issues helps identify connectivity problems:

Identify Routing Problems

# Check for missing default route
ip route | grep -q "^default" && echo "Default route exists" || echo "No default route"

# Verify routing table consistency
ip route | awk '{print $1}' | sort | uniq -d

# Check for duplicate routes
ip route show | awk '{print $1, $3}' | sort | uniq -d

# View routing errors
dmesg | grep -i "route\|routing"

Monitor Routing Changes

# Track routing table modifications
ip route show > /tmp/routes-current.txt
diff /tmp/routes-baseline.txt /tmp/routes-current.txt

# Monitor routing table size
ip route show | wc -l

# Check for route additions
comm -13 <(sort /tmp/routes-old.txt) <(sort <(ip route show))

# Check for route removals
comm -23 <(sort /tmp/routes-old.txt) <(sort <(ip route show))

Method 4: Monitor Network Path Health

Monitoring path health helps ensure routes are functioning:

Test Route Availability

# Test default gateway reachability
ping -c 1 $(ip route | grep default | awk '{print $3}') > /dev/null && echo "Gateway OK" || echo "Gateway DOWN"

# Test multiple routes
for dest in 8.8.8.8 1.1.1.1; do
  ping -c 1 -W 2 $dest > /dev/null && echo "$dest: OK" || echo "$dest: FAIL"
done

# Monitor route latency
ping -c 10 $(ip route | grep default | awk '{print $3}') | tail -1

Analyze Network Performance

# Measure route latency
ping -c 10 8.8.8.8 | grep "min/avg/max"

# Test route bandwidth
iperf3 -c server-ip

# Monitor route packet loss
ping -c 100 8.8.8.8 | grep "packet loss"

# Check route jitter
ping -c 50 8.8.8.8 | awk '/time=/ {print $7}' | sed 's/time=//'

Method 5: Automated Routing Monitoring with Zuzia.app

While manual routing checks work for troubleshooting, production Linux servers require automated routing monitoring that continuously tracks routing tables, monitors connectivity, and alerts you when routing issues occur.

How Zuzia.app Routing Monitoring Works

Zuzia.app automatically monitors network routing on your Linux server through scheduled command execution. The platform:

Checks routing tables every few minutes automatically
Monitors network connectivity and detects connectivity failures
Tracks routing table changes and detects unauthorized modifications
Sends alerts when routing issues are detected
Stores all routing data historically in the database
Provides AI-powered analysis (full package) to detect patterns
Monitors routing across multiple servers simultaneously

You'll receive notifications via email, webhook, Slack, or other configured channels when routing problems occur, allowing you to respond quickly before connectivity is lost.

Setting Up Routing Monitoring in Zuzia.app

Add Scheduled Task for Routing Table Monitoring
- Command: ip route show > /tmp/routes-current.txt && diff /tmp/routes-baseline.txt /tmp/routes-current.txt || echo "No changes"
- Frequency: Every 15 minutes
- Alert when: Routing table changes detected
Configure Connectivity Monitoring
- Command: ping -c 1 -W 2 $(ip route | grep default | awk '{print $3}') > /dev/null && echo "OK" || echo "FAIL"
- Frequency: Every 5 minutes
- Alert when: Connectivity fails
Set Up Default Route Verification
- Command: ip route | grep -q "^default" && echo "OK" || echo "CRITICAL: No default route"
- Frequency: Every 10 minutes
- Alert when: Default route missing
Monitor Network Paths
- Command: ping -c 4 8.8.8.8 | tail -1
- Frequency: Every 15 minutes
- Alert when: Path connectivity fails

Custom Routing Monitoring Commands

Add these commands as scheduled tasks for comprehensive routing monitoring:

# Check routing table
ip route show

# Verify default route
ip route | grep "^default"

# Test connectivity
ping -c 4 8.8.8.8

# Monitor routing changes
ip route show | diff - /tmp/routes-baseline.txt

Best Practices for Routing Monitoring

1. Monitor Routing Continuously

Don't wait for connectivity issues:

Use Zuzia.app for continuous routing monitoring
Set up alerts before routing issues become critical
Review routing tables regularly (daily or weekly)
Monitor connectivity to critical destinations

2. Track Routing Table Changes

Monitor all routing modifications:

Compare current routing table with baseline
Alert on all routing table changes
Review routing changes regularly
Verify changes match network requirements

3. Monitor Critical Routes

Focus on business-critical paths:

Monitor default gateway connectivity
Track routes to critical services
Verify routes to external networks
Test connectivity to important destinations

4. Verify Route Effectiveness

Ensure routes are working correctly:

Test route reachability regularly
Monitor route latency and performance
Check for routing loops or issues
Verify route redundancy

5. Respond Quickly to Routing Issues

Have response procedures ready:

Define escalation procedures for routing failures
Prepare routing restoration procedures
Test routing recovery procedures regularly
Document routing incident responses

Troubleshooting Routing Issues

Step 1: Identify Routing Problems

When routing issues occur:

Check Routing Table:
- View current routing table: ip route show
- Verify default route exists
- Check for route inconsistencies
Test Connectivity:
- Test default gateway: ping gateway-ip
- Test external connectivity: ping 8.8.8.8
- Trace network path: traceroute destination

Step 2: Investigate Routing Issues

When routing problems are detected:

Review Routing Configuration:
- Check routing table for errors
- Verify route configurations
- Review network interface status
Test Network Paths:
- Test connectivity to gateway
- Verify routes are working
- Check for routing loops

Step 3: Restore Routing Functionality

When routing needs to be restored:

Immediate Actions:
- Add missing routes if needed
- Restore default gateway
- Verify connectivity restored
Long-Term Solutions:
- Fix underlying routing issues
- Update routing configuration
- Improve routing reliability

FAQ: Common Questions About Routing Monitoring

How often should I check network routing on my Linux server?

For production servers, continuous automated monitoring is essential. Zuzia.app checks routing tables every few minutes automatically, stores historical data, and alerts you when routing issues occur. Manual checks are useful for troubleshooting, but automated monitoring ensures you don't miss routing problems.

What routing information should I monitor?

Monitor routing tables, default gateway connectivity, routes to critical services, external network connectivity, and routing table changes. Focus on routes that affect service availability and network connectivity.

Can Zuzia.app detect routing table changes?

Yes, Zuzia.app can detect routing table changes by comparing current routing tables with previous configurations, monitoring for route additions or removals, and alerting when changes are detected. Use commands that compare routing tables over time.

How do I respond to routing issue alerts?

When routing issue alerts occur, immediately check routing tables, test connectivity, verify default gateway, review network interface status, restore routes if needed, and investigate root causes. Document all routing incidents for future reference.

Should I monitor routing on all servers?

Yes, monitor routing on all production servers. Routing issues can occur on any server, and comprehensive monitoring helps maintain network connectivity across your entire infrastructure.

Related guides
Related recipes
Related problems
- Network Routing Misconfiguration
- Firewall Rules Blocking Legitimate Traffic

Network Routing and Connectivity Monitoring Guide