How to Check Network Interface Errors and Dropped Packets on Linux Server
Step-by-step guide to check network interface errors and dropped packets. Monitor network errors, detect network issues, and ensure reliable network connectivity.
How to Check Network Interface Errors and Dropped Packets on Linux Server
Monitor network interface errors and dropped packets to track network health, detect connectivity issues, and ensure reliable network performance. This guide shows you how to check network errors and set up automated monitoring.
For comprehensive network monitoring, see Network Health Monitoring. For troubleshooting network issues, see Network Connectivity Issues.
Why Checking Network Errors Matters
Network interface errors and dropped packets indicate network problems that can cause connectivity issues, slow performance, and service failures. Monitoring network errors helps detect and resolve network issues early.
Method 1: Check Network Interface Statistics
View Interface Statistics
# Check network interface statistics
ip -s link show
# Check specific interface statistics
ip -s link show eth0
# View detailed statistics
ip -s -s link show eth0
# Check errors and dropped packets
ip -s link show eth0 | grep -E "errors|dropped"
Monitor Network Errors
# Get error statistics
ip -s link show eth0 | grep -A 5 "RX:"
# Count receive errors
ip -s link show eth0 | grep "RX:" | awk '{print $3}'
# Count transmit errors
ip -s link show eth0 | grep "TX:" | awk '{print $3}'
# Count dropped packets
ip -s link show eth0 | grep -E "dropped" | awk '{sum+=$2} END {print sum}'
Method 2: Check Network Errors with ifconfig
View Interface Statistics
# Check interface statistics
ifconfig eth0
# View errors and dropped packets
ifconfig eth0 | grep -E "errors|dropped|collisions"
# Get error counts
ifconfig eth0 | grep "RX errors" | awk '{print $3}'
ifconfig eth0 | grep "TX errors" | awk '{print $3}'
Method 3: Check Network Errors from /proc
Monitor Network Statistics
# Check network interface statistics
cat /proc/net/dev
# Get error statistics for specific interface
cat /proc/net/dev | grep eth0
# Parse error statistics
cat /proc/net/dev | grep eth0 | awk '{print "RX errors:", $4, "TX errors:", $12, "RX dropped:", $5, "TX dropped:", $13}'
Method 4: Automated Network Error Monitoring with Zuzia.app
Set up automated monitoring to track network errors continuously and receive alerts when errors exceed thresholds.
Step 1: Add Network Error Monitoring Command
-
Log in to Zuzia.app Dashboard
- Access your Zuzia.app account
- Navigate to your server
- Click "Add Scheduled Task"
-
Configure Network Error Check Command
ip -s link show eth0 | grep "RX:" | awk '{print $3+$5}'- Set execution frequency (every 5-10 minutes)
- Configure alerts when errors exceed thresholds
Step 2: Configure Alert Thresholds
- Warning: Errors > 100 or Dropped packets > 1000
- Critical: Errors > 1000 or Dropped packets > 10000
- Emergency: Errors > 10000 or Dropped packets > 100000
Step 3: Monitor All Interfaces
Add commands to monitor all network interfaces:
# Monitor all interfaces
for iface in $(ip link show | grep -E "^[0-9]" | awk '{print $2}' | sed 's/://'); do
ERRORS=$(ip -s link show $iface | grep "RX:" | awk '{print $3+$5}')
echo "$iface: $ERRORS errors"
done
Best Practices for Network Error Monitoring
1. Monitor Network Errors Continuously
- Track error counts regularly
- Alert when errors exceed thresholds
- Monitor error trends over time
- Optimize network configuration based on data
2. Distinguish Error Types
- Monitor RX errors separately from TX errors
- Track dropped packets separately
- Investigate root causes of different error types
- Optimize based on error patterns
3. Set Appropriate Thresholds
- Set thresholds based on network capacity
- Adjust thresholds for different interface types
- Monitor errors during peak traffic
- Alert on error spikes
4. Correlate Errors with Performance
- Compare errors with network performance
- Monitor errors during peak traffic
- Track error patterns
- Identify network bottlenecks
Troubleshooting Network Error Issues
Step 1: Identify Network Problems
When network errors are high:
# Check current error statistics
ip -s link show eth0
# Check error types
ip -s link show eth0 | grep -E "errors|dropped"
# Check network connectivity
ping -c 5 gateway-ip
# Review network logs
dmesg | grep -i "eth0\|network\|error"
Step 2: Resolve Network Issues
Based on investigation:
-
Fix Network Hardware:
- Check network cables
- Replace faulty network cards
- Fix network hardware issues
-
Optimize Network Configuration:
- Tune network settings
- Optimize interface configuration
- Update network drivers
-
Scale Network Infrastructure:
- Add network capacity if needed
- Implement network optimization
- Upgrade network equipment
FAQ: Common Questions About Network Error Monitoring
How often should I check network errors?
For production servers, continuous automated monitoring is essential. Zuzia.app can check network errors every few minutes, storing historical data and alerting you when errors exceed thresholds.
What is considered high network error rate?
High network error rate depends on your network capacity and traffic volume. Generally, any consistent errors indicate potential issues and should be investigated. Set thresholds based on your network requirements.
How do I reduce network errors?
Reduce network errors by fixing network hardware issues, optimizing network configuration, updating network drivers, ensuring proper network cabling, and monitoring network performance continuously.
Can network error monitoring impact network performance?
Network error monitoring commands have minimal impact on network performance when done correctly. Use appropriate monitoring frequency and avoid monitoring during peak traffic periods.
Related guides, recipes, and problems
-
Related guides
-
Related recipes
-
Related problems