How to Restart Network Services in Ubuntu 24.04
- 7 steps
- Needs administrator rights
Restarting network services in Ubuntu 24.04 fixes dropped connections and applies new network settings in a few seconds, without a full system reboot. Network services are the background tools that manage your Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections and keep you online.
You need to restart these services whenever you change network setup files such as Netplan. Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 uses NetworkManager, a tool that manages your system’s network devices and connections, to handle your traffic. A quick terminal command brings the connection back without a reboot.
This tutorial covers four methods: Systemd, nmcli, nmtui and ifup/ifdown. Any of them works, so pick the one that suits your setup. Each one briefly interrupts your connection, so save your work and don’t run them in the middle of a download or a remote session you can’t afford to lose.
Restart Ubuntu 24.04 network services using `sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager` in the terminal. Alternatively, use `nmcli networking off && nmcli networking on` or the `nmtui` interface. These commands reset network connections to apply changes or fix issues.
Restart network services using Systemd
Systemd is the go-to method on most Ubuntu systems. It restarts the whole network service rather than a single connection. Run the command below with administrator privileges.
- Open a terminal with Ctrl+Alt+T.
- Run the command shown below. Type your password when sudo asks for it. The characters do not appear as you type, which is normal.
- Wait a few seconds. On success the command prints nothing and returns you to the prompt. Your connection may drop briefly and then come back.
Ubuntu Desktop uses NetworkManager. Ubuntu Server uses systemd-networkd by default, so the service you restart there may be different. If the command reports that a service was not found, you are probably on a system that uses the other service.
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager.service
Restart network services using the NetworkManager CLI
The nmcli command (NetworkManager Command Line Interface) lets you reset one connection instead of the whole service. That is useful when only your Wi-Fi or only your Ethernet link has dropped. First run nmcli connection show to find your connection name. Then turn the connection off and back on to reset it without rebooting your computer.
Start by listing the network interfaces and connections with the command below. The output is a table. Note the name of the connection you want to reset, because the next commands need it.
nmcli connection show
Next, disable and then enable the interface using the command format below. Run the disable command first, wait a moment, then run the enable command. Over SSH, disabling the connection you are logged in through cuts your session, so do this at the machine itself.
sudo nmcli connection down <interface_name>
Replace <interface_name> with the name you noted from the list. This makes sure the command targets the right connection. If the name contains spaces, put it in quotes. If nothing changes, check the spelling against the list output.
You can also turn networking off and on entirely with the command below, which restarts the network services. This affects every connection on the machine, not just one, so use it when resetting a single connection did not help.
sudo nmcli networking off
sudo nmcli networking on
Restart network services using the NetworkManager Text User Interface (nmtui)
The nmtui tool (NetworkManager Text User Interface) gives you a visual menu in the terminal, which helps if you prefer not to type long commands. Type nmtui in your terminal to open the interactive screen, select the option to turn your connection off, and then turn it back on. You move around with the arrow keys and Tab, and press Enter to select.
The nmtui command comes with NetworkManager, so it is normally already installed on Ubuntu Desktop. It works in any terminal, including over SSH, but it only manages connections that NetworkManager controls.
Run the command below to open the menu. You will see a blue text screen with a short list of options. This is where you deactivate and then reactivate the connection.
nmtui
Deactivate and reactivate the connection on the screen like this:
- Use the arrow keys to highlight Activate a connection and press Enter. You will see a list of your connections. The active one is marked with an asterisk.
- Select the connection you want to reset and press Enter on the Deactivate button. The asterisk disappears and the button changes to Activate.
- Press Enter on Activate to bring the connection back. The asterisk returns once it is connected.
- Choose Back, then Quit, to return to the terminal.
If the screen reports a permission error, close it and start nmtui again with sudo.
Restart network services using ifup / ifdown
The older ifup and ifdown commands give you traditional interface control. Run ip a to find your network name, type sudo ifdown followed by your interface name to stop it, and then run sudo ifup to start it again.
Be aware that these commands are not part of a default Ubuntu 24.04 install, because the ifupdown package is not installed by default. They also only control interfaces that ifupdown is configured to manage. On a standard system, NetworkManager or Netplan manages the interfaces, so ifdown may say the interface is not configured. In that case, use one of the earlier methods instead.
List all the interfaces with the command below. Each interface has a number and a name, such as lo for the loopback interface or a name like enp0s3 for Ethernet. Pick the one that carries your connection, which is usually the one with an IP address listed.
ip a
Turn the network interface off or on with the command format below. As with the other methods, if you are connected over SSH through this interface, bringing it down drops your session and you will not be able to bring it back up remotely.
sudo ifdown <interface_name>
sudo ifup <interface_name>
Put the name of the network interface on your system in place of <interface_name>. Use the name from the ip a output, not the example name shown below.
For example, run the command below to shut down the enp0s3 interface. Your interface name will likely differ, so check it first.
sudo ifdown enp0s3
Then bring up the same interface by running the command below. Give it a few seconds to get its address again.
sudo ifup enp0s3
That completes the process. Run ip a again to confirm the interface is up and has an IP address, then open a web page or ping a known site to check that your connection works.
Reviewing the key points helps solidify the process:
- Restarting network services can resolve connectivity issues by resetting network interfaces.
- Various methods are available to restart network services, including:
- Using Systemd commands (
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager). - Utilizing the NetworkManager CLI (
nmcli). - Employing the NetworkManager Text User Interface (nmtui).
- Executing ifup and ifdown commands for specific interfaces.
- Using Systemd commands (
- Verifying your network configurations after making changes ensures continuous connectivity.
- Building comfort with managing network services on Ubuntu comes from regularly using these commands.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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