getpeercon - Linux

Overview

getpeercon is a powerful networking utility used to retrieve information about peers in a network configuration. It provides valuable insights into the connection status, IP address, and port number of connected peers. This command is particularly useful for troubleshooting network issues, monitoring network connectivity, and analyzing peer-to-peer communications.

Syntax

getpeercon [-h] [-v] [-p PORT]  [-6] HOSTNAME

Options/Flags

  • -h, –help: Display the help menu and usage instructions.
  • -v, –verbose: Enable verbose output, providing more detailed information about the peer connection.
  • -p PORT, –port PORT: Specify the port number to check for peer connections. Defaults to port 80.
  • -6: Force the use of IPv6 addresses.

Examples

Display basic information about a peer connection on port 80:

getpeercon example.com

Retrieve verbose output and check a specific port:

getpeercon -v -p 443 example.com

Force IPv6 address usage:

getpeercon -6 example.com

Common Issues

Error: Connection refused

This error may indicate that the specified hostname is unreachable or the target port is not open for connections. Verify the hostname and port number using other network tools, such as ping or nmap.

Error: Invalid argument

Ensure that the provided hostname is a valid domain name or IP address. Also, check that the specified port number is within the valid range (0-65535).

Integration

getpeercon can be integrated with other networking tools for more advanced tasks:

  • ping: Combine with ping to test network connectivity and identify unresponsive peers.
  • nmap: Use with nmap to scan for open ports on connected peers.
  • tcpdump: Analyze network traffic to monitor communication patterns between peers.

Related Commands

  • netstat: Display network statistics and active connections.
  • **ss`: Show socket statistics, including information about connected peers.
  • curl: Perform HTTP requests to connected peers.