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iftop command in Linux with Examples

Last Updated : 10 Sep, 2024
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The ‘iftop’ command is a powerful network analysis tool used by system administrators to monitor real-time bandwidth usage on network interfaces. It provides a quick and detailed overview of networking activities, helping diagnose network issues by identifying which applications or processes are consuming the most bandwidth. It stands for ‘Interface TOP’ and the top is derived from the top command in Linux. It even acts as a diagnostic to ‘diagnose’ which program is causing the problem to the network.

Installing ‘iftop’ command

Installing ‘iftop’ on Linux varies slightly depending on the distribution you are using. Below are the installation steps for RedHat-based systems and Debian or Ubuntu systems:

1. For RedHat-based Linux (version 8 or below) 

yum install epel-release
yum install  iftop

2. For RedHat-based Linux (version 9)

sudo dnf install epel-release
sudo dnf install iftop

3. For Debian or Ubuntu Linux

sudo apt install iftop

Key Options available in `iftop` command in Linux

Options

Description

iftop

Displays basic real-time bandwidth usage of the default network interface.

-i wlo1

Shows real-time bandwidth details of a specific network interface named “wlo1”.

-n -i wlo1

Disables hostname lookup and provides bandwidth statistics for the specified interface “wlo1”.

-N -i wlo1

Disables the conversion of port numbers to services and presents bandwidth stats for the specified interface “wlo1”.

-b

Turns off the display of the bar graph representation for network traffic.

-t

Presents the output in a text interface format without using ncurses.

-o source

Sorts the output based on the source IP address of network flows.

-o destination

Sorts the output based on the destination IP address of network flows.

-L 2 -i wlo1

Specifies that only 2 lines of statistics or bandwidth usage should be printed for the interface “wlo1”.

-h

Displays the help section providing usage information and options for the iftop command.

Working with iftop Command

1. To display basic bandwidth usage of the default interface. 

iftop
Display Basic bandwidth usage

Display Basic bandwidth usage

This command will now display all the bandwidth related stats of the default interface.

2. To display bandwidth details of a specific router 

sudo iftop -i wlo1
display bandwidth deatil

display bandwidth deatil

This command will now display all the bandwidth related stats of the specified network interface which is wlo1.

3. To stop hostname lookup 

sudo iftop -n -i wlo
To stop hostname lookup

To stop hostname lookup

This command will now stop the lookup of the hostname for the specified network interface which is ‘wlo1’.

4. To stop the conversion of port numbers to services. 

sudo iftop -N -i wlo1
stop the conversion

stop the conversion

This command will not convert the port number to services while printing stats for the specified network interface which is ‘wlo1’.

5 To stop the display of bar graph. 

sudo iftop -b
Display a bar graph

Display a bar graph

This command will remove the bar graph of traffic from the output.

6. To display the text interface without ncurses 

sudo iftop -t
Display without ncurses

Display without ncurses

This command will display the output in the text interface without ‘ncurses’.

7. To sort output by source address 

sudo iftop -o source
To sort by source

To sort by source

This command will sort the output on the basis of the source address.

8. To sort output by destination address 

sudo iftop -o destination
To sort by destination

To sort by destination

This command will sort the output on the basis of the destination address.

9. To specify number of lines to be printed 

sudo iftop -L 2 -i wlo1
To display specific number

To display specific number

This command will print 2 output lines of statistics or bandwidth usage and not more than 2 lines will be printed.

10. To display help 

sudo iftop -h
help

help

This command will display the help section of the iftop command.

Conclusion

In this article we discussed ‘iftop’ command which is a valuable network analysis tool for administrators, providing real-time bandwidth usage stats and aiding in network troubleshooting. With customizable options, it offers efficient monitoring and sorting capabilities. By installing ‘iftop’ on Linux distributions, administrators can gain insights into network traffic and optimize network performance effectively.

‘iftop’ command in Linux – FAQs

What is the ‘iftop’ command used for in Linux?

The ‘iftop’ command is used for monitoring real-time bandwidth usage on network interfaces in Linux. It provides a quick overview of networking activities and helps identify which processes or applications are consuming bandwidth.

How do I install the ‘iftop’ command on RedHat-based Linux systems?

For RedHat-based Linux (version 8 or below), use:

yum install epel-release
yum install iftop

For RedHat-based Linux (version 9), use:

sudo dnf install epel-release
sudo dnf install iftop

How can I install ‘iftop’ on Debian or Ubuntu Linux?

You can install ‘iftop’ on Debian or Ubuntu by running:

sudo apt install iftop

How do I display basic bandwidth usage of the default network interface using ‘iftop’?

Simply run the command:

iftop



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