Member Avatar for lewashby

I just installed Ubuntu Server but I'M not getting any network activity, let alone an internet connection. When I type ifconfig I only get the local ip address of 127.0.0.1. I have connect the eth0 port to one of the open ports on my wireless router and I'M still getting nothing. If it helps, when I installed ubuntu server I chose "do not set up network at this time" because I was installing it while hooked to KVM away from my router. Any ideas how I could get my server to pick up the local network so I can actually use it, and preferable get it connected to the internet as well. Bear in mind that I really am pretty Linux green, especially when it comes to anything with networking. Thanks for any and all replies.

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A short expert addendum.

Seeing only 127.0.0.1 means the loopback interface is present but no IP was assigned to the network device. The installer option to “not set up network” leaves the NIC unconfigured; as pointed out, creating a proper network configuration and bringing the interface up fixed the problem for . The notes below cover verification and common follow-ups that are useful years later or on different Ubuntu releases.

Quick diagnostics (run from the server console):

ip link
ip addr show
ifconfig -a
ip route
cat /proc/net/dev
sudo dmesg | egrep -i 'dhcp|eth|link'
sudo lshw -C network

These show the interface name, whether the kernel sees the device, any DHCP activity, and the routing table.

Common pitfalls and context

  • Interface name differences: many newer systems use names like enp0s3 rather than eth0; adjust configuration for the actual interface name. Older Ubuntu used udev persistent rules (70-persistent-net.rules) to pin names.
  • Configuration backend changes: modern Ubuntu releases use netplan (YAML in /etc/netplan) or systemd-networkd; older installs use /etc/network/interfaces. Editing the wrong file will have no effect.
  • Virtual setups: when installing via KVM, confirm the VM’s NIC is in bridged or NAT mode on the host so it can reach the router.
  • Hardware/driver issues: a dead cable, wrong port on the router, or missing driver will also leave only loopback visible; ethtool and dmesg output help diagnose link/driver faults.

After applying a configuration, verify the default route and name resolution (ip route, ping 8.8.8.8, ping google.com, check /etc/resolv.conf). Always back up network files before editing and use the local console when making network changes on a headless or remote system to avoid losing access.

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Member Avatar for JasonHippy

I could be wrong, but I think you just need to open up /etc/network/interfaces (or create it if it doesn't exist) and add the following lines:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp
Member Avatar for lewashby

Thanks JasonHippy that's all it took. I can't believe it was that easy.

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