Command Line (Console) and How to Use It

Originally from MS-DOS, the command line (also console) is used to manage the operational system by entering textual commands.
 
Most users know nothing or very little about the command line, although opening it is necessary for remote technical support. A basic knowledge of the command line and its uses will also come in handy to fix computer problems independently.
 

Launching the Command Line

There are at least three ways of launching the command line in Windows. One of the quickest ones is to press the Windows button (showing the Windows icon) and R simultaneously. This will open the Execute menu. All you have to do is enter cmd and press OK. Please note that the opening command line will be assigned local user rights. If you need to run the command line as administrator, choose another method.

 


 
The second method is to run the search line and enter “cmd” or “command line” and then launch the command line by clicking on it. If you want to run the command line as administrator, double-click the right mouse button on it and choose “Run as administrator. This method requires Windows 7 or later. To run the command line as administrator in earlier Windows versions, click the right mouse button on the command line and choose “Run as administrator”.
 

 

Commands

 
The command line has a set of acceptable commands that require correct syntax. To view the list of acceptable commands, enter help and press Enter.
 

 
Let’s look at the commands that may come in handy when configuring anonymization tools.
 

ping

This command verifies connection to a remote computer, data transfer speed and loss percent.

You can identify the remote computer to be pinged (that is, determine its connectivity) by name (eg. yandex.ru) or by ip (eg. 77.88.55.60).
 
ping yandex.ru
 
ping 77.88.55.60
 

 

tracert

 

 

ipconfig /all

 

 

route

 
This command provides access to IP routing table’s content. Enter route (with no parameters) to view functions.
 

 
To show on the screen: route print

To add routes until the endpoint: route add

For instance, the default route showing the default gateway address 192.168.12.1: route add 0.0.0.0 mask 0.0.0.0 192.168.12.1
 
To add a constant route, add –p after the route: i.e. route -p add 10.41.0.0 mask 255.255.0.0 10.27.0.1

 

Summary

 
Now you know that the command line is not that complicated. It helps you get access to a larger amount of information. Learn a couple of commands and you’ll be able to answer virtually any question the technical support service may ask you or to follow the provided recommendations on your own. Don’t forget to share useful information with your family and friends!