nmcli-device

manages network interfaces using NetworkManager

TLDR

Show status of all network interfaces

$ nmcli device

List available Wi-Fi networks

$ nmcli device wifi

Connect to a Wi-Fi network (prompt for password)

$ nmcli device wifi connect [ssid] --ask

Connect to a hidden Wi-Fi network

$ nmcli device wifi connect [ssid] password [password] hidden yes

Show password and QR code for current Wi-Fi

$ nmcli device wifi show-password

Show detailed information about a device

$ nmcli device show [wlan0]

Disconnect a device

$ nmcli device disconnect [wlan0]

Rescan for available Wi-Fi networks

$ nmcli device wifi rescan

SYNOPSIS

nmcli device {status|show|set|connect|reapply|modify|disconnect|delete|monitor|wifi|lldp} [ARGUMENTS]

DESCRIPTION

nmcli device manages network interfaces using NetworkManager. It can show device status, connect to networks, manage Wi-Fi connections, and control interface state.

PARAMETERS

-a, --ask

Prompt for password when connecting

--rescan auto|no|yes

Control Wi-Fi scanning before listing

-w, --wait seconds

Timeout for finishing the operation

ifname

Network interface name (eth0, wlan0, etc.)

COMMANDS

status

Print status of all network devices

show [ifname]

Display detailed information about a device

set ifname [property value]

Set device properties (autoconnect, managed)

connect ifname

Connect a device

reapply ifname

Reapply connection settings to a device

disconnect ifname

Disconnect a device

delete ifname

Delete a software device

monitor [ifname]

Monitor device activity

wifi list

List available Wi-Fi access points

wifi connect ssid [password passwd] [hidden yes|no]

Connect to a Wi-Fi network, optionally specifying password and hidden status

wifi rescan

Request a Wi-Fi scan

wifi hotspot [ifname wlan0] [ssid name] [password passwd]

Create a Wi-Fi hotspot

wifi show-password

Show password for current Wi-Fi connection

lldp [list]

Show LLDP neighbors

INSTALL

sudo apt install network-manager

sudo apk add networkmanager-cli

CAVEATS

Wi-Fi operations require the NetworkManager daemon to be running and the device to be managed. Use --ask with wifi connect to interactively enter the password.

HISTORY

Part of the nmcli command-line interface for NetworkManager. Provides device-level network management.