How to Configure a Static IP on Ubuntu 18.04 Server?

Setting up a static IP address on Ubuntu 18.04 is different compared to earlier versions like Ubuntu 14 or Ubuntu 16. In Ubuntu 18.04, the network configuration is managed using a tool called NetPlan, replacing the old /etc/network/interfaces file used in previous versions.

NetPlan uses YAML configuration files stored in the /etc/netplan/ directory to manage network interfaces. There are two types of renderers for NetPlan:

1. NetworkManager - Commonly used on desktop systems.

2. networkd - Commonly used on servers.

Steps to Configure a Static IP Address Using networkd

Step 1: Identify the Active Network Interface

First, identify the network interface you want to configure. Use the following commands to list all network interfaces:

 
ifconfig -a 
                                    

or

 
ip a 
                                    

Step 2: Create or Edit a NetPlan Configuration File

If a YAML configuration file doesn’t already exist in the /etc/netplan/ directory, you can generate one using this command:

 
netplan generate 
                                    

Step 3: Set a Static IP Address

Open the NetPlan configuration file using a text editor like vim or nano. For example:

 
sudo nano /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml 
                                    

Add or edit the configuration under the relevant network interface (e.g., eth0) to look like this:

 
network:
  version: 2
  renderer: networkd
  ethernets:
    eth0:
      dhcp4: no
      dhcp6: no
      addresses:
        - 192.168.1.8/24
      gateway4: 192.168.1.1
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 8.8.8.8
          - 8.8.4.4 
                                    

Step 4: Apply the Configuration

Save and close the file, then apply the changes using the NetPlan command:

 
sudo netplan apply 
                                    

Step 5: Verify the Configuration

Check if the new IP address is active:

 
ifconfig -a 
                                    

Test connectivity to ensure the configuration works:

 
ping 8.8.8.8 
                                    

Conclusion

You have now successfully configured a static IP address on your Ubuntu 18.04 server using NetPlan. If you have any questions or face issues, feel free to contact us, and our team will assist you.