10 quick tips to make Linux networking easier Aug 15, 2008, 17 :02 UTC (0 Talkback[s]) (3677 reads) (Other stories by Jack Wallen)
"#8: Know how to configure an IP address manually
"Yes, there are GUI tools for this. And yes, they all work very well. But as you will eventually find if you administer any operating system long enough, it’s never bad to have backup tools to help you do your job. And one of the best backup tools for Linux networking is the ifconfig command. Not only will this command return to you (with no arguments) your network card information, it will also allow you to configure your network card manually."