Install ip / ifconfig commands on macOS Monterey

CloudSpinx
February 14, 2025
6:39 pm
No Comments

On macOS if you try checking your active networks IP address information with ip command you’ll get an error message similar to one shown below:

$ ip ad
zsh: command not found: ip

To fix this you’ll need to install iproute2mac package which provides ip command management tool. The installation can be performed with brew package manager.

The brew command is not available on a fresh installation of macOS operating system. You’ll have to install it manually:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Confirm installation of brew package manager using version option:

$ brew --version
Homebrew 4.4.16
Homebrew/homebrew-core (git revision 8558bc261ac; last commit 2022-05-20)
Homebrew/homebrew-cask (git revision a32e7d047b; last commit 2022-05-20)

We can then use brew installer to download iproute2mac package on out macOS system:

$ brew install iproute2mac
Updating Homebrew...
==> Auto-updated Homebrew!
Updated 1 tap (homebrew/core).
==> Updated Formulae
Updated 6 formulae.

==> Downloading https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core/iproute2mac/manifests/1.4.0
Already downloaded: /Users/jkmutai/Library/Caches/Homebrew/downloads/29740d3f4a646e0390f01f6fb0465188995b4860acdee21b464c20b0f2174334--iproute2mac-1.4.0.bottle_manifest.json
==> Downloading https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core/iproute2mac/blobs/sha256:2ea180af8a15eace187d17e2f95a84e417445e5175646f6f61b9931633ddf264
Already downloaded: /Users/jkmutai/Library/Caches/Homebrew/downloads/d9b68cbd675317c41388f26833ac9a2d501a811eaa61e34ee4798b1854e08c4c--iproute2mac--1.4.0.all.bottle.tar.gz
==> Reinstalling iproute2mac
==> Pouring iproute2mac--1.4.0.all.bottle.tar.gz
🍺  /usr/local/Cellar/iproute2mac/1.4.0: 6 files, 29.5KB
==> Running `brew cleanup iproute2mac`...
Disable this behaviour by setting HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALL_CLEANUP.
Hide these hints with HOMEBREW_NO_ENV_HINTS (see `man brew`).

Now use ip command and any option to check your network devices and ip related information on macOS:

$ ip ad

lo0: flags=8049<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 16384
	inet 127.0.0.1/8 lo0
	inet6 ::1/128
	inet6 fe80::1/64 scopeid 0x1
en5: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
	ether ac:de:48:00:11:22
	inet6 fe80::aede:48ff:fe00:1122/64 scopeid 0x4
en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
	ether 3c:22:fb:86:ed:6d
	inet6 fe80::1843:7da0:94ac:1ca4/64 secured scopeid 0x6
	inet 192.168.100.19/24 brd 192.168.100.255 en0
awdl0: flags=8943<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
	ether 9a:27:94:25:58:44
	inet6 fe80::9827:94ff:fe25:5844/64 scopeid 0x7
llw0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
	ether 9a:27:94:25:58:44
	inet6 fe80::9827:94ff:fe25:5844/64 scopeid 0x8
utun0: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1380
	inet6 fe80::583b:6098:565b:1a4b/64 scopeid 0xe
utun1: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 2000

For a specified single interface:

$ ip link show dev en0
ip               en0
en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
	options=400<CHANNEL_IO>
	ether 3c:22:fb:86:ed:6d
	nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>
	media: autoselect
	status: active

$ ip addr show dev en0
ip               en0
en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
	ether 3c:22:fb:86:ed:6d
	inet6 fe80::1843:7da0:94ac:1ca4/64 secured scopeid 0x6
	inet 192.168.100.19/24 brd 192.168.100.255 en0

This was a short guide on how to fix “command not found: ip” on macOS Big Sur / Monterey and any other versions. Here are other related articles on macOS operating system:

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