Mastering AWS EC2 Security Groups & Essential Networking Commands 🚀

Introduction

Whether you're launching your first AWS EC2 instance or troubleshooting network issues, mastering Security Groups and networking commands is crucial. In this guide, we’ll cover:

✅ How to launch an AWS EC2 instance
✅ How to configure Security Groups for secure access
✅ A cheat sheet of essential networking commands

🟢 Part 1: Launching an AWS EC2 Instance

Step 1: Login to AWS & Navigate to EC2

1. Go to AWS Console and sign in.

2. Search for EC2 in the services menu.

Step 2: Launch an EC2 Instance

1. Click Launch Instance.

2. Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) → Select Ubuntu (Free Tier Eligible).

3. Choose an Instance Type → Select t2.micro (Free Tier).

4. Click Next: Configure Security Group.

🟢 Part 2: Understanding Security Groups

Security Groups in AWS act as firewalls that control inbound & outbound traffic.

Step 3: Configure Security Group Rules

1. Click Review and Launch.

2. Download the Key Pair (important for SSH access).

3. Click Launch Instance.

✅ Done! Your EC2 instance is now live.

🟢 Part 3: Essential Networking Commands Cheat Sheet

1️⃣ ping - Check Network Connectivity

bashCopyEditping google.com

✅ Tests if a host is reachable.

2️⃣ traceroute / tracert - Trace Packet Routes

bashCopyEdittraceroute google.com  # Linux/macOS
tracert google.com  # Windows

✅ Shows the path packets take to reach the destination.

3️⃣ netstat - View Network Statistics

bashCopyEditnetstat -an

✅ Displays active connections & listening ports.

4️⃣ curl - Make HTTP Requests

bashCopyEditcurl -I https://example.com

✅ Fetches HTTP headers of a website.

5️⃣ dig / nslookup - DNS Lookup

bashCopyEditdig google.com  # Linux/macOS
nslookup google.com  # Windows

✅ Resolves a domain name to an IP address.

🔹 Conclusion

By understanding AWS EC2 Security Groups and mastering networking commands, you can:
✅ Secure cloud instances properly
✅ Debug connectivity issues efficiently
✅ Improve your DevOps & cloud skills