Your monitoring team reports that large HTTPS file transfers keep failing after traffic is routed through a site-to-site IPSec VPN. A packet capture shows the server sending 1500-byte Ethernet frames while the VPN gateway returns ICMP "fragmentation needed" messages. Before changing any interface settings, you need to discover the largest packet that can traverse the entire path without fragmentation from the Linux server. Which command will let you verify that maximum unfragmented size?
ss -lnt | awk '{print $2}' to view MSS values on listening sockets
ethtool -S eth0 | grep drop to look for oversized-frame counters
ping -c 4 -M do -s 1472 203.0.113.10 and adjust the -s value downward until the echoes succeed
ip link set dev eth0 mtu 1400 && ping -c 4 203.0.113.10 to see if packets pass afterward
The ping command with the options -M do (set DF flag, do not allow fragmentation) and -s (payload length) is the standard way to probe Path-MTU from a Linux host. Starting with a 1472-byte payload (1500-byte MTU minus 20-byte IP and 8-byte ICMP headers) and decreasing the size until you receive replies tells you the exact maximum size that can pass the VPN tunnel. The other choices either modify the local interface MTU (which masks, not measures, the problem), display driver statistics, or list TCP listeners-none of which determines the path MTU between two endpoints.
Ask Bash
Bash is our AI bot, trained to help you pass your exam. AI Generated Content may display inaccurate information, always double-check anything important.
What is the purpose of the DF (Don't Fragment) flag in the ping command?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
What is Path MTU, and why is it important in networking?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
How is the payload size calculated for the ping command when testing Path MTU?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
CompTIA Linux+ XK0-006 (V8)
Troubleshooting
Your Score:
Report Issue
Bash, the Crucial Exams Chat Bot
AI Bot
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
IT & Cybersecurity Package Join Premium for Full Access