Configuring a Static IP with Netplan

1. The Configuration File

Netplan configurations are stored in .yaml files within /etc/netplan/. Common filenames include 01-netcfg.yaml or 50-cloud-init.yaml.

2. Standard Configuration Template

Below is the corrected version of your configuration. Note that in modern Netplan, gateway4 is deprecated in favor of the explicit routes block.

YAML

network:
  version: 2
  renderer: networkd
  ethernets:
    ens1:
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
        - 10.11.17.5/24
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 8.8.8.8
          - 1.1.1.1
      routes:
        - to: default
          via: 10.11.17.1

3. Key Parameters Explained

Parameter	Description
`ens1`	The name of the physical network interface. Use `ip link` to verify your interface name.
`dhcp4: false`	Disables automatic IP assignment from a DHCP server.
`addresses`	Your static IP address in CIDR notation (e.g., `/24` represents a subnet mask of `255.255.255.0`).
`routes`	Defines the default gateway (`via`) to allow the system to communicate outside the local network.
`nameservers`	Specifies DNS servers (in this case, Google Public DNS).

4. Applying the Changes

To avoid losing connection due to a syntax error, follow these three steps:

Step A: Test the configuration

This command will check for errors and automatically roll back if you don't confirm the changes within 120 seconds.

Bash

sudo netplan try

Step B: Apply the configuration

If the test is successful, apply the settings permanently:

Bash

sudo netplan apply

Step C: Verify the status

Confirm that the IP address has been assigned to the interface:

Bash

ip addr show ens1

Important Note on YAML Formatting:

Netplan is extremely sensitive to indentation. Always use spaces, never tabs. Ensure that each level of the hierarchy is indented by exactly two spaces relative to the level above it.