---
name: "systemd-networkd"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "systemd"
version: "257.13-1~deb13u1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/systemd-networkd.service"
---

# systemd-networkd(8)

Network manager

Part of [systemd-networkd.service(8)](/systemd-networkd.service/8.md).

## NAME

systemd-networkd.service, systemd-networkd - Network manager

## SYNOPSIS

systemd-networkd.service

/usr/lib/systemd/systemd-networkd

## DESCRIPTION

**systemd-networkd** is a system service that manages networks. It detects and configures network devices as they appear, as well as creating virtual network devices.

Certain low-level settings of physical network devices (e.g. device names and altnames) as well as the creation of SR-IOV virtual functions on physical network interfaces may be managed by [**systemd-udevd**(8)](/systemd-udevd/8.md) according to the contents of [**systemd.link**(5)](/systemd.link/5.md) files.

**systemd-networkd** will create "virtual" network devices (e.g. bridges and tunnels) based on the configuration in [**systemd.netdev**(5)](/systemd.netdev/5.md) files, respecting the \[Match\] sections in those files.

**systemd-networkd** will manage network addresses and routes for any link for which it finds a .network file with an appropriate \[Match\] section, see [**systemd.network**(5)](/systemd.network/5.md). For those links, it will flush existing network addresses and routes when bringing up the device (except when directed not to). Any links not matched by one of the .network files will be ignored. It is also possible to explicitly tell systemd-networkd to ignore a link by using the *Unmanaged=yes* option, see [**systemd.network**(5)](/systemd.network/5.md).

When systemd-networkd exits, it generally leaves existing network devices and configuration intact. This makes it possible to transition from the initrd and to restart the service without breaking connectivity. This also means that when configuration is updated and systemd-networkd is restarted, netdev interfaces for which configuration was removed will not be dropped, and may need to be cleaned up manually.

**systemd-networkd** may be introspected and controlled at runtime using [**networkctl**(1)](/networkctl/1.md).

See [**org.freedesktop.network1**(5)](/org.freedesktop.network1/5.md) and [**org.freedesktop.LogControl1**(5)](/org.freedesktop.LogControl1/5.md) for a description of the D-Bus API.

## CONFIGURATION FILES

The configuration files are read from the files located in the system network directory /usr/lib/systemd/network, the volatile runtime network directory /run/systemd/network and the local administration network directory /etc/systemd/network.

Networks are configured in .network files, see [**systemd.network**(5)](/systemd.network/5.md), and virtual network devices are configured in .netdev files, see [**systemd.netdev**(5)](/systemd.netdev/5.md).

## SEE ALSO

[**networkctl**(1)](/networkctl/1.md), [**systemd**(1)](/systemd/1.md), [**systemd.link**(5)](/systemd.link/5.md), [**systemd.network**(5)](/systemd.network/5.md), [**systemd.netdev**(5)](/systemd.netdev/5.md), [**systemd-networkd-wait-online.service**(8)](/systemd-networkd-wait-online.service/8.md), [**systemd-network-generator.service**(8)](/systemd-network-generator.service/8.md), [**org.freedesktop.network1**(5)](/org.freedesktop.network1/5.md)