Network Manager is the background daemon responsible for configuring and maintaining all network connections on an Ubuntu system, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and VPNs. While it is generally highly reliable, it can occasionally freeze or crash.
If your Ubuntu machine suddenly drops its Wi-Fi connection, refuses to connect to a new network, or displays an empty network menu in the graphical interface, you do not need to perform a full system reboot. Instead, you can forcefully restart the Network Manager service directly from the terminal to resolve the issue in seconds.
How to Restart Network Manager Using Systemctl (Recommended)
Modern versions of Ubuntu (16.04 and newer) use systemd to manage all background services. The systemctl command is the standard, safest, and most reliable way to interact with the Network Manager daemon.
- Open your terminal application (or connect via SSH if you still have local network access).
- Type the following command and press Enter:
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager- The system will prompt you for your administrator (sudo) password. Type it in and press Enter. (Note that your keystrokes will remain invisible for security reasons).
The command executes silently. Your network connection will drop entirely for approximately two to three seconds as the daemon shuts down and reinitialises. It will then automatically attempt to reconnect to your previously saved networks.
How to Verify the Service Status
If restarting the service did not fix your internet connection, you should check the status of the Network Manager to see if it crashed during the boot process or if it is reporting a specific error code.
- Run the following command in your terminal:
sudo systemctl status NetworkManagerThe terminal will output a detailed log. Look for the line that says Active:. If the service is running properly, it should say active (running) in green text. If it says failed or dead, there is a deeper configuration issue preventing the daemon from starting.
To exit the status log and return to your normal command prompt, press the Q key on your keyboard.
Alternative: Using the Service Command (Older Systems)
If you are managing a legacy Ubuntu server (version 14.04 or older) that does not utilise systemd, the systemctl command will return an error. In these rare cases, you must use the traditional service command.
- Run the following command:
sudo service network-manager restartNote: The service name for the older command is hyphenated and entirely lowercase (network-manager), unlike the CamelCase (NetworkManager) required by the modern systemctl command.