"ifconfig" will get you most of that.  You will also want -
"route -n" - Check routing i.e. default gateway n' stuff.
"cat /etc/resolv.conf" - check your nameservers.  I think this is
standard in all distro's.

The release/renew thing I'm not sure about.  It may have something to do
w/ pump (a dhpc program) or something like that.  I would also like to
know how to do this.  If it's what I'm thinking of it releases a DHCP
address and requests a new one.
Although if your dhcp server is setup to keep a lease for so long and
you try to change it will it give you a new address or the one already
leased to your MAC address?  Anyone know?

To restart your network you can do a (RH based/SysV?  Don't know about
Debian)
"/etc/rc.d/init.d/network restart" should work depending on the distro.

What info are you trying to get?

sim

> What's the Linux equivalent to the Windows ipconfig command?  Also,
> how do I do release/renews?
> 
> David