How to set a static IP with NetworkManager (nmcli)¶

On modern Debian / Ubuntu / Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm and later) the network is managed by NetworkManager — the old /etc/dhcpcd.conf static-IP trick no longer applies.

1. Find the connection name¶

nmcli -t -f NAME,DEVICE,TYPE connection show --active

Wi-Fi connections are usually named after the SSID; Ethernet is often Wired connection 1.

2. Read the current gateway/DNS (don't guess)¶

While still on DHCP, note what the network actually uses so you reuse the right values:

nmcli device show <device> | grep -E 'IP4.GATEWAY|IP4.DNS'

3. Switch the connection to manual¶

sudo nmcli connection modify '<connection>' \
    ipv4.method manual \
    ipv4.addresses 192.168.0.105/24 \
    ipv4.gateway 192.168.0.1 \
    ipv4.dns "192.168.0.1 8.8.8.8"
sudo nmcli connection up '<connection>'

Verify:

ip route | grep default        # should show 'proto static'
hostname -I

If you're doing this over SSH

Bringing the connection down/up can drop your session. Keep the same IP you're already on (so you reconnect instantly), or schedule the reactivation detached so the command returns first: sudo systemd-run --on-active=2 nmcli connection up '<connection>'. After reactivation, re-check the default route — a race can leave the gateway route missing until the connection fully settles, which looks like "no internet".

Belt and braces on a headless box

Also add a DHCP reservation on the router (MAC → the same IP). The interface MAC is cat /sys/class/net/<device>/address. On-device static + router reservation agree on the address, so nothing else grabs it and a wrong static config can't strand a monitor-less machine.