How to Enable the Old ethX Style Network Interfaces Names on CentOS / RHEL 7?

Updated: 28 September 2026 · Applies to: Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 12, AlmaLinux 9 and Rocky Linux 9

Current systems name network interfaces by their hardware position (for example ens3 or enp1s0), so names do not change between boots. Red Hat recommends keeping these names. If an old script needs eth0, you can switch back.

Note: A mistake here can leave the server without network. Do this only with console access (on a Ucartz VPS: the VNC console in the VPS dashboard).

AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux 9

1. Add the kernel arguments: grubby --update-kernel=ALL --args="net.ifnames=0 biosdevname=0"
2. Point the connection profile at the new name: nmcli con mod "ens3" connection.interface-name eth0 (use your profile name from nmcli con show).
3. Reboot and check with ip link.

Ubuntu / Debian

1. Add net.ifnames=0 biosdevname=0 to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX in /etc/default/grub and run update-grub.
2. Change the interface name in your Netplan file (Ubuntu) or /etc/network/interfaces (Debian) to eth0.
3. Reboot and check with ip link.

Tip: Alternatively, keep predictable names and give an interface your own name with a systemd .link file in /etc/systemd/network/ that matches its MAC address.