hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: Troubleshooting a network where users in one…
You are troubleshooting a network where users in one department cannot reach a critical server. You need to check if the server's IP address is reachable and measure the round-trip time. Which command-line tool provides this information?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse tracert with ping, thinking tracert also provides reachability and RTT to the final destination, but tracert focuses on hop-by-hop path discovery and only shows RTT per hop, not a single end-to-end RTT measurement.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ping
The `ping` command uses ICMP Echo Request and Echo Reply messages to test reachability of a target IP address and measures the round-trip time (RTT) in milliseconds. This directly matches the requirement to check if the server's IP address is reachable and to measure the RTT.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
ping
Why this is correct
The `ping` utility sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request packets to a target host and listens for ICMP Echo Reply packets. This process effectively measures the round-trip time (RTT) for packets to reach the destination and return, thereby confirming basic IP-level connectivity and providing an initial assessment of network latency. It is the foundational tool for verifying if a remote device is alive and reachable on the network.
- ✗
tracert
Why it's wrong here
The `tracert` (traceroute) command maps the network path between the local host and a specified destination by sending packets with incrementally increasing Time-To-Live (TTL) values. Each router along the path decrements the TTL and, upon reaching zero, sends an ICMP Time Exceeded message back to the source, allowing `tracert` to identify each hop and measure the latency to that specific router. While useful for diagnosing routing loops or identifying where traffic is being dropped, it is not designed for simple 'is it alive' checks.
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nslookup
Why it's wrong here
`nslookup` is a command-line tool used for querying the Domain Name System (DNS) to obtain domain name or IP address mapping or other DNS records. It primarily functions to resolve hostnames to IP addresses or vice-versa, confirming that DNS services are operational and correctly configured. However, `nslookup` does not send any data packets to the resolved IP address to test actual network reachability or measure latency to that host.
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netstat
Why it's wrong here
`netstat` (network statistics) displays active network connections, routing tables, interface statistics, masquerade connections, and multicast memberships on the local machine. This utility provides insight into which ports are open and listening, and which connections are currently established or in various states, offering a snapshot of the local system's network activity. It is crucial for security audits and performance monitoring of the local host but does not directly test the reachability or measure the latency to a remote network device.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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