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220-1202 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a DNS resolution…
A technician is troubleshooting a DNS resolution issue on a Windows 10 workstation. The user can ping an IP address but not a domain name. Which command should be used to clear the local DNS cache?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse `nslookup` (which queries the DNS server) with a cache-clearing command, not realizing that `nslookup` does not affect the local cache and may return a correct result even when the cache is corrupted.
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
✓
ipconfig /flushdns
The `ipconfig /flushdns` command clears the local DNS resolver cache on a Windows 10 workstation. When a user can ping an IP address but not a domain name, it often indicates a stale or corrupted DNS cache entry. Flushing the cache forces the system to query the DNS server for fresh resolution, resolving the issue.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
nslookup example.com
Why it's wrong here
nslookup queries DNS servers directly and displays their answers; it does not purge the workstation's local resolver cache. It is tempting because it is the classic DNS diagnostic tool, and it would be correct when you need to test what a specific DNS server returns for a name.
- ✓
ipconfig /flushdns
Why this is correct
'ipconfig /flushdns' purges the workstation's local DNS resolver cache, forcing fresh queries to the configured DNS servers. Since IP connectivity works, the stale or corrupted cached entry is the fault; flushing it satisfies the requirement to clear the local cache without altering IP configuration.
- ✗
netstat -r
Why it's wrong here
netstat -r prints the routing table, which has no bearing on cached DNS entries, so the stale record persists. It is tempting because it is a familiar network troubleshooting command, and it would be correct when diagnosing gateway or route problems rather than name resolution failures.
- ✗
ping -a 192.168.1.1
Why it's wrong here
ping -a resolves an IP address back to a hostname; it neither clears nor flushes the resolver cache, so stale entries remain. It is tempting because it does exercise name resolution, and it would be the right command when you want to confirm the reverse-DNS name associated with a given address.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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