mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: Troubleshooting a network issue where a user…
You are troubleshooting a network issue where a user cannot access a specific server. You need to verify the path that packets take from the user's computer to the server and identify where delays occur. Which command-line tool should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse ping's ability to test reachability and measure latency with the need to see the actual path and per-hop delays, leading them to choose ping instead of tracert.
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
✓
tracert
The tracert (traceroute) command is specifically designed to map the path packets take from a source to a destination by sending ICMP Echo Requests with incrementing Time-To-Live (TTL) values. Each router along the path decrements the TTL and, when it reaches zero, sends back an ICMP Time Exceeded message, allowing tracert to display each hop and the round-trip time (RTT) for that hop. This makes it the correct tool for verifying the packet path and identifying where delays occur.
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 it's wrong here
Ping utilizes ICMP Echo Request and Echo Reply packets to verify basic IP-level connectivity between two hosts. It measures the round-trip time and reports packet loss, indicating if a destination is reachable and how quickly it responds. However, this utility does not reveal the intermediate routers or the latency experienced at each hop along the network path, which is crucial for diagnosing routing issues beyond simple reachability.
- ✗
ipconfig
Why it's wrong here
Ipconfig is a command-line utility used to display and manage the network interface configuration on a local machine, showing details such as the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers assigned to local network adapters. While essential for verifying local network settings and ensuring the client is properly configured, it provides no information about the route packets take to reach a remote destination or the performance of intermediate network devices.
- ✓
tracert
Why this is correct
Tracert (or traceroute on Unix-like systems) is the ideal tool for mapping the network path to a destination and identifying potential bottlenecks or points of failure. It operates by sending a sequence of packets, typically ICMP Echo Requests or UDP datagrams, with incrementally increasing Time-To-Live (TTL) values. Each router along the path decrements the TTL, and when it reaches zero, the router sends an ICMP Time Exceeded message back to the source, allowing tracert to identify each hop and measure its latency.
- ✗
nslookup
Why it's wrong here
Nslookup is a command-line tool specifically designed for querying the Domain Name System (DNS) to obtain domain name or IP address mapping information. It allows users to resolve hostnames to IP addresses or vice versa, and to query various DNS record types for diagnostic purposes. While critical for verifying DNS functionality and name resolution, it does not provide any insight into the actual network path, the routers involved, or the latency between network devices on the route to a target host.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Configuration: IP, DNS, DHCP
Key term
Packet
A packet is a small unit of data that is sent over a network, containing both the actual data and control information for delivery.
Key term
Traceroute
Traceroute is a network diagnostic tool that maps the route data packets take from your computer to a destination, showing each intermediate hop and the time taken.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1201 question from scratch — 972 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.