220-1101 Networking Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a network issue where a user can access websites by IP address but not by domain name. The technician runs ipconfig /all and sees that the DNS server is set to 192.168.1.1, which is the router. The router's DNS settings are correct. Which of the following commands should the technician use to test DNS resolution on the workstation?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that ping or tracert will diagnose DNS problems, but they primarily test connectivity and path, not name resolution.
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
✓
nslookup
nslookup is the tool designed to query DNS servers and verify name resolution. Since the user can access websites by IP but not by name, DNS is the likely culprit. Running nslookup will show if the DNS server is responding and resolving correctly, helping to pinpoint 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.
- ✗
tracert
Why it's wrong here
tracert traces the path to a destination, showing each hop. It can help identify where packets are dropped, but it does not specifically test DNS resolution. It might use DNS to resolve the target, but that is not its primary function.
- ✗
ipconfig /flushdns
Why it's wrong here
ipconfig /flushdns clears the local DNS resolver cache. While it can resolve issues caused by stale cache entries, it does not test DNS resolution. The technician first needs to diagnose whether DNS is working, then possibly flush the cache.
- ✗
ping
Why it's wrong here
ping tests basic IP connectivity to a host, but it does not directly test DNS resolution unless a hostname is used. Pinging an IP address would succeed even if DNS is broken. To isolate DNS, a tool like nslookup is more appropriate.
- ✓
nslookup
Why this is correct
nslookup queries DNS servers to resolve domain names to IP addresses. It can verify if the configured DNS server is responding and resolving correctly. If nslookup fails, the issue is likely with DNS configuration or the server itself, not the network connection.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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