mediumMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: A system administrator is troubleshooting a…
A system administrator is troubleshooting a network issue where a server cannot reach external websites. The server can ping the default gateway and internal hosts. Which TWO commands should the administrator use to further diagnose the problem? (Choose TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often choose 'route -n' (B) thinking it will show a missing default route, but since the server can ping the gateway, the default route is present; the real issue is either DNS or a routing problem beyond the first hop, which 'traceroute' (E) specifically addresses.
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 google.com
The server can reach internal hosts and the default gateway, which rules out Layer 2/3 connectivity issues within the local network. However, it cannot reach external websites, suggesting a DNS resolution failure or a routing problem beyond the gateway. 'nslookup google.com' (A) tests DNS resolution by querying the configured DNS server for the IP address of google.com; if it fails, the issue is with DNS. 'traceroute 8.8.8.8' (E) traces the path to a known external IP (Google's public DNS), bypassing DNS, to determine if packets are being dropped or misrouted after the gateway.
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 google.com
Why this is correct
Tests DNS resolution; if it fails, that could be the reason for not reaching external sites by name.
- ✗
route -n
Why it's wrong here
route -n shows routing table, but since internal connectivity works, routing is likely correct.
- ✗
ping 127.0.0.1
Why it's wrong here
ping loopback tests local stack, not external connectivity.
- ✗
ifconfig eth0
Why it's wrong here
ifconfig shows interface configuration, which appears fine since internal connectivity works.
- ✓
traceroute 8.8.8.8
Why this is correct
traceroute shows the path to an external IP, identifying where packets are lost.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 979 original XK0-006 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 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 XK0-006 exam.