PCPP2 Network Programming Practice Question
You are designing a cross-platform network application. Why is it recommended to use socket.getaddrinfo() instead of socket.gethostbyname()?
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
✓
It supports IPv6 and is more portable across different network stacks.
getaddrinfo() is protocol-agnostic (IPv4/IPv6) and returns structured information suitable for socket creation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It caches results to reduce DNS requests.
Why it's wrong here
Caching is usually handled by the OS resolver, not the function itself.
- ✓
It supports IPv6 and is more portable across different network stacks.
Why this is correct
getaddrinfo is the modern, recommended standard for address resolution.
- ✗
It is faster than gethostbyname().
Why it's wrong here
Performance is negligible; the benefit is protocol flexibility.
- ✗
It automatically resolves local hostnames.
Why it's wrong here
Both functions can resolve local hostnames.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PCPP2 question from scratch — 194 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 and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Python Institute exam blueprint
This PCPP2 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Python Institute 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 PCPP2 exam.