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Difficulty: MediumUtilizing Command-Line Network Troubleshooting Utilities

A network technician is conducting diagnostic tests on a newly deployed workstation. Match each command-line utility command to its correct network troubleshooting function or operational output.

  • netstat -anDisplays active TCP/UDP listening ports and established connections using numerical addresses instead of hostnames.
  • dig -xPerforms a reverse DNS query to resolve a target IP address to its fully qualified domain name (FQDN).
  • pathpingMeasures per-hop latency and packet loss rates over an extended interval across intermediate routers.
  • arp -aDisplays the local Layer 2 MAC address to Layer 3 IP address mapping cache.

Answer

netstat -an corresponds to displaying active TCP/UDP listening ports and numerical connections; dig -x corresponds to performing a reverse DNS lookup; pathping corresponds to measuring per-hop latency and packet loss over time; arp -a corresponds to displaying local IP-to-MAC address mappings.
Each command-line utility targets a specific diagnostic domain: netstat -an reports transport-layer listening ports and sockets numerically; dig -x performs reverse DNS PTR lookups; pathping assesses sustained hop-by-hop latency and packet loss; arp -a outputs local Layer 2 to Layer 3 address resolution entries.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary function of protocol/session display tools.
Identify that netstat displaying socket statuses numerically matches listing listening ports and established TCP/UDP sockets.
The -n flag prevents hostname resolution, speeding up output and showing exact port numbers.
2
Evaluate the specialized DNS query flags.
Identify dig -x as the reverse DNS lookup invocation.
The -x flag automatically formats the target IP address into an in-addr.arpa or ip6.arpa PTR query.
3
Differentiate path diagnostic utilities.
Identify pathping as the tool combining traceroute with sustained ping stats.
Pathping monitors intermediate hops over several minutes to calculate exact packet loss percentages per hop.
4
Examine local address resolution tools.
Identify arp -a as the command for displaying the Address Resolution Protocol cache.
ARP links Layer 2 physical addresses to Layer 3 IP addresses for the local broadcast domain.

Key Concept

Command-Line Network Utilities & Operational Diagnostics
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Topics

Utilizing Command-Line Network Troubleshooting Utilities

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