Which Windows command is used to verify if a network host is reachable?

• A. Ipconfig
• B. Tracert
• C. Nslookup
• D. Ping

Answer: (D)

Verifying basic connectivity to a network host relies on sending a small probe and checking for a response. The tool used to do this is Ping, which sends ICMP Echo Request messages to the target and waits for ICMP Echo Reply. If you receive replies, the host is reachable and the round‑trip time gives a sense of latency; if you don’t, there may be a network issue, a firewall blocking ICMP, or the host may be down. Ipconfig only shows your own network configuration and cannot confirm if another host is reachable. Tracert shows the path to the destination and can help locate where a problem occurs but is not a direct test of reachability. Nslookup resolves a host name to an IP address, which is about name resolution, not confirming connectivity.