A couple of users report that google.com is not loading. Which of the following commands allows a technician to quickly check if google.com is reachable?

`netstat` displays network connections, routing tables, and interface statistics, but it does not directly test the reachability of a specific external host.

`path` (or `PATH` environment variable) specifies directories where executable programs are located; it is not a networking command.

The `ping` command is a fundamental network diagnostic tool used to test the reachability of a host on an IP network. By sending ICMP Echo Request packets to `google.com` and awaiting Echo Reply packets, it quickly confirms whether the destination is active and reachable, providing basic connectivity information.

`hostname` displays or sets the system's hostname, which is unrelated to checking external network reachability.