You work as a Network Administrator of a TCP/IP network. You are having DNS resolution problem. Which of the following utilities will you use to diagnose the problem? (ISC)2 CISSP-ISSAP Exam

Question

Options

• ATRACERT
• BPING
• CIPCONFIG
• DNSLOOKUP

• A
  11% (4)
• B
  5% (2)
• C
  3% (1)
• D
  82% (31)

Explanation

NSLOOKUP (Name Server Lookup) is the correct tool because it directly queries DNS servers to resolve hostnames to IP addresses, making it purpose-built for diagnosing DNS resolution failures - you can test specific records, query alternate DNS servers, and see exactly where resolution breaks down.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• TRACERT traces the network path (hops) to a destination; it diagnoses routing issues, not DNS failures.
• PING tests basic reachability and round-trip latency; while it uses a hostname, it can't isolate whether a failure is DNS vs. network connectivity.
• IPCONFIG displays and manages local IP configuration (IP address, subnet, gateway, DNS server assignments); it shows which DNS server is configured but cannot test whether DNS resolution actually works.

Memory tip: Think of the acronym - NSLOOKUP = Name Server lookup. Whenever the problem involves names (hostnames, domain resolution), NSLOOKUP is your go-to. If the problem is about paths, use TRACERT; if it's about reachability, use PING.

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