100-140 Question 217
Single answerYou are troubleshooting a network connectivity issue for a remote server using the 'tracert' command on a Windows machine. The tracert output shows multiple '* * *' entries for several hops. What is the most likely cause of this result?
- A
The target server is down and not responding.
- B
The network path includes devices that are configured to block ICMP traffic.
- C
The local machine has an incorrect IP configuration.
- D
The DNS resolution for the target server failed.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Tracert relies on ICMP echo requests and responses to map the route to a target destination. If a router or firewall along the path is configured to block ICMP traffic, tracert will display '* * *' for those hops, indicating no response. This is a common occurrence in modern networks where administrators restrict ICMP traffic for security reasons.
- A. Incorrect.
If the target server is down, the final hop might not respond, but intermediate hops would still be visible unless ICMP traffic is blocked.
- B. Correct.
When devices along the network path are configured to block ICMP traffic, tracert will display '* * *' for those hops, indicating that the router or firewall along the path is not responding to the ICMP echo requests.
- C. Incorrect.
An incorrect IP configuration on the local machine would typically prevent any tracert output from being generated, as the command would fail to even initiate the request.
- D. Incorrect.
DNS resolution issues would prevent tracert from resolving the hostname to an IP address, but the command would still display the IP address and attempt to trace the route.