220-1102 Question 802
Single answerMethods/toolsA technician is troubleshooting an intermittent network connectivity issue on a Windows 11 laptop used by a remote employee. The employee reports that web pages sometimes fail to load after connecting to the company VPN, but reconnecting the VPN occasionally fixes the issue. The technician suspects a DNS problem and wants to quickly verify whether the laptop is using the expected DNS servers and whether the local DNS resolver cache might be contributing to the issue. Which tool should the technician use FIRST to gather the most relevant information?
- A
ipconfig /all
- B
netstat -an
- C
tracert
- D
gpupdate /force
- E
tasklist
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
For A+ Core 2, technicians are expected to choose the most appropriate command-line method/tool for the symptom presented. In a Windows networking scenario involving suspected DNS issues, "ipconfig /all" is the best first choice because it provides the current network adapter configuration, including DNS server assignments that may change when a VPN connects. This aligns with standard Microsoft TCP/IP troubleshooting practices: verify the local configuration before moving on to path analysis or policy refreshes. If the configuration looks correct, follow-up tools may include "ipconfig /displaydns" to inspect cached entries, "ipconfig /flushdns" to clear the resolver cache, and "nslookup" to test DNS resolution directly. The key exam objective here is selecting the tool that most efficiently confirms the likely source of the problem.
- A. Correct.
Correct. "ipconfig /all" displays detailed TCP/IP configuration, including the assigned DNS servers, adapter settings, DHCP information, and other network details. In this scenario, the technician suspects DNS issues after a VPN connection, so confirming which DNS servers are in use is the best first step. From there, the technician could also use related ipconfig commands such as "ipconfig /displaydns" or "ipconfig /flushdns" if cache issues are suspected.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. "netstat -an" shows active connections and listening ports, which is useful for checking whether sessions are established or whether a system is listening on certain ports. However, it does not directly show which DNS servers are configured on the system, so it is not the best first tool for this DNS-focused scenario.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. "tracert" helps identify the route packets take to a destination and where delays or failures may occur along the path. While it can help diagnose path-related network issues, it does not provide the configured DNS server information the technician needs first. If name resolution is failing, the technician should verify DNS configuration before tracing routes.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. "gpupdate /force" refreshes Group Policy settings. Someone might choose this if they suspect a policy-applied network configuration problem, but it is not the most appropriate first step for verifying current DNS settings or checking whether a DNS cache issue is involved.
- E. Incorrect.
Incorrect. "tasklist" displays running processes. It is helpful for process management and troubleshooting applications, but it has no direct role in identifying configured DNS servers or investigating DNS resolution behavior.