Which command should you use to identify the internet link used by a web application?
A network technician is troubleshooting a web application's poor performance. The office has two internet links that share the traffic load. Which of the following tools should the technician use to determine which link is being used for the web application?
Community Votes
75% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
The question tests whether you know that tracert reveals the packet path and which WAN link is used, while netstat only shows local connection state and can mislead you.
When troubleshooting poor web application performance over two load-balanced internet links, tracert is the best tool because it displays the actual route and egress link. Community consensus favors tracert, though some mistakenly choose netstat for its connection details.
Choosing netstat (A) is the most common mistake. Netstat gives active connections and routing tables, but on a client machine it cannot tell you which of two internet links the router selected for traffic to a specific web server.
Community Discussion (3 comments)
Comments & Corrections
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
D. tracert is correct because it traces the path from your host to the destination web application. Community comment [1] correctly states that tracert shows the exact route, including every intermediate router. In a load-balanced dual-link office, the first hop after the router will reveal which internet link is being used. This direct path information is exactly what a technician needs to identify the egress link.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
A. netstat is tempting because it lists active TCP connections and routing tables. However, as comment [2] notes, netstat displays local interfaces and connections, but it does not show the full path or identify which load-balanced WAN link the router picked. B. nslookup only resolves DNS names and does not affect routing decisions. C. ping only checks reachability and latency; it does not show the route taken. Thus A is not the best answer despite showing connection details.
Community Comment Notes
The highest-rated comment [1] correctly supports tracert by explaining that it traces the route from source to destination through every intermediate router. A lower-rated comment [2] argues for netstat, but the logic stops at active connections and routing tables, which cannot reveal the actual egress link when local load balancing is performed by a router. The imbalance in votes—75% vs 25%—shows that most test takers understand tracert is the path-tracing tool expected in this scenario.
Official Reference
Exam Strategy
For any question asking which link, path, or route a packet uses, look for tracert/traceroute first. Remember that netstat reveals local sockets, not multi-router egress paths, so avoid selecting it merely because it shows active web connections.
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