What does the -a option of ping do?

What does the -a option of ping do?

• A. Resolves the hostname and checks reachability.
• B. Configures network adapters.
• C. Pings a host but does not resolve hostnames.
• D. Opens a remote shell.

Answer: (A)

The option being tested makes ping perform a DNS reverse lookup to translate the destination address into a hostname. When you use it, ping still sends ICMP Echo Requests to check reachability, but the output can show the resolved hostname (if DNS succeeds) alongside the address. This helps identify targets more easily in logs or results. It doesn’t configure network adapters, and it isn’t about opening shells or changing the pinging behavior beyond adding hostname resolution. So the flag’s purpose is to resolve the address to a hostname while testing reachability.

The option being tested makes ping perform a DNS reverse lookup to translate the destination address into a hostname. When you use it, ping still sends ICMP Echo Requests to check reachability, but the output can show the resolved hostname (if DNS succeeds) alongside the address. This helps identify targets more easily in logs or results. It doesn’t configure network adapters, and it isn’t about opening shells or changing the pinging behavior beyond adding hostname resolution. So the flag’s purpose is to resolve the address to a hostname while testing reachability.