What is the primary use of the ping utility?

• A. To download a file
• B. To test reachability and measure latency to a host
• C. To map the network topology
• D. To transfer files securely

Answer: (C)

Ping is used to verify that a particular host is reachable across a network and to measure the round-trip time for messages to reach that host and return. It sends ICMP Echo Request packets and waits for ICMP Echo Reply packets, so you can see whether the path works, how long the travel takes, and whether any packets are lost. This helps diagnose basic connectivity issues and assess network performance—like whether a host is up and what the latency looks like. It doesn’t download files, map out the network topology, or securely transfer data. Those tasks are handled by other tools and protocols.