TestOut LabSim A+ Certification Practice Exam

Which mechanisms could you use to resolve a hostname into its associated IP address?

1. Firewall settings and DHCP

2. hosts file and DNS

3. Router configurations and Subnetting

4. IP address reservation and NAT

The correct answer is: hosts file and DNS

The correct choice involves the use of the hosts file and DNS for resolving a hostname into its associated IP address. The hosts file is a local text file used by an operating system to map hostnames to IP addresses prior to any DNS lookup. This means that if a hostname is defined in the hosts file, the operating system will use it to resolve the address without needing to contact an external server. This method is especially useful for local testing or for situations where immediate or specific hostname resolution is necessary without waiting for external factors. On the other hand, DNS (Domain Name System) is a hierarchical and decentralized naming system that translates human-friendly domain names (like www.example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses. When a user types a URL into their browser, the operating system will typically query the DNS server configured for that network to find the corresponding IP address. This process is crucial for web browsing and other network services since it allows users to use easy-to-remember domain names instead of needing to remember complex numerical IP addresses. The other options listed do not effectively resolve hostnames into IP addresses. Firewall settings and DHCP pertain to security and dynamic IP address assignment, respectively, rather than hostname resolution. Router configurations and subnetting deal with network management and organization