Which action would best help determine where path divergence occurs when testing reachability?

• A. Use arp and ping in sequence
• B. Use traceroute to the remote host to identify path divergence.
• C. Ping only
• D. Check DNS resolution

Answer: (B)

Understanding the path that packets take to a destination is essential for spotting where routes split. Traceroute provides visibility into each hop along the journey and shows the exact point where the path to the remote host begins to diverge. By sending probes with gradually increasing TTL values, it elicits responses from intermediate routers, mapping the route step by step. When you’re trying to determine where a path diverges, traceroute lets you compare the path to the same destination from different sources or under different conditions and identify the first hop where the route changes, which is precisely where divergence occurs.

AR P and ping in sequence don’t reveal the route itself; they only tell you whether a single device is reachable and how long it takes to respond. Ping alone similarly confirms reachability and latency but not the route. Checking DNS resolution deals with translating a name to an IP address, not with the network path or any divergence along the route.