What is the purpose of the nslookup/dig command?

The nslookup and dig commands are primarily used to query Domain Name System (DNS) services. Their main purpose is to determine DNS settings and to retrieve information about different DNS records. When using these commands, a user can look up the IP address associated with a domain name, identify the responsible name servers, and check for various DNS records such as A records, MX records, and CNAME records.

This functionality is crucial for network troubleshooting and maintenance, as it allows administrators to verify whether domain names resolve correctly and to gather information about the DNS infrastructure of a domain. Understanding DNS behavior is essential because it directly affects how users connect to services on the internet.

Other choices do not align with the core functionality of the nslookup and dig commands. For example, testing physical network connections typically involves tools like ping or traceroute, while configuring firewall settings requires dedicated management software or command-line utilities specific to firewalls. Additionally, displaying IP address assignments is usually done through commands such as ipconfig on Windows or ifconfig on Unix-like systems, rather than through nslookup or dig.