Which Windows command would you use to view active network connections including process IDs and listening ports?

• A. ipconfig
• B. ping
• C. tracert
• D. netstat -ano

Answer: (D)

Viewing active network activity with the ports in use and the owning process requires a command that lists current connections and the programs tied to them. In Windows, that’s achieved with netstat using the flags to show all connections, present numeric addresses, and include the process IDs. The combination -ano provides a complete snapshot: -a shows both listening ports and active connections, -n prevents name resolution so you see the exact IPs and port numbers, and -o adds the PID for each entry. This lets you map every open connection and listening port to the specific process that owns it. By contrast, ipconfig reveals only IP configuration, ping checks reachability to another host, and tracert traces the route packets take; none of these show the list of active connections with ports and PIDs.