How would you test IP network connectivity to the address 172.16.2.20?

To test IP network connectivity to a specific address, the most appropriate method is to use the ping command. This command is widely utilized in networking to check whether a particular IP address is reachable across the network. When you issue a ping command to the address 172.16.2.20, it sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request packets to that IP address and listens for Echo Reply packets in return.

If the destination IP responds, you’ll receive confirmation that the host is active and reachable, along with the round-trip time it took for the packets to travel to the address and back. This direct response provides clear insights into the connectivity status.

Other methods such as testing, checking, or connecting do not function as standard commands in the context of network connectivity verification. They may imply efforts to establish a connection but lack the protocol and structured response mechanism that ping provides. Hence, pinging is the definitive approach for determining network connectivity to an IP address.