In network troubleshooting, the ping command is primarily used to?

The ping command is primarily used to test connectivity between two networked devices. When you use the ping command, it sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request packets to the specified address. If the target device is reachable, it responds with echo reply packets, indicating that the connection is functioning correctly. This ability to confirm whether a device is online and capable of communicating across a network makes the ping command an essential tool in network troubleshooting.

The other options, while related to networking, do not accurately describe the primary function of the ping command. Sending data to a server involves more than just a simple connectivity check and typically requires a specific application protocol. Measuring latency can be a secondary result of using ping since it often shows the time it takes for the packets to travel, but this is not its main purpose. Analyzing bandwidth involves assessing the maximum data transfer capacity of a network and cannot be accomplished through ping, which does not provide information about bandwidth utilization or capacity. Thus, testing connectivity is the most accurate description of the ping command's primary function.