Which tool is used for testing network connectivity and measuring response time?

The tool used for testing network connectivity and measuring response time is Ping. Ping operates by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request packets to a specified host and then waiting for Echo Reply packets to be returned. This process allows the user to determine if the target host is reachable over the network. In addition to connectivity testing, Ping displays the time it took for the packets to be sent and the responses to be received, providing a direct measurement of round-trip time, which is essential for assessing network performance.

Other tools mentioned serve different purposes. Traceroute is used to identify the path that packets take to reach a destination and can show where delays occur along that path, but it doesn't directly measure response time for connectivity tests. Pathping combines features of both Ping and Traceroute, providing additional details about the route to the destination and packet loss but is more complex. Ipconfig is used for network configuration tasks and displays IP address information rather than testing connectivity. Thus, Ping is the most straightforward and effective tool for checking network connectivity and measuring response time.