When troubleshooting at Layer 3 of the OSI model, which question is relevant to checking communication with the default gateway?

In troubleshooting at Layer 3 of the OSI model, communication involves the routing of packets between different networks. The default gateway plays a crucial role in this process, as it serves as the forwarding host for packets destined for networks outside the local subnet. To check if communication is functioning correctly with the default gateway, it is essential to determine if the default gateway is reachable. This is typically done using the ping command, which sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo requests to the specified address. If the ping to the default gateway is successful, it indicates that the host can communicate with the gateway and is on the right track for network connectivity.

Other potential questions related to this scenario, such as checking if the computer is connected to the internet, assessing available disk space, or verifying the operating system, focus on different aspects of system functionality and do not specifically address Layer 3 connectivity or the relationship with the default gateway. Such factors may impact the overall performance of a computer but are not directly relevant to determining the ability to reach the default gateway, which is a fundamental aspect of network communication integrity at Layer 3.