Which NetCat option disables hostname resolution?

• A. -p
• B. -n
• C. -l
• D. -u

Answer: (B)

This question hinges on how NetCat handles DNS and hostname lookups. NetCat will typically resolve a hostname to an IP address using DNS before connecting. The best answer is the numeric-only flag, which disables any hostname resolution and makes NetCat operate using numeric addresses only. Using this flag is handy when you want to bypass DNS, speed up operations, or avoid DNS-related delays or leaks during testing.

The other options don’t affect DNS lookups: one sets the source port for outgoing connections, another puts NetCat into listening mode, and the last switches the transport to UDP. These relate to port handling, server mode, and protocol choice, not to whether hostnames are resolved.