Which of the following tools would you use to view the MAC addresses associated with IP addresses that the local workstation has contacted recently?

The correct choice is the tool designed specifically for viewing the MAC (Media Access Control) addresses associated with IP (Internet Protocol) addresses that the local workstation has recently interacted with, which is the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP).

When a workstation communicates on a local network, it typically needs to resolve IP addresses into MAC addresses to send data frames to the correct hardware devices. The ARP command allows users to display and manage the ARP cache, which holds a list of known IP to MAC address mappings. By executing the arp command in a command-line interface, users can view the recent ARP entries, showing which MAC addresses correspond to which IP addresses. This functionality is critical for troubleshooting network connectivity issues and understanding local network traffic.

Other tools listed, such as ping, tracert (trace route), and netstat, serve different purposes. Ping is used to check the reachability of a host on the network by sending ICMP echo requests. Tracert helps in identifying the path packets take to reach a specific destination, providing insights into network hops. Netstat is utilized for displaying network connections, routing tables, and various network interface statistics, but it does not map IP addresses to MAC addresses like the ARP command does.