Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam 2026 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The command that maps a hostname to an IP address on a router without employing a DNS server is "ip host HOSTNAME AND IP ADDRESS." This command allows a network administrator to create local mappings of hostnames to their corresponding IP addresses directly within the router's configuration. This is particularly useful in environments where DNS services are unavailable or impractical for certain network operations.

When this command is used, it enhances usability by allowing devices on the local network to refer to each other by their hostnames instead of numerical IP addresses, improving overall network management and readability. This mapping is held in the router's memory, which eliminates the need for external DNS lookups when referencing these hostnames.

The other options do not constitute valid commands used for hostname-to-IP address mapping in Cisco routers. Thus, they do not achieve the intended functionality.