NSE4 System and Network Administration Practice Question
This NSE4 practice question tests your understanding of system and network administration. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A FortiGate administrator needs to allow SSH management access from a specific IP address 10.0.0.100. Which configuration is required?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set the trusted host for the admin account to 10.0.0.100
Option B is correct because FortiGate uses the 'trusted host' feature to restrict administrative access to specific source IP addresses. By setting the trusted host to 10.0.0.100 for the admin account, only that IP can initiate SSH sessions to the FortiGate management interface, regardless of which interface SSH is enabled on.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Enable SSH on the WAN interface and allow all IPs
Why it's wrong here
This would allow all IPs, not just the specific one.
✓
Set the trusted host for the admin account to 10.0.0.100
Why this is correct
Trusted hosts restrict management access to specified IPs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure an access list on the upstream router
Why it's wrong here
That is external to FortiGate.
✗
Create a firewall policy allowing SSH from 10.0.0.100 to the FortiGate
Why it's wrong here
Management access is controlled via admin settings, not firewall policies.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse firewall policies (which control transit traffic) with administrative access controls (which control traffic destined to the FortiGate itself), leading them to incorrectly select option D.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The trusted host feature is part of FortiGate's administrative access control, enforced at the kernel level before any authentication occurs. When a trusted host is configured, the FortiGate checks the source IP of incoming management traffic against the trusted host list; if the IP does not match, the connection is dropped without even presenting a login prompt. This is critical in multi-interface deployments where SSH is enabled on multiple interfaces but only specific administrators should have access.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the NSE4 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
System and Network Administration — This question tests System and Network Administration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the trusted host for the admin account to 10.0.0.100 — Option B is correct because FortiGate uses the 'trusted host' feature to restrict administrative access to specific source IP addresses. By setting the trusted host to 10.0.0.100 for the admin account, only that IP can initiate SSH sessions to the FortiGate management interface, regardless of which interface SSH is enabled on.
What should I do if I get this NSE4 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This NSE4 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Fortinet certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the NSE4 exam.
Question Discussion
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