NSE4 System and Network Administration Practice Question
An admin is configuring ECMP (Equal Cost Multi-Path) on a FortiGate with two ISPs. Which TWO conditions must be met for ECMP to load balance traffic across both links? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'metric' (which is the priority value on FortiGate) with 'administrative distance', or assume ECMP requires different next-hop IPs, when in fact the key condition is equal cost (same AD and same priority).
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The routes must have the same priority
ECMP requires that multiple routes to the same destination have equal cost. On FortiGate, the cost is determined by administrative distance (AD) and priority (which is the route metric). Both routes must have the same AD and the same priority to be considered equal-cost and eligible for load balancing. If either value differs, one route will be preferred over the other, and ECMP will not activate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The routes must be configured with the same metric
Why it's wrong here
Metric is for dynamic routing; static routes use distance.
- ✓
The routes must have the same priority
Why this is correct
Equal priority ensures both routes are considered.
- ✗
The FortiGate must be in transparent mode
Why it's wrong here
ECMP works in both NAT/Route and transparent modes.
- ✓
The routes must have the same administrative distance
Why this is correct
Equal distances make routes equally preferred.
- ✗
The routes must point to different next-hop IP addresses
Why it's wrong here
They can point to different next-hops; that is typical for ECMP.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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