NSE4 System and Network Administration Practice Question
This NSE4 practice question tests your understanding of system and network administration. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An administrator is configuring ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path) on a FortiGate. Which TWO conditions are required for ECMP to load balance traffic across multiple routes?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Routes must have the same priority setting
Option B is correct because ECMP requires that multiple routes have the same priority (also known as 'distance' in some contexts) to be considered equal-cost. In FortiGate, priority is a metric that determines route preference; only routes with identical priority can be used simultaneously for load balancing. Option C is also correct because administrative distance must be the same for routes to be considered equal; if administrative distances differ, the route with the lower distance is preferred, and ECMP will not apply.
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.
✗
Routes must use different next-hop IP addresses
Why it's wrong here
They can use the same next-hop; ECMP typically uses different next-hops.
✓
Routes must have the same priority setting
Why this is correct
Priority must also be equal.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Routes must be static routes only
Why it's wrong here
ECMP works with static and dynamic routes.
✗
Routes must be through different interfaces
Why it's wrong here
ECMP can use same or different interfaces.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'priority' with 'administrative distance' or assume ECMP requires different next-hop IPs, but FortiGate actually requires both priority and administrative distance to be identical, and next-hop IPs can be the same if interfaces differ.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ECMP in FortiGate uses a hash-based algorithm (e.g., source-destination IP hash) to distribute traffic across equal-cost routes. The 'priority' setting (default 0) and administrative distance (default for static routes is 10, OSPF 110, etc.) must match exactly; if either differs, the route with the lower value is installed in the routing table, and ECMP is not triggered. In real-world scenarios, misconfiguring priority or administrative distance is a common cause of asymmetric routing or failure to load balance.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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: Routes must have the same priority setting — Option B is correct because ECMP requires that multiple routes have the same priority (also known as 'distance' in some contexts) to be considered equal-cost. In FortiGate, priority is a metric that determines route preference; only routes with identical priority can be used simultaneously for load balancing. Option C is also correct because administrative distance must be the same for routes to be considered equal; if administrative distances differ, the route with the lower distance is preferred, and ECMP will not apply.
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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Question Discussion
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