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.
An administrator notices that traffic to a particular subnet is being load-balanced across two WAN links, but they want all traffic to that subnet to use a single link. Which feature should be configured?
Policy routing
Policy routing can direct specific traffic to a particular interface.
ECMP routing
Why wrong: ECMP load-balances across multiple paths.
Static route with higher distance
Why wrong: Higher distance makes route less preferred.
Route summarization
Why wrong: Summarization reduces routing table size, not path selection.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Policy routing
Policy routing (also called PBR) allows you to override the routing table based on criteria such as source/destination IP, protocol, or port. By configuring a policy route that matches traffic to the specific subnet and sets the output interface to a single WAN link, you can force all that traffic to use one link instead of being load-balanced.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Policy routing
Why this is correct
Policy routing can direct specific traffic to a particular interface.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
ECMP routing
Why it's wrong here
ECMP load-balances across multiple paths.
Static route with higher distance
Why it's wrong here
Higher distance makes route less preferred.
Route summarization
Why it's wrong here
Summarization reduces routing table size, not path selection.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse ECMP load-balancing with the ability to pin traffic to a single link, mistakenly thinking that adjusting ECMP weights or distances will achieve the same result as policy routing.
Detailed technical explanation
Policy-based routing (PBR) works by evaluating traffic against configured match criteria (e.g., access lists or firewall policies) before consulting the routing table. In FortiGate, this is implemented via policy routes that can set the output interface, gateway, or even the source NAT address, allowing granular control over traffic flows. A real-world scenario is directing all traffic from a specific department to a dedicated MPLS link while other traffic uses broadband, ensuring compliance with bandwidth policies.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
System and Network Administration — This question tests System and Network Administration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Policy routing — Policy routing (also called PBR) allows you to override the routing table based on criteria such as source/destination IP, protocol, or port. By configuring a policy route that matches traffic to the specific subnet and sets the output interface to a single WAN link, you can force all that traffic to use one link instead of being load-balanced.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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