Quick Answer
The answer is that 'peers: 0' indicates no IPsec clients are currently connected to the dial-up VPN gateway. This output means the FortiGate’s IKE gateway is up and listening for incoming connections, but no remote clients have successfully completed Phase 1 negotiation to establish a security association. In the Fortinet NSE 4 Network Security Professional exam, this tests your ability to interpret diagnostic output for dial-up VPNs, where a common trap is confusing a "state: up" gateway with active connections—the gateway can be ready without any peers attached. Remember, "peers: 0" equals zero active tunnels, not a broken configuration. A useful memory tip: think of the gateway as a phone that’s powered on (state: up) but has no one on the line (peers: 0).
This NSE4 practice question tests your understanding of authentication and vpn. 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 runs 'diagnose vpn ike gateway list' on a FortiGate and sees the following output for a dial-up IPsec VPN: gateway name: 'dialup' version: IKEv1 mode: aggressive local IP: 203.0.113.1 remote IP: 0.0.0.0 state: up peers: 0 What does 'peers: 0' indicate?
The remote IP should be set to a specific address
Why wrong: Remote IP 0.0.0.0 is normal for dial-up gateways.
The gateway is in a down state
Why wrong: The state is 'up', so the gateway is operational.
No IPsec clients are currently connected
Peers: 0 indicates zero active connections.
The Phase 2 proposals are mismatched
Why wrong: Phase 2 is not reflected in 'gateway list' output.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
No IPsec clients are currently connected
The 'peers' count shows how many clients are currently connected. A value of 0 means no clients have successfully completed Phase 1. The gateway is up (listening) but no peers have connected.
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.
The remote IP should be set to a specific address
Why it's wrong here
Remote IP 0.0.0.0 is normal for dial-up gateways.
The gateway is in a down state
Why it's wrong here
The state is 'up', so the gateway is operational.
No IPsec clients are currently connected
Why this is correct
Peers: 0 indicates zero active connections.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The Phase 2 proposals are mismatched
Why it's wrong here
Phase 2 is not reflected in 'gateway list' output.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Phase 2 is not reflected in 'gateway list' output.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which NSE4 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Authentication and VPN — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Authentication and VPN — This question tests Authentication and VPN — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: No IPsec clients are currently connected — The 'peers' count shows how many clients are currently connected. A value of 0 means no clients have successfully completed Phase 1. The gateway is up (listening) but no peers have connected.
Identify which NSE4 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A FortiGate administrator runs 'diagnose vpn tunnel list' and sees the following output for an IPsec tunnel: 'status: up', 'incoming: 0 packets', 'outgoing: 100 packets'. Phase 1 and Phase 2 both show state 'up'. What is the MOST likely cause of zero incoming packets?
hardWhy D: If outgoing packets are being sent but no incoming packets, the remote side may have a misconfiguration such as a wrong remote subnet in Phase 2 or a firewall policy blocking return traffic.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 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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