NSE7 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Practice Question
A BGP session between FortiGate and a neighbor is in 'Active' state. The administrator has verified IP connectivity and that the neighbor IP is reachable. What is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the BGP 'Active' state with a firewall or ACL blocking TCP port 179, but the question explicitly states IP connectivity is verified, and the Active state indicates the TCP handshake is at least partially progressing, shifting the focus to AS number mismatch as the primary cause of session failure.
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 remote AS number is misconfigured on either side
The BGP 'Active' state indicates that the router is actively trying to initiate a TCP connection to the neighbor but has not yet received a successful response. Since IP connectivity is verified, the most likely cause is a mismatch in the remote AS number configuration. BGP uses the AS number in the OPEN message to validate the peer; if the configured remote AS on one side does not match the local AS on the other, the neighbor will reject the connection, causing the session to remain in Active state.
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 firewall policy is blocking BGP port 179
Why it's wrong here
The administrator verified IP connectivity, but not specifically port 179; however, this is less likely than configuration mismatch.
- ✓
The remote AS number is misconfigured on either side
Why this is correct
A mismatch in the remote AS number prevents BGP from establishing the session, resulting in 'Active' state.
- ✗
The BGP hold timer is set too high
Why it's wrong here
Hold timer values affect session stability but would not prevent TCP connection establishment.
- ✗
The BGP network statement is missing
Why it's wrong here
Missing network statement affects route advertisement but not session establishment.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This NSE7 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 NSE7 exam.