NSE7 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Practice Question
A FortiGate is configured to send logs to FortiAnalyzer. The administrator notices that logs are not appearing on FortiAnalyzer. Running 'diagnose log device show' shows 'connected=no'. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'connected=no' with log delivery failures caused by high log rates or buffer issues, but the connection status is a Layer 4 TCP state indicator, not a measure of log throughput or storage capacity.
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 FortiGate cannot reach the FortiAnalyzer due to a network issue
The 'diagnose log device show' output showing 'connected=no' indicates that the TCP connection between the FortiGate and FortiAnalyzer (typically on port 514 for syslog or port 514/3000 for FortiAnalyzer protocol) is not established. The most likely cause is a network issue preventing the FortiGate from reaching the FortiAnalyzer, as the connection status is directly tied to Layer 3 reachability and TCP handshake completion.
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 log rate is too high and logs are being dropped
Why it's wrong here
Rate limiting would still show as connected.
- ✗
The FortiGate's log buffer is full
Why it's wrong here
Buffer full would not affect the connection status.
- ✓
The FortiGate cannot reach the FortiAnalyzer due to a network issue
Why this is correct
Connectivity failure is the primary reason for 'connected=no'.
- ✗
The FortiAnalyzer license has expired
Why it's wrong here
License expiry would still allow connection, but logs might not be stored.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every NSE7 question from scratch — 940 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.