NSE7 Advanced Networking and SD-WAN Practice Question
A FortiGate is configured with two SD-WAN members (wan1, wan2) and a performance SLA for each. The SD-WAN rule uses 'Maximize Bandwidth' strategy with volume-based load balancing. The administrator notices that traffic is only using wan1, even though both links have capacity. The SLA status for wan2 shows 'alive'. What could be the problem?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume a healthy SLA and correct bandwidth weights are sufficient for load balancing, overlooking that the SD-WAN rule's member list explicitly controls which interfaces are used, and a missing member will exclude that interface entirely.
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 SD-WAN rule has a 'set member' statement that lists only wan1.
The 'Maximize Bandwidth' strategy with volume-based load balancing distributes traffic based on bandwidth weights, but the SD-WAN rule's 'set member' statement explicitly defines which interfaces are eligible for load balancing. If the rule lists only wan1, traffic will never be sent to wan2, regardless of SLA status or bandwidth weights. This is the most direct cause of the observed behavior.
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 link cost for wan2 is too high.
Why it's wrong here
Link cost influences route selection, not volume-based load balancing across SD-WAN members. It is tempting because cost is a common SD-WAN steering input, but the Maximize Bandwidth strategy with volume-based distribution uses bandwidth weights. A high cost would not exclude wan2 from the volume split.
- ✓
The SD-WAN rule has a 'set member' statement that lists only wan1.
Why this is correct
A static `set member` statement restricts the rule to wan1 alone, so the Maximize Bandwidth strategy and volume-based load balancing never evaluate wan2, regardless of its alive SLA status. Removing the member restriction lets both links participate in the bandwidth calculation and share traffic.
- ✗
The performance SLA for wan2 is not associated with the SD-WAN rule.
Why it's wrong here
SLA health is evaluated independently of rule membership; an unassociated SLA does not prevent wan2 from being selected as a member. It is tempting because SLA objects are configured per member, but the rule's member list, not SLA association, governs eligibility. Volume-based weighting controls the split.
- ✗
The bandwidth weight for wan2 is set to 0.
Why it's wrong here
A zero bandwidth weight removes wan2 from the volume-based distribution calculation, so all sessions route through wan1 despite the link being alive. It is tempting because weight values do control load balancing, and a low non-zero weight would be the correct setting when wan2 should carry only a small share of traffic.
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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.