NSE7 Advanced VPN and Zero Trust Practice Question
An administrator is deploying an ADVPN with a hub and two spokes. The hub is behind a NAT device and has a static public IP, while both spokes are behind NAT with dynamic public IPs. The administrator wants the spokes to establish shortcuts directly between each other. Which configuration is required for the shortcut to form?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that NAT traversal is only needed on the device behind NAT or only on the hub, when every ADVPN peer that may be behind NAT must have it enabled.
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
✓
Enable IPsec NAT traversal on the hub and both spokes, and ensure that the spokes can exchange IKE and ESP traffic through their NAT devices.
For ADVPN shortcuts to form between spokes that are behind NAT, every peer must support NAT traversal so IKE and ESP can be carried over UDP through the NAT devices. The hub relays the shortcut information, but the direct tunnel between spokes depends on NAT-T being enabled on those spokes as well. Static addresses and DPD changes are not prerequisites for shortcut creation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure the hub to use a dial-up VPN with a pre-shared key and disable DPD on the spokes to prevent shortcut teardown.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling DPD would prevent the peers from detecting dead shortcuts and could leave stale tunnels, which is not a valid requirement for shortcut formation. A dial-up VPN on the hub is typical for spokes with dynamic addresses, but it does not by itself enable NAT traversal. The decisive factor for NATed spokes is NAT-T on all peers.
- ✓
Enable IPsec NAT traversal on the hub and both spokes, and ensure that the spokes can exchange IKE and ESP traffic through their NAT devices.
Why this is correct
ADVPN shortcut negotiation relies on IKE and ESP packets reaching the spoke peers directly. When spokes are behind NAT, NAT-T must be enabled on every peer so that the traffic is encapsulated in UDP and the NAT devices can maintain the mappings. This allows the hub to relay the shortcut proposal and the spokes to establish the direct tunnel.
- ✗
Configure the spokes with a static public IP address so that the hub can advertise them for direct shortcut negotiation.
Why it's wrong here
ADVPN shortcuts are designed to work with dynamic spoke addresses, and the shortcut is negotiated using the addresses learned through the hub. Requiring static public IPs on the spokes contradicts the purpose of ADVPN and is not a prerequisite. The real requirement is that NAT traversal and the correct routing and policy configuration are in place on all peers.
- ✗
Enable IPsec NAT traversal on the hub only, because the hub is the device that initiates shortcut negotiation.
Why it's wrong here
NAT traversal must be enabled on all ADVPN peers that may be behind NAT, not only the hub. The spokes are behind NAT in this scenario, so they also need NAT-T enabled to encapsulate IKE and ESP in UDP. Limiting it to the hub would leave the spoke-to-spoke shortcut unable to traverse the NAT devices in front of the spokes.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Fortinet exam blueprint
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.