NSE7 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Practice Question
An administrator is troubleshooting an IPsec VPN where phase 1 is up but phase 2 fails. Which two debug commands would be MOST helpful in diagnosing the phase 2 issue? (Choose TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'diagnose debug application ipsec' (which debugs kernel IPsec operations) with 'diagnose debug application ike' (which debugs the IKE negotiation protocol), leading them to select the wrong debug command for phase 2 issues.
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
✓
diagnose vpn ipsec phase2-config
'diagnose vpn ipsec phase2-config' displays the phase 2 configuration parameters (e.g., proxy IDs, encryption/authentication algorithms, and SA lifetimes) that must match between peers. Option E is correct because 'diagnose debug application ike -1' enables real-time IKEv1/IKEv2 debugging, which shows the exact phase 2 negotiation messages (e.g., Quick Mode exchanges) and any error codes or mismatches. Together, they allow you to identify configuration mismatches or negotiation failures that prevent phase 2 from establishing.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
diagnose sys session list
Why it's wrong here
Session list is not specific to VPN phase 2 issues.
- ✗
diagnose debug application ipsec -1
Why it's wrong here
This command is not valid; use IKE debug for phase 2.
- ✓
diagnose vpn ipsec phase2-config
Why this is correct
This shows the configured phase 2 parameters, helpful for mismatch detection.
- ✗
get vpn ipsec tunnel details
Why it's wrong here
This shows tunnel status but not real-time debug.
- ✓
diagnose debug application ike -1
Why this is correct
IKE debug shows phase 2 negotiation details.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
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.