The answer is a misconfigured remote-as on the BGP neighbor. When a FortiGate shows the BGP state as Active, it means the router is actively trying to establish a TCP connection on port 179 but has not yet received a valid open message from the peer. Since the neighbor IP is reachable via ping, Layer 3 connectivity is fine, so the problem is either a firewall blocking TCP 179 or a BGP parameter mismatch—most commonly an incorrect remote-as number, which prevents the session from advancing past the Active state. On the Fortinet NSE 7 Advanced Security NSE7 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of BGP state machine transitions and common misconfigurations; a frequent trap is assuming a firewall block is the only cause when ping succeeds. Remember the mnemonic: “Active means AS mismatch or ACL—ping works, so check the AS number first.”
NSE7 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Practice Question
This NSE7 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting and diagnostics. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An administrator is troubleshooting BGP and runs 'get router info bgp neighbors 10.0.0.1' and sees 'BGP state = Active'. The neighbor IP is reachable via ping. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The BGP neighbor's remote-as is misconfigured
BGP state Active indicates the router is trying to initiate a TCP connection but has not received a response. Since ping works, the issue is likely a TCP port 179 issue, such as a firewall blocking the port or BGP misconfiguration (e.g., wrong remote AS).
Key principle: OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
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 BGP update-source interface is missing
Why it's wrong here
Missing update-source could cause source IP issues, but ping works, so reachability is fine.
✗
The BGP network statement is missing
Why it's wrong here
Missing network statement affects route advertisement, not neighbor state.
✗
The BGP router-id is not configured
Why it's wrong here
Router-id is used for loop prevention but does not affect neighbor state to Active.
✓
The BGP neighbor's remote-as is misconfigured
Why this is correct
A mismatch in remote AS will cause the neighbor to reject the connection, leading to Active state.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Common exam trap: OSPF can fail even when IP connectivity looks correct
OSPF neighbour formation depends on matching areas, timers, network type, authentication and passive-interface behaviour. Do not choose an answer only because the devices can ping.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
OSPF questions usually test the details that control adjacency and route selection. Read the neighbour state, area, router ID and interface configuration before deciding what is wrong.
KKey Concepts to Remember
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
Router ID selection can affect neighbour relationships and LSDB output.
OSPF cost influences the preferred path.
A route can appear in OSPF information but not become the installed route.
TExam Day Tips
→Check area mismatch first when OSPF adjacency fails.
→Review passive interfaces when a network is advertised but no neighbour forms.
→Use show ip ospf neighbor and show ip route clues carefully.
Key takeaway
OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related NSE7 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
Troubleshooting and Diagnostics — This question tests Troubleshooting and Diagnostics — OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The BGP neighbor's remote-as is misconfigured — BGP state Active indicates the router is trying to initiate a TCP connection but has not received a response. Since ping works, the issue is likely a TCP port 179 issue, such as a firewall blocking the port or BGP misconfiguration (e.g., wrong remote AS).
What should I do if I get this NSE7 question wrong?
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related NSE7 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
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