The answer is that the FortiGate lacks a direct connection to area 0 and that an interface in area 1 is not running OSPF, preventing adjacency formation. In OSPF multi-area designs, an ABR must have at least one active interface physically or virtually connected to the backbone area 0; without this link, the router cannot perform inter-area route advertisement, so routes from area 1 will not be injected into area 0. Additionally, if an interface in area 1 is not enabled for OSPF—due to a network type mismatch or incorrect configuration—no neighbor adjacency forms, and the ABR cannot learn or advertise those routes. On the Fortinet NSE 7 Advanced Security NSE7 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of OSPF ABR prerequisites and common misconfigurations; a frequent trap is assuming passive interfaces still block route advertisement, but passive only suppresses hello packets while still advertising connected routes. Remember the memory tip: “No backbone, no backbone routes—ABR must touch area 0 to bridge the rest.”
NSE7 Advanced Networking and SD-WAN Practice Question
This NSE7 practice question tests your understanding of advanced networking and sd-wan. 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.
A network engineer is troubleshooting an OSPF multi-area setup on a FortiGate. The FortiGate is an ABR (Area Border Router) connecting area 0 and area 1. The engineer notices that routes from area 1 are not being advertised into area 0. Which TWO of the following are possible causes? (Select TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
OSPF is not enabled on the interface in area 1, or the network type is mismatched
Options A and C are correct. OSPF ABR needs a link to area 0; if there is no direct connection, routes may not be advertised. Also, interfaces in area 1 must be passive if no neighbors, but passive still advertises routes? Actually, if an interface is passive, it does not form adjacency but still advertises connected routes. However, option C is plausible: if the interface is not running OSPF (network type mismatch), no adjacency forms. So A and C are correct.
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.
✓
OSPF is not enabled on the interface in area 1, or the network type is mismatched
Why this is correct
Without OSPF on the interface, no adjacency forms, and routes are not learned.
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.
Advanced Networking and SD-WAN — This question tests Advanced Networking and SD-WAN — OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: OSPF is not enabled on the interface in area 1, or the network type is mismatched — Options A and C are correct. OSPF ABR needs a link to area 0; if there is no direct connection, routes may not be advertised. Also, interfaces in area 1 must be passive if no neighbors, but passive still advertises routes? Actually, if an interface is passive, it does not form adjacency but still advertises connected routes. However, option C is plausible: if the interface is not running OSPF (network type mismatch), no adjacency forms. So A and C are correct.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A FortiGate in a multi-area OSPF network is not learning routes from area 1. Which THREE items could be causing this?
hard
A.The ABR is not configured with 'set type' for area 1.
B.The 'set redistribute' option is missing on the ABR.
✓ C.There is a firewall policy blocking OSPF traffic between areas.
✓ D.Area 1 is configured as a stub area and does not accept external routes.
✓ E.The interface in area 1 is administratively down.
Variation 2. A FortiGate is configured with OSPF in multiple areas and redistributes connected routes into OSPF. The administrator notices that routes from area 1 are not appearing in area 0. The area 0 routers show the routes as 'O E2' but with an invalid metric. What is the most likely cause?
hard
A.OSPF network type is broadcast on one side and point-to-point on the other
✓ B.Redistribution is configured without a route map
C.The interface costs are misconfigured
D.The ABR has 'area 0 stub' configured
Why B: Redistributed routes are external (O E2). For an ABR to propagate a Type 5 LSA into another area, route summarization or a route map is needed; otherwise, external routes are not injected into other areas by default. However, if the ABR is not performing redistribution properly, the metric may be incorrect. The most common cause is missing a route map to set the metric.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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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.
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