- A
The strategy ensures that all traffic uses the member with the highest bandwidth.
Why wrong: Maximize-bandwidth spreads traffic across all eligible members to utilize total bandwidth, not just the highest bandwidth.
- B
The administrator can assign different weights to members to influence the proportion of traffic each handles.
Weights can be set per member to control the load-balancing ratio.
- C
If a member fails its health-check, it is removed from the set of eligible members for the rule.
Health-check failure marks the member as dead, and it is not considered for traffic distribution.
- D
Traffic from a single session can be split across multiple members for better performance.
Why wrong: Session traffic is not split; each session is assigned to a single member.
- E
Traffic is distributed based on session count to keep each link equally utilized.
Why wrong: Maximize-bandwidth uses weight or volume-based load balancing, not session count.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is that if a member fails its health-check, it is removed from the set of eligible members for the rule. This happens because the 'maximize-bandwidth' strategy on FortiGate implements weighted load balancing, where each WAN link is assigned a weight by the administrator. Traffic is then distributed proportionally to those weights, so if a link fails its health-check, it is dynamically excluded to prevent traffic loss and maintain the intended bandwidth ratio across remaining healthy members. On the Fortinet NSE 7 Advanced Security NSE7 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how SD-WAN rules interact with link health monitoring—a common trap is confusing 'maximize-bandwidth' with 'lowest-cost' or 'best-quality' strategies, which use different selection criteria. Remember the memory tip: "Weighted links, health-check sinks"—if a link fails, it sinks out of the pool, keeping your bandwidth strategy intact.
NSE7 Advanced Networking and SD-WAN Practice Question
This NSE7 practice question tests your understanding of advanced networking and sd-wan. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which TWO statements correctly describe the behavior of SD-WAN rules when using the 'maximize-bandwidth' strategy?
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 administrator can assign different weights to members to influence the proportion of traffic each handles.
Option B is correct because the 'maximize-bandwidth' strategy in SD-WAN rules uses weighted load balancing, where the administrator assigns weights to each member link. The proportion of traffic each member handles is directly proportional to its assigned weight, allowing fine-grained control over bandwidth utilization across multiple WAN links.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 strategy ensures that all traffic uses the member with the highest bandwidth.
Why it's wrong here
Maximize-bandwidth spreads traffic across all eligible members to utilize total bandwidth, not just the highest bandwidth.
- ✓
The administrator can assign different weights to members to influence the proportion of traffic each handles.
Why this is correct
Weights can be set per member to control the load-balancing ratio.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
If a member fails its health-check, it is removed from the set of eligible members for the rule.
Why this is correct
Health-check failure marks the member as dead, and it is not considered for traffic distribution.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Traffic from a single session can be split across multiple members for better performance.
Why it's wrong here
Session traffic is not split; each session is assigned to a single member.
- ✗
Traffic is distributed based on session count to keep each link equally utilized.
Why it's wrong here
Maximize-bandwidth uses weight or volume-based load balancing, not session count.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'maximize-bandwidth' with simple 'load balancing' or assume it splits individual sessions, when in fact it uses weighted distribution while maintaining per-session stickiness and relying on health checks for member eligibility.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the 'maximize-bandwidth' strategy uses a weighted round-robin or weighted hash algorithm (depending on the FortiGate model and configuration) to distribute new sessions across eligible members. The health-check mechanism in option C is a prerequisite for any SD-WAN rule: if a member fails its health-check, it is automatically removed from the eligible member set, ensuring traffic is only sent to healthy links. This behavior is consistent across all SD-WAN strategies, not unique to 'maximize-bandwidth'.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the NSE7 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this NSE7 question test?
Advanced Networking and SD-WAN — This question tests Advanced Networking and SD-WAN — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The administrator can assign different weights to members to influence the proportion of traffic each handles. — Option B is correct because the 'maximize-bandwidth' strategy in SD-WAN rules uses weighted load balancing, where the administrator assigns weights to each member link. The proportion of traffic each member handles is directly proportional to its assigned weight, allowing fine-grained control over bandwidth utilization across multiple WAN links.
What should I do if I get this NSE7 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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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