NSE7 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Practice Question
You execute 'diagnose sys session filter dport 443' and see output: 'proto=6 proto_state=01 duration=3600 expire=3599'. What does 'proto_state=01' indicate about this session?
⚠ Common exam trap
Trap: Candidates may misinterpret '01' as the ESTABLISHED state (common TCP state 1 in other contexts) but FortiOS maps TCP state 1 to SYN_SENT, not ESTABLISHED (state 3). The correct TCP state is SYN_SENT (waiting for SYN-ACK).
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 session is in the SYN_SENT state, waiting for SYN-ACK
In Fortinet's FortiOS, the 'proto_state' field in session diagnostic output represents the TCP state machine. A value of '01' corresponds to the SYN_SENT state (TCP state 1), indicating that the session has sent a SYN packet and is waiting for a SYN-ACK response. This is consistent with the initial phase of a TCP three-way handshake.
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 session is in the SYN_SENT state, waiting for SYN-ACK
Why this is correct
Correct. State '01' in FortiOS maps to TCP state SYN_SENT (waiting for SYN-ACK).
- ✗
The session is in the FIN_WAIT state
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. FIN_WAIT states are represented by values like 09 (FIN_WAIT_1) or 0A (FIN_WAIT_2), not 01.
- ✗
The session has completed the three-way handshake
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A completed three-way handshake would show proto_state=03 (ESTABLISHED), not 01.
- ✗
The session has been terminated with a RST
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. RST termination would show a different state, such as 06 (CLOSE_WAIT) or 04 (LAST_ACK), not 01.
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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.