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PCNSA Uses GlobalProtect for remote access Practice Question
An organization uses GlobalProtect for remote access. Users report that they cannot connect to the portal. The firewall's GlobalProtect portal configuration is correct, and the firewall has a valid certificate. What is the most likely cause of the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often focus on authentication or certificate issues, but the most fundamental requirement for any inbound service is a security policy rule allowing the traffic; without it, no connection can be established regardless of other configurations.
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 firewall's external interface does not have a security policy rule allowing HTTPS traffic to the portal IP.
The most likely cause is that the firewall's external interface lacks a security policy rule permitting HTTPS (TCP/443) traffic to the GlobalProtect portal IP. Even with correct portal configuration and a valid certificate, the firewall will drop the client's connection attempt if no rule explicitly allows inbound HTTPS traffic to the portal's IP address. This is a common oversight when deploying GlobalProtect remote access.
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 authentication profile is set to RADIUS but the RADIUS server is unreachable.
Why it's wrong here
Authentication occurs after the portal is reached, so this would not prevent initial connection.
- ✗
The certificate is self-signed and not trusted by the client.
Why it's wrong here
A self-signed certificate would cause a warning but not necessarily prevent connection; the user could accept it.
- ✓
The firewall's external interface does not have a security policy rule allowing HTTPS traffic to the portal IP.
Why this is correct
Without a rule allowing inbound HTTPS, the portal is unreachable.
- ✗
The GlobalProtect gateway is not configured with a matching tunnel interface.
Why it's wrong here
The gateway is for the tunnel after portal connection; it does not affect portal access.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto Networks 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 PCNSA exam.