PCNSA Device Management and Services Practice Question
Exhibit
admin@PA-5000> show routing route ----------------------------------------- Flags: A: Active, C: Candidate, S: Static, D: Dynamic, R: RIP, O: OSPF ---[Virtual Router default]--- Destination Next Hop Interface Flags 0.0.0.0/0 10.0.0.1 ethernet1/1 A S 10.0.0.0/24 0.0.0.0 ethernet1/1 A C
Refer to the exhibit. What is the default gateway of the firewall?
⚠ Common exam trap
Palo Alto Networks often tests the distinction between the default route's destination (0.0.0.0/0) and the next-hop IP address, causing candidates to mistakenly select 0.0.0.0 as the gateway.
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
✓
10.0.0.1
The default gateway for a firewall is the IP address of the next-hop router that the firewall uses to reach networks not directly connected. In the exhibit, the route with destination 0.0.0.0/0 (the default route) points to next-hop 10.0.0.1, making 10.0.0.1 the default gateway. This is the standard behavior in PAN-OS: the default gateway is defined by the static default route, not by an interface IP.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
10.0.0.1
Why this is correct
10.0.0.1 is the next-hop address the firewall uses to reach destinations outside its local subnets, matching the default route entry in the virtual router's forwarding table shown in the exhibit. This satisfies the stem's requirement for the firewall's default gateway rather than an interface address or management path.
- ✗
ethernet1/1
Why it's wrong here
ethernet1/1 is an interface name, not an IP address, so it cannot be a default gateway. The exhibit's default route lists a next-hop IP on that interface. Naming the egress interface would be correct when asked which interface forwards traffic, not which gateway address.
- ✗
10.0.0.0
Why it's wrong here
10.0.0.0 is a network address, not a usable gateway; a firewall's default route points to a host address on a connected subnet. It is tempting because it appears in the routing table as the destination prefix, but the next-hop field holds the actual gateway.
- ✗
0.0.0.0
Why it's wrong here
A default gateway of 0.0.0.0 is the wildcard route, not an assigned address; the exhibit shows the firewall's actual next-hop IP on its management or data interface. It is tempting because 0.0.0.0/0 denotes the default route in a routing table, but that is the destination prefix, not the gateway itself.
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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.