PCNSE Deploy and Configure Firewalls Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are required when configuring a new virtual wire (vwire) on a Palo Alto Networks firewall?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume a vwire needs a zone or management profile because they confuse it with a Layer 3 interface, but Palo Alto vwires are purely Layer 2 constructs that require only two interfaces and no IP addresses.
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
✓
Two physical or subinterfaces assigned to the vwire.
A virtual wire (vwire) requires exactly two interfaces to function as a transparent bridge between two network segments. These interfaces can be physical or subinterfaces, and they must be assigned to the vwire to pass traffic without Layer 3 processing. Without two interfaces, the vwire cannot forward frames between the connected devices.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Two physical or subinterfaces assigned to the vwire.
Why this is correct
A vwire requires exactly two interfaces.
- ✗
A management profile must be applied to the vwire.
Why it's wrong here
Management profiles are for management access, not required for vwire.
- ✗
A zone must be assigned to the vwire.
Why it's wrong here
The vwire itself is not a zone; zones are assigned to the interfaces that are part of the vwire.
- ✗
The interfaces must be of type 'aggregate'.
Why it's wrong here
Any interface type can be used in a vwire.
- ✓
No IP addresses configured on the interfaces used in the vwire.
Why this is correct
Interfaces in a vwire operate at layer 2 without IPs.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNSE 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 PCNSE exam.