The correct answer is to search the Traffic logs with filters for source 10.1.1.100 and destination 192.168.2.10 because Traffic logs record every session processed by the firewall, showing both allowed and denied connections along with the specific action taken. When no explicit deny rule exists, blocked traffic is often due to implicit deny, application misidentification, or security profile violations, and filtering by source and destination IP isolates the exact session to reveal the deny reason in the action field. On the PCNSA exam, this tests your ability to navigate Log Viewer efficiently rather than guessing rule order, and a common trap is checking security rules first when the logs already hold the answer. Remember the memory tip: when traffic drops without a deny rule, let the logs be your tool—filter source and destination to find the action and reason.
PCNSA Device Management and Services Practice Question
This PCNSA practice question tests your understanding of device management and services. 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.
A security administrator notices that a user's traffic is being blocked unexpectedly. The user's IP is 10.1.1.100, and the traffic is destined to a web server at 192.168.2.10. The administrator has already verified that there are no security rules explicitly denying the traffic. Which Log Viewer query should the administrator use to quickly identify the cause?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Search Traffic logs with filters for source 10.1.1.100 and destination 192.168.2.10
Traffic logs capture every session that passes through the firewall, including allowed and denied connections. By filtering for the specific source IP (10.1.1.100) and destination IP (192.168.2.10), the administrator can quickly see the exact session details, including the action taken (e.g., deny, drop) and the reason (e.g., no matching rule, application override). This is the most direct method to identify why traffic is being blocked when no explicit deny rule exists.
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.
✓
Search Traffic logs with filters for source 10.1.1.100 and destination 192.168.2.10
Why this is correct
Traffic logs show the action (allow/deny/drop) for each session, and filtering by IPs narrows down the specific session.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Search Threat logs for the destination IP
Why it's wrong here
Threat logs only show blocked threats, not all dropped traffic.
✗
Search Config logs for any rule changes
Why it's wrong here
Config logs show configuration changes, not traffic handling.
✗
Search System logs for the user's IP
Why it's wrong here
System logs are for administrative events, not traffic flows.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume a block must be due to a threat or misconfiguration, leading them to check Threat or Config logs, but the correct approach is to examine Traffic logs where the firewall records all session dispositions, including implicit denials.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Threat logs only show blocked threats, not all dropped traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Palo Alto Networks firewalls, Traffic logs are generated for every session processed by the data plane, with fields such as 'action' (allow, deny, drop, reset) and 'reason' (e.g., 'policy-deny', 'no-rule'). When no explicit deny rule exists, the firewall applies the implicit deny rule at the end of the rulebase, which logs the action as 'deny' with reason 'policy-deny' in the Traffic log. This allows administrators to pinpoint missing rules or misconfigured security policies without needing to inspect other log types.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Device Management and Services — This question tests Device Management and Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Search Traffic logs with filters for source 10.1.1.100 and destination 192.168.2.10 — Traffic logs capture every session that passes through the firewall, including allowed and denied connections. By filtering for the specific source IP (10.1.1.100) and destination IP (192.168.2.10), the administrator can quickly see the exact session details, including the action taken (e.g., deny, drop) and the reason (e.g., no matching rule, application override). This is the most direct method to identify why traffic is being blocked when no explicit deny rule exists.
What should I do if I get this PCNSA 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A network administrator notices that a specific user behind a PA-820 firewall is unable to reach a critical SaaS application, while other users can access it without issues. The administrator checks the traffic logs and sees the session is being denied. Which step should the administrator take next to identify the root cause?
medium
A.Check the System log for related entries
B.Run a packet capture on the ingress interface
C.Check the global counters for dropped packets
✓ D.Check the Traffic log with the session's source IP and destination
Why D: Option D is correct because the Traffic log already shows the session is denied, and filtering by the specific user's source IP and the destination SaaS application will reveal the exact security policy or rule that is blocking the traffic. This allows the administrator to identify whether the issue is due to a misconfigured policy, an application override, or a user-specific rule, rather than a global or interface-level problem.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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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.
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