Which of the following is TRUE if the state of one BGP neighbor shows Active?

Question

Options

• AThe neighbor will send a Keepalive message.
• BThe router is trying to initiate a TCP connection to that neighbor.
• CThe router received an Open message with the correct parameters.
• DThe router is actively exchanging updates with that neighbor.

• B
  88% (23)
• C
  8% (2)
• D
  4% (1)

Explanation

In BGP's finite state machine, the Active state means the router is actively attempting to establish a TCP connection (port 179) to the neighbor - it's sending TCP SYN packets trying to reach that peer. Option B is correct because "Active" specifically describes this TCP connection-initiation phase, not any BGP-level messaging yet.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A - Keepalive messages are sent in the Established state, after the session is fully up.
• C - Receiving an Open message with correct parameters happens in the OpenConfirm state, which comes after TCP is established.
• D - Actively exchanging updates describes the Established state, the final and fully operational state.

Memory tip: Think of "Active" as the router being anxious - it's actively chasing the neighbor trying to make a connection, but hasn't succeeded yet. If you see Active persisting, it usually means a TCP reachability problem (wrong IP, ACL blocking port 179, etc.).

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