anne_alice
New member
I see a lot of candidates say VPN is easy in real life but then get stuck when they face VPN questions in the 156-587 exam. That confusion is very normal. The exam does not test whether you know how to build a tunnel. It tests whether you can isolate why a tunnel that looks fine is still failing traffic.
Most VPN questions add multiple layers at once. Encryption looks established but traffic drops. Phase one is up but phase two behaves strangely. NAT is involved without being obvious. Logs show partial success which makes people second guess themselves. In real environments we usually fix one issue at a time but in the exam you must identify the root cause without touching the system. That mental shift is what makes simple VPN topics feel complex.
Another reason is that the questions often mix VPN with policy routing topology and packet flow. Candidates focus too much on encryption settings and forget to verify where the traffic enters and exits the gateway. The exam expects you to think in terms of packet journey not configuration screens. If you do not visualize the path clearly it becomes easy to misread what is actually broken.
From my experience preparation works best when you practice slowing down. Read the scenario and ask what is confirmed working and what is only assumed. If the tunnel is up that does not mean traffic is allowed. If logs show acceptance that does not mean the packet reached the remote network. Training your brain to eliminate assumptions is critical for this exam.
When preparing I also recommend practicing scenario style 156-587 questions rather than only reviewing commands. Working through realistic questions helps you understand how Check Point frames problems in the exam. I used 156-587 practice questions during my prep just to test my reasoning flow and identify gaps especially around VPN troubleshooting logic. The goal is not reminding answers but getting comfortable with how problems are presented.
If you approach VPN questions like a detective instead of an engineer the exam starts to feel more reasonable. Once you focus on traffic flow trust boundaries and verification points those complex looking VPN questions suddenly become much simpler.
Most VPN questions add multiple layers at once. Encryption looks established but traffic drops. Phase one is up but phase two behaves strangely. NAT is involved without being obvious. Logs show partial success which makes people second guess themselves. In real environments we usually fix one issue at a time but in the exam you must identify the root cause without touching the system. That mental shift is what makes simple VPN topics feel complex.
Another reason is that the questions often mix VPN with policy routing topology and packet flow. Candidates focus too much on encryption settings and forget to verify where the traffic enters and exits the gateway. The exam expects you to think in terms of packet journey not configuration screens. If you do not visualize the path clearly it becomes easy to misread what is actually broken.
From my experience preparation works best when you practice slowing down. Read the scenario and ask what is confirmed working and what is only assumed. If the tunnel is up that does not mean traffic is allowed. If logs show acceptance that does not mean the packet reached the remote network. Training your brain to eliminate assumptions is critical for this exam.
When preparing I also recommend practicing scenario style 156-587 questions rather than only reviewing commands. Working through realistic questions helps you understand how Check Point frames problems in the exam. I used 156-587 practice questions during my prep just to test my reasoning flow and identify gaps especially around VPN troubleshooting logic. The goal is not reminding answers but getting comfortable with how problems are presented.
If you approach VPN questions like a detective instead of an engineer the exam starts to feel more reasonable. Once you focus on traffic flow trust boundaries and verification points those complex looking VPN questions suddenly become much simpler.
231 Nguyễn Văn Cừ, Phường Chợ Quán, TP. Hồ Chí Minh
