In BGP, which statement correctly describes the connect state?

• A. An open message was sent with the parameters for the BGP session.
• B. The router found a route to the neighbor and has completed the three-way handshake.
• C. The router received agreement on the parameters for establishing a session.
• D. Peering is established and routing begins.

Answer: (B)

In BGP, the connect state is about getting a TCP connection to the neighbor up and ready to carry BGP, which requires two things: the router must be able to reach the neighbor (a route to the neighbor exists), and the TCP three‑way handshake must complete. When both of these conditions are met, BGP can proceed to exchange its Open message to establish the session. Therefore, describing the connect state as having found a route to the neighbor and having completed the TCP handshake matches this stage: the path to the neighbor is reachable and the TCP connection is established, setting up for the next step of opening the BGP session. After this, the router would send the Open message and move toward the OpenSent state. The other statements refer to later steps (sending Open, negotiating parameters, or reaching the established state).