Which statement about NLRI and path attributes is true?

• A. NLRI items are accompanied by path attributes in each update.
• B. NLRI contains only the next-hop information.
• C. NLRI is used for encryption.
• D. NLRI lists roots of BGP sessions.

Answer: (A)

In BGP, each update carries two pieces of information: the prefixes you can reach (the NLRI) and the details about how to reach those prefixes (the path attributes). The NLRI items list the IP prefixes being advertised, while the path attributes describe routing policy and reachability, such as the AS_PATH, NEXT_HOP, MED, and LOCAL_PREF. Because the update must convey both what is reachable and how to reach it, NLRI items are indeed accompanied by path attributes in every update.

This is why the statement is the best fit: you don’t get only the next-hop information in NLRI, and NLRI isn’t used for encryption or for listing roots of BGP sessions. The NEXT_HOP and other routing decisions come from the path attributes, not from NLRI itself.