- A
Use a VPN connection from the web tier to the application tier, and place both tiers in private subnets.
Why wrong: VPN does not provide internet access to the web tier.
- B
Place both tiers in public subnets and use security groups to restrict traffic from the web tier to the application tier.
Why wrong: Public subnets expose both tiers to the internet, increasing attack surface.
- C
Place web servers in a public subnet with a NAT gateway, and application servers in a private subnet with a default route to the NAT gateway.
Why wrong: NAT gateway only provides outbound internet access, not inbound.
- D
Place web servers in a public subnet with an internet gateway, and application servers in a private subnet with a route to the web subnet via a VPC peering connection.
Correct design for inbound internet access to web tier and internal access to app tier.
ANS-C01 Network Design Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network design. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 company has a multi-tier web application running on EC2 instances in a VPC. The web tier must be accessible from the internet, but the application tier should only be accessible from the web tier. Which network design configuration meets these requirements?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Place web servers in a public subnet with an internet gateway, and application servers in a private subnet with a route to the web subnet via a VPC peering connection.
Option A is correct because public subnets with internet gateways allow internet access, and private subnets without direct internet access ensure the application tier is only reachable from the web tier via internal routing. Option B is wrong because NAT gateways are for outbound internet access from private subnets, not for inbound. Option C is wrong because VPC peering does not provide internet access. Option D is wrong because a VPN connection is for on-premises connectivity, not internet access.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use a VPN connection from the web tier to the application tier, and place both tiers in private subnets.
Why it's wrong here
VPN does not provide internet access to the web tier.
- ✗
Place both tiers in public subnets and use security groups to restrict traffic from the web tier to the application tier.
Why it's wrong here
Public subnets expose both tiers to the internet, increasing attack surface.
- ✗
Place web servers in a public subnet with a NAT gateway, and application servers in a private subnet with a default route to the NAT gateway.
- ✓
Place web servers in a public subnet with an internet gateway, and application servers in a private subnet with a route to the web subnet via a VPC peering connection.
Why this is correct
Correct design for inbound internet access to web tier and internal access to app tier.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related ANS-C01 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
Network Design — This question tests Network Design — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Place web servers in a public subnet with an internet gateway, and application servers in a private subnet with a route to the web subnet via a VPC peering connection. — Option A is correct because public subnets with internet gateways allow internet access, and private subnets without direct internet access ensure the application tier is only reachable from the web tier via internal routing. Option B is wrong because NAT gateways are for outbound internet access from private subnets, not for inbound. Option C is wrong because VPC peering does not provide internet access. Option D is wrong because a VPN connection is for on-premises connectivity, not internet access.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related ANS-C01 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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