This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network design. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 VPC with a public subnet for a web server and a private subnet for a database. The web server needs to make API calls to Amazon S3. Which is the most secure way to provide this access without traffic leaving the AWS network?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a VPC gateway endpoint for Amazon S3 and attach it to the route table of the private subnet.
Option A is correct because a VPC gateway endpoint for S3 allows private connectivity to S3 without traversing the internet. Option B is incorrect because a NAT gateway would route traffic over the internet. Option C is incorrect because internet through an IGW is less secure. Option D is incorrect because a VPN connection is not needed.
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 an AWS Site-to-Site VPN to connect to a remote network that has access to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Unnecessary complexity.
✓
Create a VPC gateway endpoint for Amazon S3 and attach it to the route table of the private subnet.
Why this is correct
Gateway endpoint provides private, secure access to S3.
Use an internet gateway and a public IP address on the web server.
Why it's wrong here
Exposes the web server to internet.
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.
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: Create a VPC gateway endpoint for Amazon S3 and attach it to the route table of the private subnet. — Option A is correct because a VPC gateway endpoint for S3 allows private connectivity to S3 without traversing the internet. Option B is incorrect because a NAT gateway would route traffic over the internet. Option C is incorrect because internet through an IGW is less secure. Option D is incorrect because a VPN connection is not needed.
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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Question Discussion
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