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 VPC with public and private subnets. An EC2 instance in a private subnet needs to download patches from the internet. Which configuration will allow this without exposing the instance to inbound internet traffic?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Deploy a NAT Gateway in a public subnet and update the private subnet's route table to point default route to the NAT Gateway.
Option B is correct. A NATGateway in a public subnet allows outbound internet traffic from private instances while preventing inbound traffic from the internet. Option A is wrong because an Internet Gateway alone does not provide outbound-only access; it would require a public IP and could allow inbound traffic. Option C is wrong because a VPN does not provide internet access. Option D is wrong because VPC endpoints are for AWS services, not general internet.
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 VPC Gateway Endpoints for S3 and DynamoDB.
Why it's wrong here
Gateway Endpoints provide access only to specific AWS services, not the internet.
✗
Attach an Internet Gateway to the VPC and assign a public IP to the instance.
Why it's wrong here
Assigning a public IP exposes the instance to inbound traffic.
✓
Deploy a NAT Gateway in a public subnet and update the private subnet's route table to point default route to the NAT Gateway.
Why this is correct
NATGateway provides outbound internet access without inbound access.
Configure a VPN connection from the VPC to an on-premises network that has internet access.
Why it's wrong here
This does not provide direct internet access for the instance.
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: Deploy a NAT Gateway in a public subnet and update the private subnet's route table to point default route to the NAT Gateway. — Option B is correct. A NAT Gateway in a public subnet allows outbound internet traffic from private instances while preventing inbound traffic from the internet. Option A is wrong because an Internet Gateway alone does not provide outbound-only access; it would require a public IP and could allow inbound traffic. Option C is wrong because a VPN does not provide internet access. Option D is wrong because VPC endpoints are for AWS services, not general internet.
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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