Quick Answer
The answer is a NAT Gateway, because it enables outbound internet connectivity for instances in a private subnet while explicitly blocking any unsolicited inbound traffic from the internet. A NAT Gateway resides in a public subnet with an Elastic IP, and it translates the private IPs of your instances to the gateway’s public IP for outbound requests, but it drops any inbound connection attempts that were not initiated from within the VPC. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to architect secure outbound access without exposing private resources—a core scenario for hybrid and multi-tier network designs. A common trap is confusing a NAT Gateway with an Internet Gateway; remember that an Internet Gateway allows bidirectional traffic and is attached to the VPC itself, while a NAT Gateway is a managed service that only permits outbound traffic from private subnets. Memory tip: think “NAT = No Access To” inbound, or simply “NAT blocks inbound, IGW allows both.”
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. 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 public and private subnets. They want to allow instances in the private subnet to download software updates from the internet while preventing inbound traffic from the internet. Which AWS service should they use?
VPC Peering
Why wrong: VPC Peering connects VPCs, not to the internet.
NAT Gateway
A NAT Gateway enables outbound internet from private subnets.
Internet Gateway
Why wrong: An Internet Gateway allows bidirectional traffic.
VPN Connection
Why wrong: A VPN connects to on-premises, not the internet.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
NAT Gateway
A NAT Gateway allows outbound internet traffic from private subnets while blocking inbound traffic. Option A is wrong because an Internet Gateway allows inbound traffic. Option B is wrong because a VPC Peering connection does not provide internet access. Option D is wrong because a VPN connection does not provide 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
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Common exam traps
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
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.
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
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
The correct answer is: NAT Gateway — A NAT Gateway allows outbound internet traffic from private subnets while blocking inbound traffic. Option A is wrong because an Internet Gateway allows inbound traffic. Option B is wrong because a VPC Peering connection does not provide internet access. Option D is wrong because a VPN connection does not provide internet access.
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.
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This ANS-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the ANS-C01 exam.
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