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 is deploying a critical application across multiple Availability Zones (AZs) in a single AWS region. The application requires a highly available network layer that can automatically detect and reroute traffic away from failed endpoints. Which AWS service should be used to meet this requirement?
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
NLB provides high availability and automatic rerouting at Layer 4.
AWS Global Accelerator
Why wrong: Global Accelerator is for multi-region traffic management.
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Why wrong: ALB is Layer 7 and not necessary for network-layer requirements.
NAT gateway
Why wrong: NAT gateway does not provide load balancing.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
Option A is correct because a Network Load Balancer (NLB) operates at Layer 4, provides high availability across AZs, and automatically reroutes traffic from unhealthy targets. Option B is wrong because an Application Load Balancer (ALB) is Layer 7 and may introduce unnecessary overhead. Option C is wrong because a NAT gateway provides outbound internet access, not load balancing. Option D is wrong because AWS Global Accelerator is for multi-region traffic, not intra-region.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
Why this is correct
NLB provides high availability and automatic rerouting at Layer 4.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
AWS Global Accelerator
Why it's wrong here
Global Accelerator is for multi-region traffic management.
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Why it's wrong here
ALB is Layer 7 and not necessary for network-layer requirements.
NAT gateway
Why it's wrong here
NAT gateway does not provide load balancing.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related ANS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Network Design — This question tests Network Design — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: Network Load Balancer (NLB) — Option A is correct because a Network Load Balancer (NLB) operates at Layer 4, provides high availability across AZs, and automatically reroutes traffic from unhealthy targets. Option B is wrong because an Application Load Balancer (ALB) is Layer 7 and may introduce unnecessary overhead. Option C is wrong because a NAT gateway provides outbound internet access, not load balancing. Option D is wrong because AWS Global Accelerator is for multi-region traffic, not intra-region.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related ANS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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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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