The answer is a public virtual interface, a private virtual interface, and a Direct Connect Gateway. This combination is required because a private VIF provides dedicated, low-latency access to your VPC resources, while a public VIF allows your on-premises network to reach public AWS services like S3 and DynamoDB over the same Direct Connect connection without traversing the public internet. The Direct Connect Gateway then acts as a central hub, enabling transitive routing between the private VIF and multiple VPCs or simplifying the architecture when you need both private and public endpoints. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to consolidate hybrid access using a single Direct Connect link, a common design pattern for cost optimization and security. A frequent trap is assuming a single VIF can serve both purposes, but remember: private VIFs are for VPCs, public VIFs are for AWS public services, and the gateway ties them together. Memory tip: “Private for the VPC, Public for the service, Gateway to connect the purpose.”
ANS-C01 Network Design Practice Question
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 designing a hybrid network using AWS Direct Connect. The company wants to use the same Direct Connect connection to access both VPC resources and public AWS services (such as S3 and DynamoDB) from its on-premises network. Which THREE components are required to meet this goal? (Choose three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Private virtual interface (VIF)
Option B is correct because a private virtual interface (VIF) is required to connect your on-premises network to a VPC via Direct Connect. However, to also access public AWS services like S3 and DynamoDB over the same Direct Connect connection, you need a public VIF (Option E) for public endpoint connectivity and a Direct Connect Gateway (Option C) to enable transitive routing between the private VIF and multiple VPCs or to simplify the architecture. Together, these three components allow a single Direct Connect connection to serve both private VPC resources and public AWS services.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
AWS Transit Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect; Transit Gateway is optional for more complex routing.
✓
Private virtual interface (VIF)
Why this is correct
Correct; private VIF connects to VPCs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Direct Connect Gateway
Why this is correct
Correct; Direct Connect Gateway allows association of private VIF with multiple VPCs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect; VPN is not needed when using Direct Connect.
✓
Public virtual interface (VIF)
Why this is correct
Correct; public VIF provides access to public AWS services.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think a Transit Gateway is required for multi-VPC or hybrid access, but for a single Direct Connect connection to access both VPCs and public services, the essential components are the private VIF, public VIF, and Direct Connect Gateway, not the Transit Gateway.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A public VIF uses BGP to exchange routes with AWS public endpoints, allowing on-premises traffic to reach services like S3 and DynamoDB over the Direct Connect link without traversing the public internet. The Direct Connect Gateway acts as a global transit hub, enabling you to associate a private VIF with multiple VPCs in different AWS Regions and accounts, while also supporting transitive routing to public VIFs when combined with a Direct Connect Gateway association. In practice, you would configure a private VIF to the Direct Connect Gateway for VPC access, and a separate public VIF for public service access, both terminating on the same Direct Connect connection.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Network Design — This question tests Network Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Private virtual interface (VIF) — Option B is correct because a private virtual interface (VIF) is required to connect your on-premises network to a VPC via Direct Connect. However, to also access public AWS services like S3 and DynamoDB over the same Direct Connect connection, you need a public VIF (Option E) for public endpoint connectivity and a Direct Connect Gateway (Option C) to enable transitive routing between the private VIF and multiple VPCs or to simplify the architecture. Together, these three components allow a single Direct Connect connection to serve both private VPC resources and public AWS services.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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