ANS-C01 Network Design Practice Question
A company is designing a hybrid network using AWS Direct Connect with multiple VPCs in the same region. They need to ensure that traffic between on-premises and VPCs is encrypted and that VPC-to-VPC traffic does not traverse the internet. Which solution meets these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume Direct Connect provides encryption by default or that Transit Gateway attachments can be encrypted natively, but neither is true—encryption requires an overlay like IPsec VPN.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use AWS Transit Gateway with an IPsec VPN over Direct Connect using a virtual private gateway on each VPC, and configure Transit Gateway route tables.
It uses AWS Transit Gateway to centrally route traffic between on-premises and multiple VPCs, and an IPsec VPN over Direct Connect provides encryption for traffic between on-premises and VPCs. The Transit Gateway route tables ensure VPC-to-VPC traffic stays within the AWS network without traversing the internet, meeting both requirements.
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 a single Direct Connect connection with multiple virtual interfaces and enable encryption on the physical connection.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Direct Connect does not natively encrypt; you need IPsec.
- ✓
Use AWS Transit Gateway with an IPsec VPN over Direct Connect using a virtual private gateway on each VPC, and configure Transit Gateway route tables.
Why this is correct
Correct: IPsec provides encryption; Transit Gateway enables VPC-to-VPC.
- ✗
Use AWS Transit Gateway with Direct Connect Gateway and enable encryption on the Transit Gateway attachments.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Transit Gateway attachments do not encrypt traffic; you need IPsec.
- ✗
Set up a VPN connection over the internet between on-premises and each VPC, and use VPC Peering for VPC-to-VPC traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Does not use Direct Connect; VPC Peering works but lacks encryption.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 1,621 original ANS-C01 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.