- A
Configure a forward proxy in the private subnet and configure the instances to use it.
Why wrong: The proxy would need internet access itself, which private subnets lack.
- B
Create a VPC Gateway Endpoint for Amazon S3 and route traffic to it.
Why wrong: Only provides access to S3, not general internet.
- C
Set up a NAT Gateway in a public subnet and add a default route in the private subnet route table pointing to the NAT Gateway.
NAT Gateway provides outbound internet access.
- D
Launch a NAT instance in a public subnet and add a default route in the private subnet route table pointing to the NAT instance.
NAT instance can provide outbound access.
- E
Attach an Internet Gateway to the private subnet and add a default route to it.
Why wrong: An Internet Gateway on a private subnet would allow inbound traffic from the internet.
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 VPC architecture with a public subnet and a private subnet. They want to allow instances in the private subnet to download software updates from the internet. Which TWO options satisfy this requirement? (Choose TWO.)
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
Set up a NAT Gateway in a public subnet and add a default route in the private subnet route table pointing to the NAT Gateway.
Option C is correct because a NAT Gateway in a public subnet provides outbound-only internet access to instances in a private subnet. By adding a default route (0.0.0.0/0) in the private subnet route table pointing to the NAT Gateway, traffic from private instances is source-NATed to the NAT Gateway's Elastic IP, allowing downloads while preventing inbound connections from the internet.
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.
- ✗
Configure a forward proxy in the private subnet and configure the instances to use it.
Why it's wrong here
The proxy would need internet access itself, which private subnets lack.
- ✗
Create a VPC Gateway Endpoint for Amazon S3 and route traffic to it.
Why it's wrong here
Only provides access to S3, not general internet.
- ✓
Set up a NAT Gateway in a public subnet and add a default route in the private subnet route table pointing to the NAT Gateway.
- ✓
Launch a NAT instance in a public subnet and add a default route in the private subnet route table pointing to the NAT instance.
Why this is correct
NAT instance can provide outbound access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Attach an Internet Gateway to the private subnet and add a default route to it.
Why it's wrong here
An Internet Gateway on a private subnet would allow inbound traffic from the internet.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
AWS often tests the misconception that a NAT Gateway or NAT instance can be placed in a private subnet, but both must reside in a public subnet with an Internet Gateway to translate private IPs to a public IP for outbound internet access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT Gateways are managed by AWS and automatically scale up to 45 Gbps, unlike NAT instances which are single EC2 instances with limited bandwidth and require manual failover. The NAT Gateway performs port address translation (PAT) using its Elastic IP, so return traffic from the internet is correctly forwarded back to the private instance. In contrast, a NAT instance requires disabling Source/Destination Check and can be a single point of failure if not placed in an Auto Scaling group.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
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: Set up a NAT Gateway in a public subnet and add a default route in the private subnet route table pointing to the NAT Gateway. — Option C is correct because a NAT Gateway in a public subnet provides outbound-only internet access to instances in a private subnet. By adding a default route (0.0.0.0/0) in the private subnet route table pointing to the NAT Gateway, traffic from private instances is source-NATed to the NAT Gateway's Elastic IP, allowing downloads while preventing inbound connections from the internet.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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