- A
Configure BGP AS_PATH prepending on the secondary Direct Connect and VPN connections to make them less preferred than the primary Direct Connect.
AS_PATH prepending influences BGP best path selection.
- B
Disable route propagation from the VPN to the transit gateway route tables, and rely on the Direct Connect connections only.
Why wrong: Does not provide failover priority among Direct Connect connections.
- C
Configure equal-cost multipath (ECMP) routing across all three connections to load balance traffic.
Why wrong: ECMP does not provide failover priority; all paths active simultaneously.
- D
Use static routes in the transit gateway route tables with higher metric values for the secondary Direct Connect and VPN.
Why wrong: Static routes are not supported with Direct Connect; BGP is mandatory.
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure BGP AS_PATH prepending on the secondary Direct Connect and VPN connections to make them less preferred than the primary Direct Connect. This technique works by artificially lengthening the AS_PATH attribute on routes advertised from the backup paths, which causes BGP’s path selection algorithm to favor the primary Direct Connect with the shortest AS_PATH. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of BGP route manipulation for failover ordering in a hybrid network, where you must ensure traffic shifts first to the secondary Direct Connect and only then to the VPN. A common trap is assuming static routes or disabling route propagation will suffice, but BGP is mandatory with Direct Connect, and AS_PATH prepending provides granular control without affecting other paths. Memory tip: think of AS_PATH prepending as adding “extra hops” to make a route look longer and less attractive—like adding extra miles to a detour.
ANS-C01 Network Implementation Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network implementation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 implementing a hybrid network architecture with AWS Direct Connect and a VPN backup. The company has two Direct Connect connections from different providers terminating at two AWS Direct Connect locations, each connecting to a separate AWS Transit Gateway in the same region. The VPCs are attached to both transit gateways. The company needs to ensure that traffic from on-premises to VPCs uses the primary Direct Connect connection when available and fails over to the secondary Direct Connect connection, then to the VPN. How should the company configure routing to achieve this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Configure BGP AS_PATH prepending on the secondary Direct Connect and VPN connections to make them less preferred than the primary Direct Connect.
Option A is correct because adjusting BGP attributes like AS_PATH prepending on the secondary Direct Connect and VPN connections will influence path selection, with the VPN having the longest AS_PATH. Option B is wrong because static routes cannot be used with Direct Connect; BGP is required. Option C is wrong because disabling route propagation on the VPN would not affect Direct Connect failover order. Option D is wrong because equal-cost multipath (ECMP) would load balance, not provide failover priority.
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
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Configure BGP AS_PATH prepending on the secondary Direct Connect and VPN connections to make them less preferred than the primary Direct Connect.
- ✗
Disable route propagation from the VPN to the transit gateway route tables, and rely on the Direct Connect connections only.
Why it's wrong here
Does not provide failover priority among Direct Connect connections.
- ✗
Configure equal-cost multipath (ECMP) routing across all three connections to load balance traffic.
Why it's wrong here
ECMP does not provide failover priority; all paths active simultaneously.
- ✗
Use static routes in the transit gateway route tables with higher metric values for the secondary Direct Connect and VPN.
Why it's wrong here
Static routes are not supported with Direct Connect; BGP is mandatory.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
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
How to think about this question
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.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
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
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
Network Implementation — This question tests Network Implementation — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure BGP AS_PATH prepending on the secondary Direct Connect and VPN connections to make them less preferred than the primary Direct Connect. — Option A is correct because adjusting BGP attributes like AS_PATH prepending on the secondary Direct Connect and VPN connections will influence path selection, with the VPN having the longest AS_PATH. Option B is wrong because static routes cannot be used with Direct Connect; BGP is required. Option C is wrong because disabling route propagation on the VPN would not affect Direct Connect failover order. Option D is wrong because equal-cost multipath (ECMP) would load balance, not provide failover priority.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on ANS-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is designing a hybrid network architecture that requires high availability and low latency between its on-premises data center and AWS. They have two redundant 1 Gbps AWS Direct Connect connections. The company wants to use BGP to advertise the same prefix from both locations to AWS. How should they configure the BGP attributes to ensure active/passive failover with automatic failback?
medium- ✓ A.Prepend the AS path on the secondary connection's BGP advertisements
- B.Set a higher MED value on the primary connection's BGP advertisements
- C.Set a higher local preference on the secondary connection's BGP advertisements
- D.Use BGP communities to tag routes and manipulate preference on AWS side
Why A: Option B is correct because setting a shorter AS path prepend on the primary connection makes it preferred; if that path fails, the prepended path becomes active, and when the primary recovers, the shorter AS path is again preferred, providing automatic failback. Option A is wrong because local preference is applied inbound, not outbound. Option C is wrong because MED is not typically used across different AS. Option D is wrong because communities do not directly influence path selection for failover.
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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