The answer is to place the Application Load Balancer behind AWS Global Accelerator, which provides two static Anycast IP addresses that remain fixed. This works because Global Accelerator decouples the static IP from the underlying ALB, routing traffic over the AWS global network to the load balancer without exposing the ALB’s dynamic DNS name. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to meet a static IP requirement for a Layer 7 load balancer, which natively lacks a static IP. A common trap is choosing a Network Load Balancer with an Elastic IP, but that only works for TCP/UDP traffic, not HTTP/HTTPS. Remember the key distinction: ALB is Layer 7, so you need Global Accelerator to front it with static IPs. Memory tip: “Global gives you a static hold on the ALB.”
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 migrating a legacy application to AWS. The application requires a fixed IP address that must not change. The application will be deployed on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. Which solution meets the requirement for a static IP address?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Place the ALB behind AWS Global Accelerator, which provides static IP addresses.
Option C is correct because AWS Global Accelerator provides two static Anycast IP addresses that serve as fixed entry points for traffic. Traffic is then routed over the AWS global network to the Application Load Balancer, preserving the static IP requirement while still allowing the ALB to handle HTTP/HTTPS traffic. This decouples the static IP from the underlying load balancer, ensuring the IP does not change even if the ALB is replaced or recreated.
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.
✗
Assign an Elastic IP address to the Application Load Balancer.
Why it's wrong here
Elastic IPs cannot be assigned to ALBs; they are not supported.
✗
Replace the ALB with a Network Load Balancer and assign an Elastic IP to it.
Why it's wrong here
NLB supports static IPs, but the question requires an ALB, and NLB does not provide application-layer features.
✓
Place the ALB behind AWS Global Accelerator, which provides static IP addresses.
Why this is correct
Global Accelerator provides two static anycast IPs that route traffic to the ALB.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use an Elastic IP address on each EC2 instance and point a CNAME record to the ALB.
Why it's wrong here
This does not provide a static IP for the ALB, and instance IPs may change.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume an Elastic IP can be attached to any AWS resource, but ALBs are DNS-based and cannot accept Elastic IPs, leading them to incorrectly choose Option A or B without considering Global Accelerator.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Global Accelerator uses Anycast IP addresses from AWS’s edge locations, meaning the same IP is announced from multiple points of presence. Traffic is then forwarded over the AWS backbone to the ALB endpoint, bypassing the public internet for improved latency and reliability. This design also supports TCP and UDP traffic, but when paired with an ALB, it provides both static IPs and Layer 7 features like host-based routing and SSL termination.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
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: Place the ALB behind AWS Global Accelerator, which provides static IP addresses. — Option C is correct because AWS Global Accelerator provides two static Anycast IP addresses that serve as fixed entry points for traffic. Traffic is then routed over the AWS global network to the Application Load Balancer, preserving the static IP requirement while still allowing the ALB to handle HTTP/HTTPS traffic. This decouples the static IP from the underlying load balancer, ensuring the IP does not change even if the ALB is replaced or recreated.
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.
About these practice questions
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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 has an application that requires fixed IP addresses for whitelisting by third-party partners. The application is hosted on an Application Load Balancer (ALB) in a VPC. Which solution provides static IP addresses for the ALB?
easy
✓ A.Place an AWS Global Accelerator in front of the ALB.
B.Use Amazon CloudFront with the ALB as origin.
C.Assign an Elastic IP to the ALB.
D.Replace the ALB with a Network Load Balancer (NLB).
Why A: AWS Global Accelerator provides two static IP addresses that act as fixed entry points for traffic. By placing it in front of an Application Load Balancer (ALB), you can whitelist these static IPs with third-party partners while the ALB itself remains dynamic. Global Accelerator uses the AWS global network to route traffic to the ALB, preserving the ALB's native HTTP/HTTPS features.
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Question Discussion
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