This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network design. 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 using AWS Direct Connect to connect its on-premises data center to a VPC. They want to ensure high availability and failover. Which TWO configurations should they implement? (Select TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure a Site-to-Site VPN connection as a backup.
Options B and D are correct because multiple Direct Connect connections in different locations provide physical diversity, and a VPN backup ensures connectivity if Direct Connect fails. Option A is wrong because a single connection is a single point of failure. Option C is wrong because a second virtual interface on the same connection doesn't help if the connection fails. Option E is wrong because Direct Connect Gateway is for multi-VPC, not high availability.
Key principle: A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
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 Site-to-Site VPN connection as a backup.
Why this is correct
Correct: Provides failover over internet.
Related concept
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
✗
Create a Direct Connect Gateway and attach multiple VPCs.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Does not provide high availability.
✗
Use a single Direct Connect connection with two virtual interfaces.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Single physical connection is a SPOF.
✓
Provision a second Direct Connect connection at a different location.
Why this is correct
Correct: Provides physical diversity.
Related concept
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
✗
Use the same Direct Connect connection with multiple VLANs.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Still single point of failure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: an active trunk can still block the VLAN you need
A trunk being up does not prove every VLAN is crossing it. Check allowed VLAN lists, native VLAN mismatch, VLAN existence and access-port assignment.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VLAN questions usually combine access-port and trunking clues. The key is to identify whether the issue is local to one switchport, caused by the trunk, or caused by the VLAN not existing where it needs to exist.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
Trunk ports carry multiple VLANs between switches.
Allowed VLAN lists decide which VLANs can cross a trunk.
Native VLAN mismatch can create confusing symptoms.
TExam Day Tips
→Use show vlan brief to verify access VLANs.
→Use show interfaces trunk to verify trunk state and allowed VLANs.
→Do not treat every same-VLAN issue as a routing problem.
Key takeaway
A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related ANS-C01 questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
Network Design — This question tests Network Design — Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a Site-to-Site VPN connection as a backup. — Options B and D are correct because multiple Direct Connect connections in different locations provide physical diversity, and a VPN backup ensures connectivity if Direct Connect fails. Option A is wrong because a single connection is a single point of failure. Option C is wrong because a second virtual interface on the same connection doesn't help if the connection fails. Option E is wrong because Direct Connect Gateway is for multi-VPC, not high availability.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related ANS-C01 questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
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Question Discussion
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