Quick Answer
AWS Direct Connect is the correct choice because it establishes a dedicated, private, high-bandwidth network connection from an on-premises data center directly to AWS, completely bypassing the public internet. This ensures a consistent, low-latency path that meets strict requirements for privacy and performance, unlike VPN-based solutions which still traverse the internet and are subject to variability and potential security exposure. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of when to use AWS Direct Connect versus AWS Site-to-Site VPN or AWS Transit Gateway, with a common trap being to select a VPN option when the question explicitly demands a private, high-bandwidth link. Remember that Direct Connect is for dedicated physical circuits, not encrypted tunnels over the internet. A helpful memory tip: think of Direct Connect as a private highway directly into AWS, while a VPN is a secure tunnel on a public road.
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 needs to connect its on-premises data center to a VPC in AWS using a dedicated, private, and high-bandwidth connection. Which AWS service should be used?
AWS Client VPN
Why wrong: For remote user access.
VPC Peering
Why wrong: For connecting VPCs.
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why wrong: Uses internet, not dedicated.
AWS Direct Connect
Dedicated private connection.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Direct Connect
AWS Direct Connect is the correct choice because it provides a dedicated, private, high-bandwidth network connection from an on-premises data center directly to AWS, bypassing the public internet. This meets the requirements for a private, low-latency, and consistent network path, unlike VPN-based solutions that traverse the internet.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Client VPN
Why it's wrong here
For remote user access.
VPC Peering
Why it's wrong here
For connecting VPCs.
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why it's wrong here
Uses internet, not dedicated.
AWS Direct Connect
Why this is correct
Dedicated private connection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Site-to-Site VPN with a dedicated connection, overlooking that it still relies on the public internet and lacks the private, consistent bandwidth guarantees of Direct Connect.
Detailed technical explanation
AWS Direct Connect uses industry-standard 802.1Q VLANs to create virtual interfaces (private VIFs) that connect directly to a VPC via a Direct Connect Gateway or Virtual Private Gateway, enabling BGP peering for route exchange. In real-world scenarios, enterprises often combine Direct Connect with a Site-to-Site VPN as a backup (using BGP metrics) to ensure high availability while maintaining private connectivity.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Network Design — This question tests Network Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Direct Connect — AWS Direct Connect is the correct choice because it provides a dedicated, private, high-bandwidth network connection from an on-premises data center directly to AWS, bypassing the public internet. This meets the requirements for a private, low-latency, and consistent network path, unlike VPN-based solutions that traverse the internet.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
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 needs to connect its on-premises data center to AWS using a dedicated, low-latency connection. Which AWS service should be used?
easyWhy A: AWS Direct Connect is the correct choice because it provides a dedicated, private, low-latency network connection from an on-premises data center directly to AWS, bypassing the public internet. This service uses industry-standard 802.1Q VLANs to create virtual interfaces, ensuring consistent performance and reduced latency for mission-critical workloads.
Variation 2. A company wants to connect its on-premises data center to AWS using a dedicated, private network connection. Which AWS service should be used to establish a 1 Gbps dedicated connection?
easyWhy A: AWS Direct Connect is the correct service for establishing a dedicated, private network connection from an on-premises data center to AWS. It provides a 1 Gbps (or higher) physical Ethernet link that bypasses the public internet, delivering consistent network performance and reduced bandwidth costs for high-volume data transfer.
Variation 3. A company wants to connect an on-premises data center to AWS using a dedicated private connection that does not traverse the internet. Which AWS service should they use?
easyWhy C: AWS Direct Connect is the correct choice because it provides a dedicated, private network connection from an on-premises data center to AWS, bypassing the internet entirely. This service uses industry-standard 802.1Q VLANs to create a private virtual interface (VIF) that connects directly to a virtual private gateway or AWS Transit Gateway, ensuring low latency, consistent bandwidth, and compliance with data sovereignty requirements.
Variation 4. A company wants to connect its on-premises data center to AWS using a dedicated, high-bandwidth, low-latency connection. The data center is collocated with an AWS Direct Connect location. Which AWS service should be used to establish this connection?
easyWhy C: AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated private connection from on-premises to AWS. Option B is correct. Option A (VPN) uses the public internet. Option C (VPC peering) is for VPC-to-VPC. Option D (Transit Gateway) is a network transit hub but requires an underlying connection.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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