ANS-C01 Network Implementation Practice Question
A company needs to connect its on-premises data center to AWS using a site-to-site VPN. The on-premises firewall does not support IPsec. What alternative solution can the company use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The ANS-C01 exam often tests the misconception that any VPN requires IPsec, but AWS Client VPN uses TLS-based tunnels (OpenVPN) as an alternative when the on-premises device lacks IPsec support.
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
✓
Use AWS Client VPN to establish a VPN connection from the on-premises network.
AWS Client VPN is a managed, OpenVPN-based service that allows on-premises clients to securely access AWS resources without requiring IPsec support on the on-premises firewall. Since the firewall does not support IPsec, Client VPN provides an alternative by using TLS-based VPN tunnels that only require standard TCP/UDP ports (typically 443) to be open, making it compatible with nearly any firewall.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a VPC peering connection between the on-premises router and the VPC.
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering is for VPC-to-VPC only.
- ✓
Use AWS Client VPN to establish a VPN connection from the on-premises network.
Why this is correct
Client VPN can terminate on a firewall running OpenVPN.
- ✗
Deploy an AWS Transit Gateway and attach the on-premises network via a VPC attachment.
Why it's wrong here
Transit Gateway itself does not provide VPN termination.
- ✗
Use AWS Direct Connect to establish a dedicated physical link.
Why it's wrong here
Does not use IPsec but is a different service.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.