The answer is to prepend the AS_PATH on routes advertised to AWS. This BGP attribute directly influences outbound traffic from AWS by artificially lengthening the path for one of the two Direct Connect links, making it less preferred and steering traffic to the shorter, more desirable path. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how to manipulate BGP path selection for traffic leaving AWS, a common scenario when managing redundant Direct Connect connections. A frequent trap is confusing AS_PATH prepend with MED, which controls inbound traffic, or Local Preference, which is an internal attribute not sent to external peers. Remember the memory tip: “Prepend to send” — you prepend the AS_PATH on routes you send to AWS to push outbound traffic away from that link.
ANS-C01 Network Implementation Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network implementation. 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 AWS using AWS Direct Connect. The company has two redundant connections and wants to use BGP as the routing protocol. Which BGP attribute should be manipulated to influence outbound traffic from AWS to the on-premises network?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Prepend AS_PATH on routes advertised to AWS.
Option C is correct because the AS_PATH prepend attribute can be used to influence outbound traffic from AWS by making one path less preferred. Option A is wrong because MED influences inbound traffic. Option B is wrong because Local Preference is used within an AS to influence outbound traffic, but it is not sent to peers. Option D is wrong because the community attribute can be used for various routing policies but not directly for outbound traffic influence in this context.
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.
✗
Set the Local Preference attribute on routes received from AWS.
Why it's wrong here
Local Preference is used within an AS, not sent to peers.
✓
Prepend AS_PATH on routes advertised to AWS.
Why this is correct
AS_PATH prepend makes a path less preferred for outbound traffic from AWS.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Set the MED attribute on routes advertised to AWS.
Why it's wrong here
MED influences inbound traffic from on-premises to AWS.
✗
Apply a BGP community tag to routes received from AWS.
Why it's wrong here
Community tags can be used for route filtering but not directly for outbound traffic influence.
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 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.
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.
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: Prepend AS_PATH on routes advertised to AWS. — Option C is correct because the AS_PATH prepend attribute can be used to influence outbound traffic from AWS by making one path less preferred. Option A is wrong because MED influences inbound traffic. Option B is wrong because Local Preference is used within an AS to influence outbound traffic, but it is not sent to peers. Option D is wrong because the community attribute can be used for various routing policies but not directly for outbound traffic influence in this context.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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