ANS-C01 Network Design Practice Question
A company needs to connect two VPCs in the same AWS account and region. They want to use private IP addresses and avoid any single point of failure. Which solution should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The ANS-C01 exam often tests the misconception that Transit Gateway is always the best choice for any multi-VPC connectivity, but the trap here is that for exactly two VPCs in the same account and region, VPC peering is simpler, cheaper, and avoids the single point of failure inherent in a Transit Gateway.
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
✓
VPC peering connection
VPC peering is the correct solution because it allows direct connectivity between two VPCs using private IP addresses, with no single point of failure since traffic flows directly between the VPCs without any intermediate device or bandwidth bottleneck. AWS handles the underlying routing and redundancy, and there is no additional cost for data transfer within the same Availability Zone or region when using private IPs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Transit Gateway
Why it's wrong here
AWS Transit Gateway is designed for centralising network connectivity for a large number of VPCs, facilitating complex hub-and-spoke topologies, including cross-account and cross-region connections. While it can connect two VPCs privately within the same region and account with high availability, it introduces unnecessary operational overhead and cost for such a simple, point-to-point requirement. Its primary use case is to simplify network management and consolidate routing for many VPCs or integrate on-premises networks via VPN or Direct Connect.
- ✓
VPC peering connection
Why this is correct
VPC peering is simple, uses private IPs, and has no single point of failure as it is a direct connection.
- ✗
Internet Gateway and public IPs
Why it's wrong here
This would expose traffic to the internet and is not recommended for private connectivity.
- ✗
AWS Site-to-Site VPN between the VPCs
Why it's wrong here
VPN is typically used for on-premises connections, not for VPC-to-VPC within the same region.
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Related to this question
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on ANS-C01
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 wants to enable communication between two VPCs (VPC A and VPC B) in the same AWS account and region. They want to use private IP addresses and avoid using the internet. Which THREE options can achieve this?
easy- ✓ A.VPC peering connection
- ✓ B.AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection between VPCs
- C.Internet gateway attached to both VPCs
- ✓ D.AWS Transit Gateway
- E.NAT gateway in each VPC
Why A: VPC peering connection (Option A) allows direct, private IP connectivity between two VPCs using the AWS global network, with no internet gateway or VPN required. Traffic stays within AWS's internal infrastructure, meeting the requirement for private IP addresses and avoiding the internet.
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.