Quick Answer
VPC peering is the correct choice for connecting two VPCs in different AWS accounts within the same Region. This feature establishes a direct, private network connection using the AWS backbone, allowing traffic to route between the VPCs via private IPv4 or IPv6 addresses without traversing the public internet, a VPN, or a transit hub. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cross-account VPC peering as a simple, low-latency solution that avoids bandwidth bottlenecks and single points of failure. A common trap is selecting a transit gateway or AWS PrivateLink, but remember: VPC peering is the only option that provides a direct, one-to-one connection without requiring a central intermediary. For a quick memory tip, think “peer to peer, no middle gear”—when two VPCs need a private link across accounts in the same Region, VPC peering is the straightforward answer.
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 establish private connectivity between two VPCs in different AWS accounts. The VPCs are in the same Region. Which AWS feature should be used?
AWS Transit Gateway
Why wrong: Transit Gateway can connect VPCs but is more complex than VPC peering for two VPCs.
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Direct Connect connects on-premises to AWS, not VPC to VPC.
VPC peering
VPC peering enables private connectivity between VPCs across accounts.
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why wrong: VPN connects on-premises to VPC.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
VPC peering
VPC peering is the correct choice because it establishes a direct, private network connection between two VPCs in the same AWS Region, even across different AWS accounts, using the AWS backbone without requiring a transit hub or external connectivity. It leverages the existing AWS infrastructure to route traffic between the VPCs via private IPv4 or IPv6 addresses, with no bandwidth bottlenecks or single points of failure inherent in the design.
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 Transit Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Transit Gateway can connect VPCs but is more complex than VPC peering for two VPCs.
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect connects on-premises to AWS, not VPC to VPC.
VPC peering
Why this is correct
VPC peering enables private connectivity between VPCs across accounts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why it's wrong here
VPN connects on-premises to VPC.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often choose AWS Transit Gateway because they think it is required for cross-account connectivity, but VPC peering directly supports cross-account VPC connections in the same Region without needing a central hub.
Detailed technical explanation
VPC peering uses the AWS global network to route traffic between VPCs, with no intermediate gateways or VPN concentrators; it relies on route table entries and security group rules to control traffic flow. A subtle behavior is that VPC peering does not support transitive routing—if VPC A is peered with VPC B and VPC B is peered with VPC C, traffic cannot flow from A to C through B unless a full mesh of peering connections is established. In a real-world scenario, a company might use VPC peering for a simple database replication or microservice communication between two accounts, avoiding the overhead of a Transit Gateway when only two VPCs are involved.
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: VPC peering — VPC peering is the correct choice because it establishes a direct, private network connection between two VPCs in the same AWS Region, even across different AWS accounts, using the AWS backbone without requiring a transit hub or external connectivity. It leverages the existing AWS infrastructure to route traffic between the VPCs via private IPv4 or IPv6 addresses, with no bandwidth bottlenecks or single points of failure inherent in the design.
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.
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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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