- A
Customer gateway
Represents the on-premises router.
- B
Transit gateway
Why wrong: Optional, not required.
- C
Virtual private gateway
Required for AWS side of VPN.
- D
VPN connection
Why wrong: This is the resource itself, not a component.
- E
Direct Connect connection
Why wrong: Not required for VPN.
Question 1,652 of 1,705
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 is setting up a site-to-site VPN connection between an on-premises network and AWS. Which TWO components are required for the VPN connection?
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
✓
Customer gateway
A customer gateway is required as the on-premises side endpoint for the site-to-site VPN, representing the physical or software VPN device on the customer network. A virtual private gateway is required as the AWS-side VPN concentrator that terminates the VPN tunnels and routes traffic from the VPC to the on-premises network. Together, they form the two mandatory endpoints for establishing IPsec VPN tunnels over the internet.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Customer gateway
Why this is correct
Represents the on-premises router.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Transit gateway
Why it's wrong here
Optional, not required.
- ✓
Virtual private gateway
Why this is correct
Required for AWS side of VPN.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
VPN connection
Why it's wrong here
This is the resource itself, not a component.
- ✗
Direct Connect connection
Why it's wrong here
Not required for VPN.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The ANS-C01 exam often tests the misconception that the VPN connection resource itself is a required component, but it is actually the logical configuration object that links the two endpoints, not a physical or virtual endpoint required for the VPN to function.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The site-to-site VPN uses two IPsec tunnels for high availability, each established between the customer gateway and the virtual private gateway using IKEv1 or IKEv2 with pre-shared keys or certificates. The virtual private gateway supports dynamic routing via BGP (using the Border Gateway Protocol) or static routing, and it advertises the VPC CIDR to the on-premises network. In a real-world scenario, if the customer gateway fails to respond to Dead Peer Detection (DPD) packets, the virtual private gateway will automatically fail over to the second tunnel.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
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.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
Network Implementation — This question tests Network Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Customer gateway — A customer gateway is required as the on-premises side endpoint for the site-to-site VPN, representing the physical or software VPN device on the customer network. A virtual private gateway is required as the AWS-side VPN concentrator that terminates the VPN tunnels and routes traffic from the VPC to the on-premises network. Together, they form the two mandatory endpoints for establishing IPsec VPN tunnels over the internet.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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