Direct Connect Private VIF Setup: Required Steps for VPC Access
A company is setting up a Direct Connect connection to AWS. They have a virtual private gateway (VGW) attached to their VPC. They need to establish a single logical connection over the Direct Connect link to access all subnets in the VPC. Which resource should they create on the Direct Connect virtual interface?
Quick Answer
The correct resource to create is a private virtual interface (VIF) with a BGP session to the virtual private gateway (VGW). This configuration establishes a single logical connection over the Direct Connect link that provides access to all subnets in the VPC, because the private VIF terminates on the VGW, which routes traffic to every subnet in the attached VPC via its route tables. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of Direct Connect virtual interface types and their specific use cases—a common trap is confusing a private VIF with a public VIF, which only reaches public IP addresses, or a transit VIF, which is used with a transit gateway for multi-VPC connectivity. Remember the key distinction: private VIF equals VPC access through a VGW, while public VIF equals AWS public services. A helpful memory tip is “Private VIF, private VPC—public VIF, public IPs.”
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse a public VIF with private VPC access, mistakenly thinking a public VIF can reach private subnets via the VGW, but a public VIF only provides access to AWS public endpoints and cannot be associated with a VGW.
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
✓
A private virtual interface (VIF) with a BGP session to the VGW.
A private virtual interface (VIF) is the correct resource because it allows you to connect your on-premises network directly to a VPC via a Direct Connect link. By associating the private VIF with a virtual private gateway (VGW) and establishing a BGP session, you create a single logical connection that provides Layer 3 access to all subnets in the VPC, as the VGW handles routing between the Direct Connect link and the VPC's route tables.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A private virtual interface (VIF) with a BGP session to the VGW.
Why this is correct
Private VIF allows access to the entire VPC via the VGW.
- ✗
A hosted virtual interface (VIF) provided by an AWS Partner.
Why it's wrong here
Hosted VIF is for shared connections, not the recommended direct connection.
- ✗
A public virtual interface (VIF) with a BGP session to the VGW.
Why it's wrong here
Public VIF connects to AWS public services, not the VPC.
- ✗
A transit virtual interface (VIF) to the VGW.
Why it's wrong here
Transit VIF connects to a Direct Connect gateway, not directly to VGW.
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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 use AWS Direct Connect to establish a dedicated network connection from their on-premises data center to AWS. They need to connect to a VPC in the us-east-1 region. Which of the following is a required step in the setup process?
easy- A.Attach a Transit Gateway to the VPC.
- B.Configure CloudFront to route traffic through the Direct Connect.
- C.Create a site-to-site VPN connection as a backup.
- ✓ D.Create a private virtual interface and attach it to a Virtual Private Gateway.
Why D: To establish a Direct Connect connection to a VPC, you must create a private virtual interface (VIF) and attach it to a Virtual Private Gateway (VGW) that is attached to the VPC. The private VIF carries traffic over the dedicated connection and uses BGP to exchange routes between the on-premises network and the VPC via the VGW. This is the core requirement for routing traffic from the Direct Connect link into a VPC.
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.