- A
Use a single connection with multiple VLANs.
Why wrong: Using a single connection with multiple VLANs does not provide physical redundancy; a single failure would still take down all VLANs. Incorrect.
- B
Use a single connection with a VPN over the same connection for redundancy.
Why wrong: A VPN over the same Direct Connect connection uses the same physical path; it does not provide diverse failover. Incorrect.
- C
Provision a second Direct Connect connection at a different location and configure BGP.
A second Direct Connect connection at a different location with BGP provides true physical redundancy and automatic failover. This is the correct and most cost-effective choice among the options.
- D
Provision a single Direct Connect connection and use a VPN over the internet as backup.
Why wrong: While a VPN over the internet offers a different path, it incurs variable latency, bandwidth limits, and internet data transfer costs, making it less cost-effective and reliable for consistent failover performance compared to a second Direct Connect.
ANS-C01 Direct Connect Redundancy Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network implementation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: direct Connect Redundancy. 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 AWS Direct Connect with a 1 Gbps dedicated connection. They want redundant connectivity with automatic failover. What is the most cost-effective way to achieve this?
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
Provision a second Direct Connect connection at a different location and configure BGP.
Option C is correct because achieving true redundancy with automatic failover for AWS Direct Connect requires physically diverse connections. A second Direct Connect connection at a different location, combined with BGP routing (e.g., using AS_PATH prepending or MED for traffic engineering), ensures that traffic automatically fails over if one connection goes down. While a VPN over the internet (option D) might seem cost-effective, it introduces variable latency, potential bandwidth constraints, and additional data transfer costs, making it less suitable for consistent performance and automatic failover in a dedicated connectivity context. Therefore, provisioning a second Direct Connect connection is the most cost-effective approach that meets the requirements.
Key principle: Direct Connect Redundancy
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use a single connection with multiple VLANs.
Why it's wrong here
Using a single connection with multiple VLANs does not provide physical redundancy; a single failure would still take down all VLANs. Incorrect.
- ✗
Use a single connection with a VPN over the same connection for redundancy.
Why it's wrong here
A VPN over the same Direct Connect connection uses the same physical path; it does not provide diverse failover. Incorrect.
- ✓
Provision a second Direct Connect connection at a different location and configure BGP.
Why this is correct
A second Direct Connect connection at a different location with BGP provides true physical redundancy and automatic failover. This is the correct and most cost-effective choice among the options.
Related concept
Direct Connect Redundancy
- ✗
Provision a single Direct Connect connection and use a VPN over the internet as backup.
Why it's wrong here
While a VPN over the internet offers a different path, it incurs variable latency, bandwidth limits, and internet data transfer costs, making it less cost-effective and reliable for consistent failover performance compared to a second Direct Connect.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often assume that a VPN backup over the internet is the most cost-effective redundancy option, but the exam tests that for dedicated connections, physical diversity is required to maintain consistent performance and meet SLAs. A VPN over the same connection (option B) or multiple VLANs (option A) do not provide true physical redundancy.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, BGP supports multiple paths and can use attributes like Local Preference, AS_PATH, and MED to influence route selection. When two Direct Connect connections terminate at different AWS Direct Connect locations, each connection is physically isolated, and BGP sessions are established over separate virtual interfaces (VIFs). In the event of a failure, BGP withdraws the routes from the failed connection, and traffic automatically shifts to the remaining connection without manual intervention. A real-world scenario where this matters is when a company has a critical workload requiring high availability; using two connections at different locations ensures compliance with SLAs and avoids single points of failure in the network path.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Direct Connect Redundancy
- BGP Routing Attributes
- VPN as Backup
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
Direct Connect Redundancy
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Visual reference
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 — Direct Connect Redundancy.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Provision a second Direct Connect connection at a different location and configure BGP. — Option C is correct because achieving true redundancy with automatic failover for AWS Direct Connect requires physically diverse connections. A second Direct Connect connection at a different location, combined with BGP routing (e.g., using AS_PATH prepending or MED for traffic engineering), ensures that traffic automatically fails over if one connection goes down. While a VPN over the internet (option D) might seem cost-effective, it introduces variable latency, potential bandwidth constraints, and additional data transfer costs, making it less suitable for consistent performance and automatic failover in a dedicated connectivity context. Therefore, provisioning a second Direct Connect connection is the most cost-effective approach that meets the requirements.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Review direct Connect Redundancy, then practise related ANS-C01 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Direct Connect Redundancy
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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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