- A
Increase the BGP MED value on the VPN connection to make it less preferred.
Why wrong: Increasing the BGP MED value on the VPN connection would make the VPN routes less preferred, but this is not a reliable or recommended method to ensure Direct Connect is primary. BGP MED is a metric that can be overridden by other attributes like local preference, and it only affects outbound traffic. The recommended approaches are using BGP communities to set local preference on Direct Connect routes or advertising more specific prefixes over Direct Connect.
- B
Enable VPN automatic failover using AWS VPN CloudHub.
Why wrong: AWS VPN CloudHub is used to connect multiple VPN sites together, not to manage failover between Direct Connect and VPN. It does not influence route preference between these connections.
- C
Configure BGP communities on the Direct Connect to influence route preference.
Configuring BGP communities on the Direct Connect connection allows you to influence the local preference, making routes learned via Direct Connect preferred over those from the VPN. This is a reliable method to ensure Direct Connect is the primary path.
- D
Disable AS path prepend on the Direct Connect BGP session.
Why wrong: Disabling AS path prepend on Direct Connect would shorten the AS path, making Direct Connect more preferred. However, this is not a best practice; using BGP communities or more specific prefixes is more reliable and manageable.
- E
Advertise a more specific prefix over Direct Connect compared to the VPN.
More specific prefixes are preferred in BGP routing.
ANS-C01 Network Management and Operations Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network management and operations. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 has a hybrid network with an AWS Direct Connect connection and an AWS Site-to-Site VPN as a backup. The network team notices that traffic is asymmetrically routing through both connections, causing performance issues. Which TWO steps should the team take to ensure traffic uses the primary Direct Connect and only fails over to the VPN? (Choose two.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Configure BGP communities on the Direct Connect to influence route preference.
Option C is correct: BGP communities can be used on the Direct Connect connection to set a higher local preference, making the routes learned via Direct Connect preferred over those from the VPN. Option E is correct: Advertising a more specific prefix over Direct Connect ensures that traffic selects the more specific route, preferring Direct Connect. Option A is incorrect because increasing BGP MED on the VPN would make VPN less preferred, but this is not as effective or reliable as using BGP communities or more specific prefixes for ensuring primary use. Option B is incorrect because AWS VPN CloudHub is designed for interconnecting multiple VPN sites, not for failover from Direct Connect to VPN. Option D is incorrect because disabling AS path prepend on Direct Connect would actually make Direct Connect more preferred (shorter AS path), but this is not a recommended step to ensure primary use; it may also disrupt existing routing policies. The best practice is to use BGP communities and specific prefix advertisements to achieve the desired traffic flow.
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.
- ✗
Increase the BGP MED value on the VPN connection to make it less preferred.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the BGP MED value on the VPN connection would make the VPN routes less preferred, but this is not a reliable or recommended method to ensure Direct Connect is primary. BGP MED is a metric that can be overridden by other attributes like local preference, and it only affects outbound traffic. The recommended approaches are using BGP communities to set local preference on Direct Connect routes or advertising more specific prefixes over Direct Connect.
- ✗
Enable VPN automatic failover using AWS VPN CloudHub.
Why it's wrong here
AWS VPN CloudHub is used to connect multiple VPN sites together, not to manage failover between Direct Connect and VPN. It does not influence route preference between these connections.
- ✓
Configure BGP communities on the Direct Connect to influence route preference.
Why this is correct
Configuring BGP communities on the Direct Connect connection allows you to influence the local preference, making routes learned via Direct Connect preferred over those from the VPN. This is a reliable method to ensure Direct Connect is the primary path.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Disable AS path prepend on the Direct Connect BGP session.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling AS path prepend on Direct Connect would shorten the AS path, making Direct Connect more preferred. However, this is not a best practice; using BGP communities or more specific prefixes is more reliable and manageable.
- ✓
Advertise a more specific prefix over Direct Connect compared to the VPN.
Why this is correct
More specific prefixes are preferred in BGP routing.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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
Asymmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Exchange | Signatures | Equivalent Security Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA-3072 | Yes | Yes | 128-bit | Widely deployed; slow for bulk data |
| ECDSA P-256 | No | Yes | 128-bit | Fast signatures; standard TLS certs |
| ECDH / ECDHE | Yes | No | 128-bit | Perfect forward secrecy in TLS 1.3 |
| DH / DHE | Yes | No | 128-bit (3072-bit key) | Replaced by ECDHE in modern TLS |
| Ed25519 | No | Yes | ~128-bit | SSH keys, modern PKI |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
Network Management and Operations — This question tests Network Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure BGP communities on the Direct Connect to influence route preference. — Option C is correct: BGP communities can be used on the Direct Connect connection to set a higher local preference, making the routes learned via Direct Connect preferred over those from the VPN. Option E is correct: Advertising a more specific prefix over Direct Connect ensures that traffic selects the more specific route, preferring Direct Connect. Option A is incorrect because increasing BGP MED on the VPN would make VPN less preferred, but this is not as effective or reliable as using BGP communities or more specific prefixes for ensuring primary use. Option B is incorrect because AWS VPN CloudHub is designed for interconnecting multiple VPN sites, not for failover from Direct Connect to VPN. Option D is incorrect because disabling AS path prepend on Direct Connect would actually make Direct Connect more preferred (shorter AS path), but this is not a recommended step to ensure primary use; it may also disrupt existing routing policies. The best practice is to use BGP communities and specific prefix advertisements to achieve the desired traffic flow.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which ANS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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