- A
Increase the BGP MED value on the VPN connection to make it less preferred.
Why wrong: Increasing MED makes VPN less preferred, but the question asks for steps to ensure traffic uses Direct Connect primarily. This would work, but option A and D are better. However, the question says choose TWO, and both A and D are correct. Option E is also plausible but not needed if A and D are implemented.
- B
Enable VPN automatic failover using AWS VPN CloudHub.
Why wrong: CloudHub is for multiple VPN connections, not for Direct Connect preference.
- C
Configure BGP communities on the Direct Connect to influence route preference.
BGP communities can be used to influence routing.
- D
Disable AS path prepend on the Direct Connect BGP session.
Why wrong: AS path prepend makes routes less preferred; disabling it would make Direct Connect more preferred? Actually, prepend increases AS path length, making it less preferred. To make Direct Connect preferred, you would add prepend on VPN, not disable on Direct Connect. So this is incorrect.
- E
Advertise a more specific prefix over Direct Connect compared to the VPN.
More specific prefixes are preferred in BGP routing.
Quick Answer
The correct steps are to advertise a more specific prefix over Direct Connect compared to the VPN and to adjust BGP metrics such as AS path prepend or MED on the Direct Connect side. This works because BGP route selection prefers the most specific prefix, so a longer subnet mask on the Direct Connect advertisement will attract traffic away from the VPN, while lowering the AS path length or MED on Direct Connect makes it the more preferred path in the BGP decision process. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of asymmetric routing in hybrid networks and how BGP attributes control traffic flow; a common trap is thinking that enabling VPN or disabling prepend on Direct Connect would help, but those actions would either not affect preference or actually make Direct Connect less preferred. Remember the memory tip: “Specific wins, prepend loses”—a more specific prefix always wins BGP selection, and adding AS path prepend makes a route less preferred, so you want the opposite on your primary link.
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 A is correct because adjusting the BGP metrics (AS path prepend or MED) on the Direct Connect side makes it preferred. Option D is correct because using a more specific prefix for the Direct Connect route attracts traffic to it. Option B is wrong because enabling VPN is not needed. Option C is wrong because disabling AS path prepend would make Direct Connect less preferred. Option E is wrong because increasing the VPN BGP metric would make VPN less preferred, but the goal is to prefer Direct Connect.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 MED makes VPN less preferred, but the question asks for steps to ensure traffic uses Direct Connect primarily. This would work, but option A and D are better. However, the question says choose TWO, and both A and D are correct. Option E is also plausible but not needed if A and D are implemented.
- ✗
Enable VPN automatic failover using AWS VPN CloudHub.
Why it's wrong here
CloudHub is for multiple VPN connections, not for Direct Connect preference.
- ✓
Configure BGP communities on the Direct Connect to influence route preference.
- ✗
Disable AS path prepend on the Direct Connect BGP session.
Why it's wrong here
AS path prepend makes routes less preferred; disabling it would make Direct Connect more preferred? Actually, prepend increases AS path length, making it less preferred. To make Direct Connect preferred, you would add prepend on VPN, not disable on Direct Connect. So this is incorrect.
- ✓
Advertise a more specific prefix over Direct Connect compared to the VPN.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related ANS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Network Management and Operations — study guide chapter
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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 — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure BGP communities on the Direct Connect to influence route preference. — Option A is correct because adjusting the BGP metrics (AS path prepend or MED) on the Direct Connect side makes it preferred. Option D is correct because using a more specific prefix for the Direct Connect route attracts traffic to it. Option B is wrong because enabling VPN is not needed. Option C is wrong because disabling AS path prepend would make Direct Connect less preferred. Option E is wrong because increasing the VPN BGP metric would make VPN less preferred, but the goal is to prefer Direct Connect.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related ANS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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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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