The answer is to check BGP metrics and physical layer metrics such as light levels and signal strength. These two actions directly address the root causes of intermittent Direct Connect packet drops: BGP route flapping, which triggers ConnectionReset events as sessions bounce, and degraded physical optics, which increases the PacketDropRate due to signal loss or errors. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your ability to isolate issues between Layer 1 physical health and Layer 3 BGP stability, a common trap being to jump to MTU or VPN fixes that don’t affect Direct Connect. Remember that Direct Connect packet drops and BGP status are tightly linked—if the light is low, the BGP session will flap. A useful memory tip is “Light first, BGP next”—always verify physical metrics before touching routing protocols.
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 network engineer is troubleshooting intermittent connectivity issues between an on-premises data center and a VPC over a Direct Connect connection. The engineer reviews the CloudWatch metrics for the virtual interface and sees an increase in 'ConnectionReset' and 'PacketDropRate'. Which TWO actions should the engineer take to resolve the issue? (Choose TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Check the BGP session status and metrics on the virtual interface
Options B and D are correct. B: Checking BGP metrics can reveal route flapping. D: Checking physical layer metrics like light levels and signal strength can identify physical issues. A is wrong because increasing MTU could cause more drops. C is wrong because more routing peers is not directly relevant. E is wrong because VPN bandwidth does not affect Direct Connect.
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.
✗
Add additional BGP peers to the Direct Connect connection
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the bandwidth of the VPN connection as a backup
Why it's wrong here
Not relevant.
✓
Check the physical layer metrics such as light levels and signal strength
Why this is correct
Physical layer issues cause drops.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
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: Check the BGP session status and metrics on the virtual interface — Options B and D are correct. B: Checking BGP metrics can reveal route flapping. D: Checking physical layer metrics like light levels and signal strength can identify physical issues. A is wrong because increasing MTU could cause more drops. C is wrong because more routing peers is not directly relevant. E is wrong because VPN bandwidth does not affect Direct Connect.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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 network engineer is troubleshooting intermittent connectivity issues between an on-premises data center and AWS over a Direct Connect connection. The engineer notices that BGP sessions are flapping. What should the engineer check first?
easy
A.Configure route propagation in the VPC route tables.
✓ B.Verify BGP timers and ensure they match on both sides.
C.Check the virtual interface (VIF) status in the AWS console.
D.Increase the MTU on the Direct Connect link.
Why B: Option B is correct because BGP timers mismatches are a common cause of flapping. Option A is incorrect because VIF status doesn't directly cause flapping if BGP timers mismatch. Option C is incorrect because MTU issues typically cause packet loss, not flapping. Option D is incorrect because routing policies affect route propagation, not BGP session stability.
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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.
Question Discussion
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