The answer is that you must select 'Internet-facing' as the scheme when creating the ALB and place it in public subnets with a route to an Internet Gateway. This configuration is required because an internet-facing ALB operates at Layer 7 and must reside in public subnets to receive traffic from the internet; the scheme setting determines whether the load balancer gets a public DNS name, while the subnet routing ensures inbound traffic can reach it via the Internet Gateway. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of ALB networking fundamentals versus common misconceptions—many candidates mistakenly think the ALB needs its own public IP or that security groups control internet-facing status, but the key is that the scheme and subnet routing are the only two requirements. A useful memory tip is "Scheme and Subnet, not Security or IP"—the scheme must be internet-facing, and the subnets must be public with an IGW route, while the ALB itself never gets a public IP.
ANS-C01 Network Implementation Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network implementation. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 is deploying a web application that will be accessed over the internet. They want to use an Application Load Balancer (ALB) to distribute traffic across EC2 instances in multiple Availability Zones. Which TWO configurations are required to make the ALB internet-facing? (Choose TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Associate the ALB with public subnets that have a route to an Internet Gateway.
An internet-facing ALB must be in public subnets (with a route to an Internet Gateway) and have a public DNS name. Option A is wrong because the ALB does not need its own public IP; it uses the public subnets. Option C is wrong because the ALB can be in public subnets only. Option D is wrong because security groups do not make it internet-facing.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Configure a security group that allows inbound traffic from 0.0.0.0/0.
Why it's wrong here
Security groups control traffic but do not make the ALB internet-facing.
✗
Assign an Elastic IP address to the ALB.
Why it's wrong here
ALB does not support Elastic IP; it gets a public DNS name.
✗
Associate the ALB with private subnets only.
Why it's wrong here
Private subnets do not have internet routes.
✓
Associate the ALB with public subnets that have a route to an Internet Gateway.
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
→Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
→Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
→Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related ANS-C01 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Network Implementation — This question tests Network Implementation — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Associate the ALB with public subnets that have a route to an Internet Gateway. — An internet-facing ALB must be in public subnets (with a route to an Internet Gateway) and have a public DNS name. Option A is wrong because the ALB does not need its own public IP; it uses the public subnets. Option C is wrong because the ALB can be in public subnets only. Option D is wrong because security groups do not make it internet-facing.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related ANS-C01 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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Question Discussion
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