Quick Answer
The answer is AWS CloudWatch, which is the correct service to monitor Direct Connect latency and packet loss on a virtual interface. CloudWatch collects and stores native Direct Connect metrics such as txPackets, rxPackets, and critically, the connection-level latency and packet loss data that the network team needs to diagnose intermittent issues. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between monitoring services: VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic metadata but lack latency or loss metrics, while AWS Health Dashboard shows service-wide health rather than per-VIF performance. A common trap is confusing CloudWatch with CloudWatch Logs or assuming Transit Gateway provides monitoring—it does not. Remember the mnemonic “Direct Connect metrics live in CloudWatch” to avoid reaching for Flow Logs or the Health Dashboard when troubleshooting packet loss.
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network management and operations. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 uses AWS Direct Connect to connect its on-premises network to a VPC. The network team notices intermittent packet loss on the Direct Connect virtual interface (VIF). Which AWS service should be used to monitor the latency and packet loss on the VIF?
AWS Health Dashboard
Why wrong: Health Dashboard shows service health, not per-VIF metrics.
VPC Flow Logs
Why wrong: Flow logs capture traffic metadata, not latency or packet loss.
AWS CloudWatch
CloudWatch provides Direct Connect metrics including packet loss and latency.
AWS Transit Gateway Network Manager
Why wrong: Transit Gateway Network Manager visualizes network topology but does not monitor latency/packet loss per VIF.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS CloudWatch
CloudWatch provides metrics for Direct Connect including packet loss and latency. VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic metadata but not latency. AWS Health Dashboard shows service health. Transit Gateway is a network transit hub but not a monitoring service.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Health Dashboard
Why it's wrong here
Health Dashboard shows service health, not per-VIF metrics.
VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
Flow logs capture traffic metadata, not latency or packet loss.
AWS CloudWatch
Why this is correct
CloudWatch provides Direct Connect metrics including packet loss and latency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Transit Gateway Network Manager
Why it's wrong here
Transit Gateway Network Manager visualizes network topology but does not monitor latency/packet loss per VIF.
Common exam traps
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Health Dashboard shows service health, not per-VIF metrics.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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 — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Network Management and Operations — This question tests Network Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS CloudWatch — CloudWatch provides metrics for Direct Connect including packet loss and latency. VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic metadata but not latency. AWS Health Dashboard shows service health. Transit Gateway is a network transit hub but not a monitoring service.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
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 company uses AWS Direct Connect with a private VIF to connect to a VPC. The network team wants to monitor the bandwidth utilization of the Direct Connect connection in real time. Which AWS service should be used?
mediumWhy D: Option D is correct because CloudWatch provides metrics for Direct Connect connections including bandwidth utilization. Option A is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs capture traffic per interface, not aggregate bandwidth. Option B is incorrect because CloudTrail logs API calls. Option C is incorrect because AWS Config records configuration changes.
Variation 2. A company is using AWS Direct Connect with a private VIF to connect its on-premises data center to a VPC. The network team wants to monitor the link health and receive alarms if the connection goes down. Which AWS service should they use?
easyWhy A: Option A is correct because CloudWatch provides metrics for Direct Connect connections, such as connection state and BGP status, and can trigger alarms. Option B is wrong because VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic logs, not link health. Option C is wrong because AWS Config tracks configuration changes, not operational status. Option D is wrong because Amazon Inspector is for security assessments.
Variation 3. A company uses AWS Direct Connect with a private VIF to connect to their VPC. They want to monitor the network latency between their on-premises router and the AWS Direct Connect location. Which AWS service should they use?
easyWhy A: Option D is correct because AWS Direct Connect provides CloudWatch metrics including latency and BGP status. Option A is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs capture traffic metadata, not latency. Option B is incorrect because CloudWatch Synthetics monitors endpoint availability, not Direct Connect. Option C is incorrect because AWS X-Ray traces application requests, not network links.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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