- A
Attach an internet gateway to the VPC and route traffic through it.
Why wrong: Traffic exits to the internet.
- B
Create a VPC gateway endpoint for S3 and associate it with the private subnet route tables.
Gateway endpoint provides private access to S3.
- C
Set up a VPN connection to the on-premises network and access S3 from there.
Why wrong: Does not keep traffic within AWS.
- D
Use AWS PrivateLink to create a VPC endpoint for the S3 bucket.
PrivateLink allows private connectivity.
- E
Place a NAT gateway in the public subnet and route traffic through it.
Why wrong: Traffic goes through the internet.
Question 1,022 of 1,705
Private S3 Access via VPC Endpoints — Gateway vs Interface | AWS Advanced Networking Specialty Explained
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network design. 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 has a VPC with public and private subnets. The private subnets must access an S3 bucket without traversing the internet. Which TWO methods can achieve this? (Choose TWO.)
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
✓
Create a VPC gateway endpoint for S3 and associate it with the private subnet route tables.
Option B is correct because a VPC gateway endpoint for S3 uses AWS's internal network to route traffic to S3 without traversing the internet. This endpoint is a horizontally scaled, redundant, and highly available gateway that is added to the route table of the private subnets, enabling direct, private connectivity to S3.
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.
- ✗
Attach an internet gateway to the VPC and route traffic through it.
Why it's wrong here
Traffic exits to the internet.
- ✓
Create a VPC gateway endpoint for S3 and associate it with the private subnet route tables.
Why this is correct
Gateway endpoint provides private access to S3.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Set up a VPN connection to the on-premises network and access S3 from there.
Why it's wrong here
Does not keep traffic within AWS.
- ✓
Use AWS PrivateLink to create a VPC endpoint for the S3 bucket.
Why this is correct
PrivateLink allows private connectivity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Place a NAT gateway in the public subnet and route traffic through it.
Why it's wrong here
Traffic goes through the internet.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse gateway endpoints with interface endpoints (PrivateLink) or assume that a NAT gateway provides private connectivity, when in fact both gateway endpoints and PrivateLink can achieve private S3 access, but only gateway endpoints are free and do not require an ENI in the subnet.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A VPC gateway endpoint for S3 uses prefix lists and route table entries to direct S3-bound traffic through AWS's private network backbone, bypassing the internet. Gateway endpoints are free and support both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic, but they only work within the same region and do not support cross-region access or on-premises connectivity via Direct Connect or VPN. In contrast, AWS PrivateLink (Interface endpoint) for S3 uses Elastic Network Interfaces (ENIs) in the subnet and supports on-premises access via Direct Connect or VPN, but incurs hourly charges and data processing fees.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Visual reference
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
Network Design — This question tests Network Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a VPC gateway endpoint for S3 and associate it with the private subnet route tables. — Option B is correct because a VPC gateway endpoint for S3 uses AWS's internal network to route traffic to S3 without traversing the internet. This endpoint is a horizontally scaled, redundant, and highly available gateway that is added to the route table of the private subnets, enabling direct, private connectivity to S3.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
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
2 more ways this is tested on ANS-C01
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 has a VPC with a public subnet and a private subnet. The private subnet needs to access an S3 bucket for backups. Which TWO actions are required to provide private connectivity to S3 without using a NAT Gateway?
hard- A.Create a NAT Gateway in the public subnet.
- ✓ B.Create a VPC Gateway Endpoint for S3.
- ✓ C.Add a route for the S3 prefix list in the private subnet route table pointing to the gateway endpoint.
- D.Create a VPC Interface Endpoint for S3.
- E.Create a VPC Peering connection to an S3 VPC.
Why B: Option B is correct because a VPC Gateway Endpoint provides private connectivity to S3 without traversing the internet or requiring a NAT Gateway. It uses AWS’s internal network to route traffic from the private subnet to S3, ensuring data never leaves the AWS backbone. This is the most cost-effective and secure method for private S3 access within a VPC.
Variation 2. A company has a VPC with a public subnet and a private subnet. The private subnet instances need to access an S3 bucket. Which configuration provides the most secure and efficient access without traversing the internet?
easy- A.Establish a VPN connection to on-premises and route to S3 from there.
- B.Use a NAT Gateway in the public subnet to route traffic to S3.
- ✓ C.Create a VPC Gateway Endpoint for Amazon S3 and associate it with the private subnet route table.
- D.Configure a proxy server in the public subnet.
Why C: Option C is correct because a VPC Gateway Endpoint for Amazon S3 allows instances in a private subnet to access S3 directly over the AWS network without traversing the internet, using a route table entry that targets the endpoint's prefix list. This provides the most secure and efficient access by keeping traffic within the AWS backbone, avoiding NAT Gateway costs and internet exposure.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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