- A
Network ACLs with inbound allow rules
Why wrong: Network ACLs are stateless and less suitable for dynamic IP allow lists.
- B
Security Groups with inbound allow rules
Why wrong: Security Groups cannot reference IP sets from external partners.
- C
Amazon Route 53 geoproximity routing
Why wrong: Route 53 routing does not filter traffic to the application.
- D
AWS WAF with an IP set rule
AWS WAF can filter traffic based on IP addresses using IP sets.
Question 310 of 1,705
ANS-C01 Network Design Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network design. 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 is deploying an internet-facing application in AWS. The application must only accept traffic from specific IP addresses of business partners. Which AWS service should be used to enforce this restriction?
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
✓
AWS WAF with an IP set rule
AWS WAF with an IP set rule is the correct choice because it operates at the application layer (Layer 7) and can inspect HTTP/HTTPS requests to allow or block traffic based on source IP addresses. This service is specifically designed to filter web traffic to internet-facing applications, making it ideal for enforcing IP-based restrictions from business partners. Network ACLs and Security Groups operate at the network and instance levels, respectively, and cannot provide the granular, application-layer control required for this use case.
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.
- ✗
Network ACLs with inbound allow rules
Why it's wrong here
Network ACLs are stateless and less suitable for dynamic IP allow lists.
- ✗
Security Groups with inbound allow rules
Why it's wrong here
Security Groups cannot reference IP sets from external partners.
- ✗
Amazon Route 53 geoproximity routing
Why it's wrong here
Route 53 routing does not filter traffic to the application.
- ✓
AWS WAF with an IP set rule
Why this is correct
AWS WAF can filter traffic based on IP addresses using IP sets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The ANS-C01 exam often tests the misconception that Security Groups or Network ACLs are sufficient for application-layer IP filtering, but they operate at lower network layers and cannot inspect HTTP traffic or be applied to services like CloudFront or ALB for IP-based allow lists.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS WAF integrates with Application Load Balancers, Amazon CloudFront, and API Gateway to inspect incoming HTTP/HTTPS requests. IP set rules in WAF can contain up to 10,000 IP addresses per rule and support CIDR notation, allowing precise allow or block lists. Under the hood, WAF evaluates rules in order and applies actions (allow, block, or count) at the edge, reducing unnecessary traffic to backend resources. A real-world scenario is a financial services company that must restrict access to its web portal to only known partner IPs, where WAF’s IP set rule ensures that any request from an unlisted IP is rejected with a 403 Forbidden response before reaching the application servers.
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 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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
OSI Model Reference
| Layer | Name | PDU | Key Protocols / Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Application | Data | HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, SMTP, FTP, SSH |
| 6 | Presentation | Data | TLS / SSL, JPEG, ASCII encoding |
| 5 | Session | Data | NetBIOS, RPC, SIP |
| 4 | Transport | Segment / Datagram | TCP, UDP |
| 3 | Network | Packet | IP, ICMP, OSPF — Routers |
| 2 | Data Link | Frame | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, PPP — Switches, Bridges |
| 1 | Physical | Bits | Cables, NICs, Hubs, Repeaters |
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: AWS WAF with an IP set rule — AWS WAF with an IP set rule is the correct choice because it operates at the application layer (Layer 7) and can inspect HTTP/HTTPS requests to allow or block traffic based on source IP addresses. This service is specifically designed to filter web traffic to internet-facing applications, making it ideal for enforcing IP-based restrictions from business partners. Network ACLs and Security Groups operate at the network and instance levels, respectively, and cannot provide the granular, application-layer control required for this use case.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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