The answer is to create an S3 Gateway Endpoint in the VPC and add a route to it, as this configuration provides the most secure and cost-effective S3 access. An S3 Gateway Endpoint uses AWS’s private network to connect your VPC directly to S3, ensuring traffic never traverses the internet, which eliminates exposure to public threats and avoids the hourly and data-processing costs of a NAT gateway. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of VPC endpoints and the trade-offs between cost, security, and complexity—a common trap is choosing a NAT gateway for private subnet access, forgetting that Gateway Endpoints work seamlessly with private route tables at no extra charge. Remember the memory tip: “Gateway for S3, no NAT fee” — if your S3 bucket is in the same region, a Gateway Endpoint is always the leanest, most secure path.
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 new application in a VPC with public and private subnets. The application needs to access an S3 bucket in the same AWS Region. Which configuration provides the MOST secure and cost-effective connectivity?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an S3 Gateway Endpoint in the VPC and add a route to it.
Option B is correct because an S3 Gateway Endpoint provides private connectivity to S3 without traversing the internet or incurring NAT gateway costs. Option A is wrong because a NAT gateway adds cost and still uses internet. Option C is wrong because Direct Connect is overkill and costly. Option D is wrong because proxy servers add complexity and cost.
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 proxy server in the public subnet to forward requests to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Proxy adds management overhead and latency; not best practice.
✗
Set up an AWS Direct Connect connection to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect is expensive and unnecessary for this use case.
✗
Create a NAT gateway in the public subnet and route traffic through it.
Why it's wrong here
NATgateway incurs costs and uses internet; not most secure or cost-effective.
✓
Create an S3 Gateway Endpoint in the VPC and add a route to it.
Why this is correct
Gateway Endpoint provides private, free access to S3 within same Region.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: Create an S3 Gateway Endpoint in the VPC and add a route to it. — Option B is correct because an S3 Gateway Endpoint provides private connectivity to S3 without traversing the internet or incurring NAT gateway costs. Option A is wrong because a NAT gateway adds cost and still uses internet. Option C is wrong because Direct Connect is overkill and costly. Option D is wrong because proxy servers add complexity and cost.
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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