Quick Answer
The three resources needed to establish a site-to-site VPN connection are a Virtual Private Gateway, a Customer Gateway, and a VPN Connection. The Virtual Private Gateway attaches to your VPC and serves as the AWS-side endpoint, while the Customer Gateway represents the on-premises router’s configuration, and the VPN Connection ties them together with the necessary encryption and routing settings. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of the foundational building blocks for hybrid networking, often appearing as a straightforward multiple-select item designed to separate core VPN components from advanced options like Transit Gateway or Direct Connect. A common trap is assuming a Transit Gateway is required, but for a simple site-to-site VPN, it is not—the three listed resources are sufficient. Memory tip: think of the VPN as a handshake—the Virtual Private Gateway is one hand, the Customer Gateway is the other, and the VPN Connection is the clasp that holds them together.
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network implementation. 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 a CIDR of 10.0.0.0/16. They have two Availability Zones, each with a public and a private subnet. They want to connect their on-premises network (192.168.0.0/16) to the VPC using a site-to-site VPN. Which THREE resources are needed to establish the VPN connection? (Choose THREE.)
Customer Gateway
Required to represent the on-premises router.
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Separate dedicated connection, not VPN.
VPN Connection
The actual VPN tunnel between VPG and CGW.
AWS Transit Gateway
Why wrong: Not required for a basic site-to-site VPN.
Virtual Private Gateway
Required on the VPC side.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Customer Gateway
A site-to-site VPN requires a Virtual Private Gateway (VPG) on the VPC side, a Customer Gateway (CGW) representing the on-premises router, and a VPN Connection between them. Option A is wrong because a Transit Gateway is not required for a simple VPN. Option D is wrong because a Direct Connect connection is separate. Option E is wrong because a VPC endpoint is for private access to AWS services.
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
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Customer Gateway
Why this is correct
Required to represent the on-premises router.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Separate dedicated connection, not VPN.
VPN Connection
AWS Transit Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Not required for a basic site-to-site VPN.
Virtual Private Gateway
Why this is correct
Required on the VPC side.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Common exam traps
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
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.
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
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
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 — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Network Implementation practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All ANS-C01 questions
1,705 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
ANS-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Management and Operations.
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Security, Compliance and Governance.
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Design.
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Implementation.
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to ANS-C01 fundamentals.
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to ANS-C01 scenario.
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to ANS-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Network Implementation — This question tests Network Implementation — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
The correct answer is: Customer Gateway — A site-to-site VPN requires a Virtual Private Gateway (VPG) on the VPC side, a Customer Gateway (CGW) representing the on-premises router, and a VPN Connection between them. Option A is wrong because a Transit Gateway is not required for a simple VPN. Option D is wrong because a Direct Connect connection is separate. Option E is wrong because a VPC endpoint is for private access to AWS services.
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.
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.