ANS-C01 Network Implementation Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are characteristics of an AWS Network Load Balancer (NLB)?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse the capabilities of Network Load Balancers with Application Load Balancers, assuming NLBs support Layer 7 features like SSL offloading or HTTP header routing, when in fact NLBs are strictly Layer 4 devices.
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
✓
Preserves the source IP address of the client
Network Load Balancers operate at Layer 4 and preserve the client source IP address by default. When a client sends a request, the NLB forwards the packet with the original source IP intact, unlike Application Load Balancers which replace it with their own IP. This is critical for applications that require client IP logging or security filtering.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Supports SSL offloading
Why it's wrong here
SSL offloading is a Layer 7 feature.
- ✗
Supports routing based on HTTP headers
Why it's wrong here
HTTP header routing is a Layer 7 feature.
- ✓
Preserves the source IP address of the client
Why this is correct
NLB preserves the client IP.
- ✗
Operates at Layer 7 of the OSI model
Why it's wrong here
NLB is Layer 4; ALB is Layer 7.
- ✓
Can handle millions of requests per second
Why this is correct
NLB is designed for high performance.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.