ANS-C01 Network Design Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are required to establish an AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection? (Select TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
AWS often tests the misconception that a transit gateway is required for Site-to-Site VPN, but it is only needed when connecting multiple VPCs or using advanced routing features; a simple VPN to a single VPC only needs a VGW and CGW.
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
✓
Virtual private gateway
A virtual private gateway (VGW) is required as the AWS-side endpoint for the VPN tunnel; it anchors the encrypted IPsec session and routes traffic from the VPC to the on-premises network. The customer gateway (CGW) represents the on-premises VPN device in AWS, providing the public IP and BGP ASN (for dynamic routing) or static route configuration needed to establish the tunnel. Both are mandatory components of an AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Direct Connect gateway
Why it's wrong here
Used with Direct Connect.
- ✓
Virtual private gateway
Why this is correct
AWS-side endpoint for the VPN.
- ✓
Customer gateway
Why this is correct
Represents the on-premises device.
- ✗
Transit gateway
Why it's wrong here
Optional, not required.
- ✗
VPN connection
Why it's wrong here
This is the connection itself, not a component.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
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JA
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.