SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
Network Topology
A solutions architect is troubleshooting an issue where an EC2 instance cannot connect to the internet. The output of the describe-instances CLI command is shown in the exhibit. The instance is in a VPC with a public subnet that has a route table with a default route pointing to an internet gateway. The security group allows outbound traffic to 0.0.0.0/0. What is the MOST likely cause of the problem?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume that a route to an internet gateway is sufficient for internet access, but they overlook the need for the instance to have a public IP address in a public subnet.
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
✓
The instance does not have a public IP address.
The stem states that the subnet has a route table with a default route to an internet gateway, and the security group allows outbound traffic. The exhibit shows describe-instances output, which likely indicates the instance does not have a public IP address. Without a public IP, the instance cannot communicate with the internet even though routing is configured correctly. Option B is correct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The subnet's route table does not have a route to the internet gateway.
Why it's wrong here
The stem explicitly states the subnet's route table has a default route to an internet gateway, so this is not the cause.
- ✓
The instance does not have a public IP address.
Why this is correct
Correct. The instance likely lacks a public IP address, which is required for direct internet access from a public subnet.
- ✗
The instance is not in a running state.
Why it's wrong here
If the instance were not in a running state, it would not be able to handle traffic, but the stem does not indicate this. The exhibit would show its state, but missing public IP is more specific.
- ✗
The security group is blocking outbound traffic.
Why it's wrong here
The security group is explicitly stated to allow outbound traffic to 0.0.0.0/0, so this is not the issue.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SAP-C02 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 SAP-C02 exam.