SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 an IPv4 CIDR block of 10.0.0.0/16. The company wants to connect two subnets: one in the VPC (10.0.1.0/24) and one in an on-premises network (192.168.1.0/24) via a Site-to-Site VPN. The VPN connection is established. However, instances in the VPC subnet cannot ping the on-premises server at 192.168.1.10. What is a possible cause?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The route table for the VPC subnet does not have a route to the on-premises network via the VPN gateway
Option B is correct because the VPC subnet's route table must have a route for the on-premises CIDR pointing to the VPNgateway. Option A is wrong because the VPN connection uses the internet, not a VPC endpoint. Option C is wrong because security groups control traffic to/from instances, but the route is missing. Option D is wrong because the VPN is established, so tunnel is up.
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.
✗
The VPN tunnel is not in the UP state
Why it's wrong here
The VPN is established, so the tunnel is likely UP.
✓
The route table for the VPC subnet does not have a route to the on-premises network via the VPN gateway
Why this is correct
Without a route to 192.168.1.0/24 pointing to the virtual private gateway, traffic will not be sent through the VPN.
The security group for the VPC instances does not allow ICMP traffic
Why it's wrong here
While ICMP may be blocked, the more fundamental issue is the missing route.
✗
The VPC does not have a VPC endpoint for the VPN service
Why it's wrong here
VPN connections do not require VPC endpoints; they use the internet.
Common exam traps
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
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 SOA-C02 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Networking and Content Delivery — This question tests Networking and Content Delivery — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The route table for the VPC subnet does not have a route to the on-premises network via the VPN gateway — Option B is correct because the VPC subnet's route table must have a route for the on-premises CIDR pointing to the VPN gateway. Option A is wrong because the VPN connection uses the internet, not a VPC endpoint. Option C is wrong because security groups control traffic to/from instances, but the route is missing. Option D is wrong because the VPN is established, so tunnel is up.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 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 SOA-C02 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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