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Question 650 of 1,546
Networking and Content Delivery →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct solution is to configure a NAT instance with proxy software and use route tables to direct traffic from private subnets to the NAT instance. This approach works because a NAT instance, unlike a NAT Gateway, can host proxy software such as Squid, which performs outbound domain filtering by inspecting the HTTPS host header or using transparent proxy rules to allow or deny specific domains. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the limitations of managed services versus custom instances—specifically, that a NAT Gateway cannot filter by domain name, only by IP address. A common trap is choosing a NAT Gateway for simplicity, but it lacks the application-layer control required here. Memory tip: think “NAT instance + proxy = domain gatekeeper,” while a NAT Gateway is just an IP translator.

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 public and private subnets. The private subnets host application servers that need to make outbound HTTPS connections to the internet. The SysOps administrator must implement a solution that provides outbound internet connectivity while preventing inbound connections from the internet. Additionally, the solution must allow the company to control which domains the application servers can access. Which solution should the administrator implement?

Question 1hardmultiple choice
Review the full subnetting walkthrough →

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

✓

Configure a NAT instance with proxy software and use route tables to direct traffic from private subnets to the NAT instance.

Option B is correct because a NAT instance with proxy software (e.g., Squid) allows outbound HTTPS connections from private subnets while blocking inbound connections, and the proxy software can enforce domain-level access control via allow/deny lists. This meets the requirement to restrict which domains the application servers can access, which a standard NAT Gateway cannot do because it only translates IP addresses and cannot filter by domain name.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    Configure a NAT Gateway and use security group outbound rules to restrict destinations.

    Why it's wrong here

    Security groups filter by IP address, not domain names. NAT Gateway itself does not offer URL filtering, so controlling access by domain is not possible with this combination.

  • ✓

    Configure a NAT instance with proxy software and use route tables to direct traffic from private subnets to the NAT instance.

    Why this is correct

    A NAT instance can run proxy software (e.g., Squid) that allows domain-based access control. It provides outbound connectivity while preventing inbound traffic, meeting all requirements.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    Configure an egress-only Internet Gateway and route private subnet traffic to it.

    Why it's wrong here

    Egress-only Internet Gateways are used for IPv6 outbound traffic only. They do not support IPv4 and do not provide domain-level control.

  • ✗

    Configure a VPC endpoint for HTTPS and route private subnet traffic to it.

    Why it's wrong here

    VPC endpoints (Gateway or Interface endpoints) provide private connectivity to AWS services, not to general internet destinations. They cannot be used for outbound internet access.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often assume a NAT Gateway with security group rules can control domain access, but security groups cannot filter by domain name—only by IP address—so the proxy-based NAT instance is required for domain-level restriction.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

A NAT instance with proxy software like Squid operates at Layer 7 (application layer), allowing it to inspect HTTPS requests via CONNECT method or TLS interception (if configured with a trusted certificate) to enforce domain whitelists. The proxy software can also cache content and log access, providing granular control beyond IP-level filtering. In contrast, a NAT Gateway operates at Layer 3/4, translating source IPs but unable to inspect or filter application-layer data like domain names.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
  • Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
  • Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

  • Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
  • Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

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

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SOA-C02 question test?

Networking and Content Delivery — This question tests Networking and Content Delivery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Configure a NAT instance with proxy software and use route tables to direct traffic from private subnets to the NAT instance. — Option B is correct because a NAT instance with proxy software (e.g., Squid) allows outbound HTTPS connections from private subnets while blocking inbound connections, and the proxy software can enforce domain-level access control via allow/deny lists. This meets the requirement to restrict which domains the application servers can access, which a standard NAT Gateway cannot do because it only translates IP addresses and cannot filter by domain name.

What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026

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This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.