- A
VPN Connection
Why wrong: Incorrect because VPN connects to on-premises networks, not the internet.
- B
NAT Gateway
Correct because a NAT Gateway enables outbound internet access for private subnets.
- C
Internet Gateway
Why wrong: Incorrect because an Internet Gateway is used for public subnets, not private.
- D
VPC Peering
Why wrong: Incorrect because VPC Peering connects VPCs, not to the internet.
Question 1,492 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 SysOps Administrator needs to allow an EC2 instance in a private subnet to access the internet for software updates. Which AWS service should be used?
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
✓
NAT Gateway
A NAT Gateway enables EC2 instances in a private subnet to initiate outbound traffic to the internet (e.g., for software updates) while preventing unsolicited inbound connections from the internet. It translates the private IP of the instance to the NAT Gateway's Elastic IP using Source Network Address Translation (SNAT). This is the correct service because the instance is in a private subnet and requires internet access without being directly reachable.
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.
- ✗
VPN Connection
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because VPN connects to on-premises networks, not the internet.
- ✓
NAT Gateway
- ✗
Internet Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because an Internet Gateway is used for public subnets, not private.
- ✗
VPC Peering
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because VPC Peering connects VPCs, not to the internet.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse an Internet Gateway with a NAT Gateway, not realizing that an Internet Gateway requires the instance to have a public IP and be in a public subnet, whereas a NAT Gateway is specifically designed for private subnets to access the internet outbound only.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a NAT Gateway uses a managed, highly available service that performs SNAT (Source NAT) by replacing the source IP of outbound packets with its own Elastic IP address. It maintains connection state for return traffic, ensuring responses are correctly forwarded back to the private instance. In a real-world scenario, if the NAT Gateway is deployed in a single Availability Zone, an outage in that zone will disrupt internet access for instances in that zone unless a NAT Gateway is provisioned per AZ with separate route tables.
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: NAT Gateway — A NAT Gateway enables EC2 instances in a private subnet to initiate outbound traffic to the internet (e.g., for software updates) while preventing unsolicited inbound connections from the internet. It translates the private IP of the instance to the NAT Gateway's Elastic IP using Source Network Address Translation (SNAT). This is the correct service because the instance is in a private subnet and requires internet access without being directly reachable.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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