- A
Check the BGP session status.
Why wrong: Static routing does not use BGP.
- B
Reboot the virtual private gateway.
Why wrong: Virtual private gateways are managed; rebooting is not possible.
- C
Ensure the route table has a route to the virtual private gateway.
Why wrong: Route tables are for subnets; the VPC route table must have routes pointing to the virtual private gateway for traffic to flow, but if the tunnel is down, routes don't matter.
- D
Verify that the customer gateway device is configured with the correct IP address.
Correct. The customer gateway IP is critical for the VPN tunnel.
Question 753 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 receives an alert that a VPN connection between a VPC and an on-premises network is down. The VPN uses static routing. After verifying the on-premises side is functioning, what should the administrator check in AWS?
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
✓
Verify that the customer gateway device is configured with the correct IP address.
Since the VPN uses static routing, BGP is not in use, so checking BGP session status (Option A) is irrelevant. Rebooting the virtual private gateway (Option B) is a disruptive action that should not be a first step without identifying the root cause. Ensuring the route table has a route to the virtual private gateway (Option C) is important for traffic flow but does not address the VPN tunnel being down. The correct first step is to verify that the customer gateway device is configured with the correct IP address (Option D), because a mismatch in the public IP address of the on-premises VPN endpoint will prevent the IPsec tunnel from establishing, even if the on-premises side is functioning internally.
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.
- ✗
Check the BGP session status.
Why it's wrong here
Static routing does not use BGP.
- ✗
Reboot the virtual private gateway.
Why it's wrong here
Virtual private gateways are managed; rebooting is not possible.
- ✗
Ensure the route table has a route to the virtual private gateway.
Why it's wrong here
Route tables are for subnets; the VPC route table must have routes pointing to the virtual private gateway for traffic to flow, but if the tunnel is down, routes don't matter.
- ✓
Verify that the customer gateway device is configured with the correct IP address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume a VPN tunnel failure must be a routing or BGP issue, but with static routing, the most common cause is a mismatch in the customer gateway IP address, which is a simple configuration check that should be performed first.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a VPN connection uses static routing, the IPsec tunnel relies on pre-shared keys and matching endpoint IP addresses (the customer gateway's public IP) to establish Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the IKE handshake. If the customer gateway device's public IP address configured in AWS does not match the actual public IP of the on-premises device, the VPN tunnel will fail to come up, even if the on-premises network is otherwise healthy. This is a common misconfiguration when the on-premises public IP changes (e.g., due to ISP changes) or is entered incorrectly.
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 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.
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.
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: Verify that the customer gateway device is configured with the correct IP address. — Since the VPN uses static routing, BGP is not in use, so checking BGP session status (Option A) is irrelevant. Rebooting the virtual private gateway (Option B) is a disruptive action that should not be a first step without identifying the root cause. Ensuring the route table has a route to the virtual private gateway (Option C) is important for traffic flow but does not address the VPN tunnel being down. The correct first step is to verify that the customer gateway device is configured with the correct IP address (Option D), because a mismatch in the public IP address of the on-premises VPN endpoint will prevent the IPsec tunnel from establishing, even if the on-premises side is functioning internally.
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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