SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
A company has two Amazon VPCs: VPC-A (10.0.0.0/16) and VPC-B (10.1.0.0/16) in the same AWS Region. The SysOps administrator needs to enable private IP connectivity between the two VPCs without using the public internet. The solution must be simple, low-cost, and provide high throughput. Which AWS service should the administrator use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often over-engineer the solution by choosing AWS Transit Gateway (Option D) for its advanced features, forgetting that for a simple two-VPC connection, VPC peering is the most cost-effective and straightforward option without unnecessary complexity.
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
✓
VPC peering
VPC peering is the correct choice because it enables direct private IP connectivity between two VPCs using the AWS global network, without requiring internet gateways, VPNs, or physical connections. It is simple to set up (no additional hardware or software), low-cost (no per-hour charges, only data transfer costs), and provides high throughput (bandwidth is limited only by the instance types, not by the peering connection itself).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
VPC peering
Why this is correct
VPC peering establishes a direct, private network connection between two VPCs using the AWS backbone. It is simple to set up, has low cost (no hourly fees, only data transfer charges), and provides high throughput with no bandwidth constraints.
- ✗
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why it's wrong here
AWS Site-to-Site VPN is wrong because it requires a virtual private gateway in each VPC and establishes IPsec tunnels over the public internet, which introduces latency, potential bandwidth limitations, and the need for customer gateway devices on both sides. This solution is designed for connecting an on-premises network to AWS, not for direct VPC-to-VPC communication, making it unnecessarily complex and less performant than VPC peering.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
AWS Direct Connect is incorrect because it provides a dedicated private network connection from an on-premises data center or colocation facility to AWS, not between two VPCs. It requires significant physical infrastructure, such as Direct Connect locations and cross-connects, and carries high recurring costs. For connecting two VPCs within the same region, VPC peering is far simpler and more cost-effective, using the AWS backbone without any external dependencies.
- ✗
AWS Transit Gateway
Why it's wrong here
AWS Transit Gateway is not the simplest choice for this scenario because it is a centralized network hub designed for connecting many VPCs, VPNs, and Direct Connect connections at scale. Using it for only two VPCs introduces an hourly cost for the gateway itself, plus the need to create attachments and manage route tables for each VPC. VPC peering provides a direct, free-of-hourly-charge connection with no additional management overhead, making it more appropriate for a two-VPC setup.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.