- A
NAT gateway
NAT gateway allows outbound traffic from private subnets to the internet.
- B
Elastic IP
Why wrong: An Elastic IP is a static public IP, but alone does not provide internet access; it must be attached to an instance or NAT.
- C
VPN connection
Why wrong: VPN connects to on-premises, not necessarily the internet.
- D
Internet gateway
Why wrong: An internet gateway allows inbound and outbound access, but is attached to public subnets; private subnets need NAT.
Question 322 of 997
CV0-004 Cloud Architecture and Design Practice Question
This CV0-004 practice question tests your understanding of cloud architecture and design. 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 cloud architect is designing a VPC with public and private subnets. Which component is required to allow instances in the private subnet to access the internet for software updates?
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 is required to enable instances in a private subnet to initiate outbound connections to the internet (e.g., for software updates) while preventing the internet from initiating inbound connections to those instances. It translates the private IP addresses of the instances to the NAT gateway's Elastic IP address using source network address translation (SNAT). An Internet gateway alone cannot serve private subnets because it requires a route table entry pointing to a public subnet with a public IP address.
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.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the Internet gateway with the NAT gateway, assuming that an Internet gateway can provide internet access to private subnets, but it only works for public subnets with instances that have public IP addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a NAT gateway uses port address translation (PAT) to map multiple private IP addresses to a single Elastic IP, tracking each connection in a stateful table. A common subtle behavior is that a NAT gateway does not support IP fragmentation for UDP or TCP traffic, and it cannot be used for IPv6 traffic (for IPv6, an egress-only Internet gateway is required). In a real-world scenario, if a NAT gateway becomes unavailable, instances in private subnets lose internet access until a replacement is deployed or a highly available setup with multiple NAT gateways in different Availability Zones is used.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Visual reference
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CV0-004 question test?
Cloud Architecture and Design — This question tests Cloud Architecture and Design — 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 is required to enable instances in a private subnet to initiate outbound connections to the internet (e.g., for software updates) while preventing the internet from initiating inbound connections to those instances. It translates the private IP addresses of the instances to the NAT gateway's Elastic IP address using source network address translation (SNAT). An Internet gateway alone cannot serve private subnets because it requires a route table entry pointing to a public subnet with a public IP address.
What should I do if I get this CV0-004 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
This CV0-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CV0-004 exam.
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