- A
Use Cloud NAT in each spoke and private routing via the hub with network tags to distinguish ranges.
Cloud NAT can map overlapping private IPs to a unique internal IP range within the hub, and tags can help route traffic appropriately, though this approach has limitations; alternative is to re-IP. But among options, this allows some communication without re-IPing.
- B
Use Cloud VPN tunnels between spokes through the hub.
Why wrong: VPN tunnels can work with overlapping ranges but require careful routing and possibly NAT; however, overlapping ranges will cause routing ambiguity.
- C
Configure static routes in the hub to summarize ranges with a smaller prefix.
Why wrong: Summarizing does not resolve the overlap; traffic will still be confused.
- D
Create VPC peering between each spoke VPC.
Why wrong: VPC peering does not support overlapping IP ranges; it will fail.
Google PCA Cloud NAT Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design and plan a cloud solution architecture. 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. A key principle to apply: cloud NAT. 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 hub-and-spoke VPC topology with multiple on-premises locations connected via Cloud VPN to the hub VPC. They notice IP conflicts because overlapping CIDR ranges are used in different spokes. The network team wants to allow communication between spokes without re-IPing. What should they do?
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
Use Cloud NAT in each spoke and private routing via the hub with network tags to distinguish ranges.
Option A is correct because Cloud NAT in each spoke can be used to source NAT traffic from the spoke's VMs to a unique IP range (e.g., the hub's subnet) before forwarding it to the hub. The hub then uses network tags to identify which spoke the traffic originated from and routes it to the destination spoke. This source translation eliminates IP conflicts because the destination sees a non-overlapping source IP, and the return traffic can be routed back through the hub. This approach avoids re-IPing and allows communication between spokes via the hub without direct peering or VPN tunnels.
Key principle: Cloud NAT
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use Cloud NAT in each spoke and private routing via the hub with network tags to distinguish ranges.
Why this is correct
Cloud NAT can map overlapping private IPs to a unique internal IP range within the hub, and tags can help route traffic appropriately, though this approach has limitations; alternative is to re-IP. But among options, this allows some communication without re-IPing.
Related concept
Cloud NAT
- ✗
Use Cloud VPN tunnels between spokes through the hub.
- ✗
Configure static routes in the hub to summarize ranges with a smaller prefix.
Why it's wrong here
Summarizing does not resolve the overlap; traffic will still be confused.
- ✗
Create VPC peering between each spoke VPC.
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering does not support overlapping IP ranges; it will fail.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume VPN tunnels or VPC peering can handle overlapping IPs through routing alone, but they forget that IP routing requires unique destination addresses, and without NAT, overlapping ranges cause black-holing or asymmetric routing.
Trap categories for this question
Similar concept trap
Summarizing does not resolve the overlap; traffic will still be confused.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud NAT performs source network address translation (SNAT) on outbound packets from spoke VMs, mapping their private IPs to a unique IP range in the hub VPC (e.g., using network tags to assign different NAT IP pools). This allows the hub to route traffic between spokes using its internal routing tables, as the source IPs are now unique. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for mergers or acquisitions where overlapping RFC 1918 addresses are common, and re-IPing is cost-prohibitive.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Cloud NAT
- Hub-and-Spoke VPC Topology
- Overlapping IP Ranges
- Network Tags
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
Cloud NAT
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Visual reference
What to study next
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Review cloud NAT, then practise related PCA questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCA question test?
Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — This question tests Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — Cloud NAT.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Cloud NAT in each spoke and private routing via the hub with network tags to distinguish ranges. — Option A is correct because Cloud NAT in each spoke can be used to source NAT traffic from the spoke's VMs to a unique IP range (e.g., the hub's subnet) before forwarding it to the hub. The hub then uses network tags to identify which spoke the traffic originated from and routes it to the destination spoke. This source translation eliminates IP conflicts because the destination sees a non-overlapping source IP, and the return traffic can be routed back through the hub. This approach avoids re-IPing and allows communication between spokes via the hub without direct peering or VPN tunnels.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Review cloud NAT, then practise related PCA questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Cloud NAT
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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