- A
Primary IP range and secondary pod range
Why wrong: Primary range is for nodes, not pods.
- B
Only the secondary service range
Why wrong: Service range is for ClusterIPs, not pod source IPs.
- C
Secondary pod range and secondary service range
GKE uses secondary pod range for pod IPs and service range for ClusterIPs. Pods use pod range as source.
- D
Primary IP range and secondary service range
Why wrong: Node primary range doesn't cover pod IPs.
Question 404 of 1,000
PCNE Practice Question: Designing, Planning, and Prototyping a GCP Network
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of designing, planning, and prototyping a gcp network. 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 company has a GKE cluster with pods and services that need to communicate with on-premises resources over a VPN. The on-premises firewall requires the source IP of the pods to be from a specific range. Which secondary IP ranges should be configured on the VPC subnet?
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
✓
Secondary pod range and secondary service range
Option C is correct because in GKE, pods are assigned IP addresses from the secondary pod range, and services (of type ClusterIP) are assigned IPs from the secondary service range. For on-premises resources to allow traffic from pods via a VPN, the firewall must see the pod IPs (not node IPs), so the secondary pod range must be configured on the VPC subnet. The secondary service range is also required for service discovery and proper routing, but the source IP seen by on-premises will be the pod IP from the secondary pod range.
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.
- ✗
Primary IP range and secondary pod range
Why it's wrong here
Primary range is for nodes, not pods.
- ✗
Only the secondary service range
Why it's wrong here
Service range is for ClusterIPs, not pod source IPs.
- ✓
Secondary pod range and secondary service range
Why this is correct
GKE uses secondary pod range for pod IPs and service range for ClusterIPs. Pods use pod range as source.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Primary IP range and secondary service range
Why it's wrong here
Node primary range doesn't cover pod IPs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the primary IP range (used for nodes) with the pod IP range, or assume that only the pod range is needed, forgetting that the secondary service range is mandatory for GKE cluster creation and service IP allocation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GKE uses VPC-native clusters where pods receive IPs from a secondary CIDR range (pod range) and services from another secondary CIDR range (service range), both configured on the subnet. When traffic leaves the cluster via a VPN, source NAT is not applied by default for pod-to-on-premises traffic if the pod range is directly routable; the on-premises firewall must allow the pod CIDR. If the cluster is not VPC-native (using alias IPs), the pod IPs are still from a secondary range, and the service range is used for ClusterIPs, which are not directly routable outside the cluster. A common real-world scenario is when on-premises systems require strict IP whitelisting; misconfiguring the ranges leads to dropped traffic or security policy violations.
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNE question test?
Designing, Planning, and Prototyping a GCP Network — This question tests Designing, Planning, and Prototyping a GCP Network — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Secondary pod range and secondary service range — Option C is correct because in GKE, pods are assigned IP addresses from the secondary pod range, and services (of type ClusterIP) are assigned IPs from the secondary service range. For on-premises resources to allow traffic from pods via a VPN, the firewall must see the pod IPs (not node IPs), so the secondary pod range must be configured on the VPC subnet. The secondary service range is also required for service discovery and proper routing, but the source IP seen by on-premises will be the pod IP from the secondary pod range.
What should I do if I get this PCNE 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCNE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud 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 PCNE exam.
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