The answer is to create a Private Service Connect endpoint for Google APIs with multiple IP addresses. This is correct because Private Google Access (PGA) relies on the default internet gateway and source NAT, which limits throughput due to flow hashing constraints on a single IP, whereas Private Service Connect (PSC) allows traffic to be load-balanced across multiple endpoints, enabling ECMP routing over the Dedicated Interconnect and fully utilizing the under-30% link bandwidth. On the Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer exam, this question tests your understanding of how to improve Google API throughput by moving from PGA to PSC, a common trap where candidates mistakenly try to increase interconnect capacity or adjust routing policies. The key insight is that PGA cannot leverage ECMP for Google APIs, while PSC with multiple IP addresses can. Memory tip: think “PSC for ECMP” — Private Service Connect enables Equal-Cost Multi-Path, unlocking full interconnect utilization.
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. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 uses Dedicated Interconnect to connect their on-premises data center to Google Cloud. They have enabled Private Google Access on the VPC subnet to allow on-premises hosts to access Google APIs via private IPs over the interconnect. Performance tests show that throughput to Google APIs is lower than expected, and the interconnect link utilization is below 30%. What should they do to improve throughput?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a Private Service Connect endpoint for Google APIs with multiple IP addresses.
Private Google Access (PGA) uses the default Internet Gateway to route traffic to Google APIs, which can lead to throughput limitations due to source NAT and flow hashing constraints. Creating a Private Service Connect (PSC) endpoint for Google APIs with multiple IP addresses allows traffic to be load-balanced across multiple endpoints, improving throughput by enabling ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path) routing over the Dedicated Interconnect, thus better utilizing the available bandwidth.
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.
✗
Reduce the MTU on the interconnect to reduce packet loss.
Why it's wrong here
Packet loss is not indicated; MTU reduction may decrease performance.
✗
Add another Dedicated Interconnect attachment.
Why it's wrong here
Link utilization is low so adding capacity won't help.
✓
Create a Private Service Connect endpoint for Google APIs with multiple IP addresses.
Why this is correct
This provides multiple IPs, avoiding per-IP limits and improving throughput.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable Cloud NAT to provide multiple public IPs.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud NAT would route traffic over the internet, not the interconnect, defeating the purpose.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume low interconnect utilization means the link is underutilized and needs more capacity (Option B), when the real issue is a lack of multipathing to the destination, which is solved by creating multiple endpoints via Private Service Connect.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Private Service Connect endpoints for Google APIs use a load balancer that distributes traffic across multiple IP addresses, enabling ECMP over the interconnect. This allows the interconnect to use multiple hashing flows, increasing throughput beyond the single-flow limit of a single IP destination. In contrast, Private Google Access relies on a single default route to the internet gateway, which can be a bottleneck for high-throughput scenarios due to per-flow hashing limitations.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: Create a Private Service Connect endpoint for Google APIs with multiple IP addresses. — Private Google Access (PGA) uses the default Internet Gateway to route traffic to Google APIs, which can lead to throughput limitations due to source NAT and flow hashing constraints. Creating a Private Service Connect (PSC) endpoint for Google APIs with multiple IP addresses allows traffic to be load-balanced across multiple endpoints, improving throughput by enabling ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path) routing over the Dedicated Interconnect, thus better utilizing the available bandwidth.
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.
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Question Discussion
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