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 developer wants to deploy a single Compute Engine instance that needs to initiate outbound connections to the internet, but should not have a public IP address. Which GCP networking feature must be configured?
Cloud NAT on the subnet or VPC
Enables outbound internet access without external IP.
Configure a private Google access for the subnet
Why wrong: Private Google access allows access to Google APIs, not general internet.
Assign a static external IP address to the instance
Why wrong: Gives the instance a public IP, not allowed.
Set up an internal HTTP(S) load balancer
Why wrong: Not relevant for outbound internet access.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Cloud NAT on the subnet or VPC
Cloud NAT (Network Address Translation) allows private Compute Engine instances to initiate outbound connections to the internet without assigning them public IP addresses. It translates the instance's private IP to a Cloud NAT external IP address for outbound traffic, while unsolicited inbound connections from the internet are blocked. This is the correct solution because the requirement explicitly states no public IP on the instance, yet outbound internet access is needed.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Cloud NAT on the subnet or VPC
Why this is correct
Enables outbound internet access without external IP.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Configure a private Google access for the subnet
Why it's wrong here
Private Google access allows access to Google APIs, not general internet.
Assign a static external IP address to the instance
Why it's wrong here
Gives the instance a public IP, not allowed.
Set up an internal HTTP(S) load balancer
Why it's wrong here
Not relevant for outbound internet access.
Common exam traps
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between Private Google Access (which only reaches Google APIs) and Cloud NAT (which provides general internet access), causing candidates to confuse the two when the question mentions 'outbound connections to the internet' versus 'access to Google services'.
Detailed technical explanation
Cloud NAT uses source network address translation (SNAT) to map private RFC 1918 addresses to one or more external IP addresses from a NAT IP address range. It supports both TCP and UDP protocols, and can be configured with manual or automatic NAT IP allocation. In a real-world scenario, if an instance needs to download OS patches or access third-party APIs, Cloud NAT is essential to avoid exposing the instance to inbound traffic while still enabling outbound connectivity.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
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..
The correct answer is: Cloud NAT on the subnet or VPC — Cloud NAT (Network Address Translation) allows private Compute Engine instances to initiate outbound connections to the internet without assigning them public IP addresses. It translates the instance's private IP to a Cloud NAT external IP address for outbound traffic, while unsolicited inbound connections from the internet are blocked. This is the correct solution because the requirement explicitly states no public IP on the instance, yet outbound internet access is needed.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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