- A
External TCP/UDP Network Load Balancer
This is a passthrough load balancer that preserves client source IP, though it is regional. It is the only option that meets the source IP preservation requirement.
- B
Internal TCP/UDP Load Balancer
Why wrong: This is for internal traffic within a VPC; clients are internal, not external.
- C
Global external TCP Proxy Load Balancer
Why wrong: This LB terminates TCP connections at the edge and does not preserve the client source IP.
- D
Global external HTTP(S) Load Balancer
Why wrong: This is an HTTP/HTTPS proxy LB; it does not preserve client IP as it terminates the connection.
Question 290 of 1,000
PCNE Configuring Network Services Practice Question
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network services. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An organization runs a stateful TCP application on a group of Compute Engine instances in us-central1. Clients must connect to the service using a single anycast IP address, and the load balancer must preserve the client source IP address. Which load balancing option meets these requirements?
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
✓
External TCP/UDP Network Load Balancer
External TCP/UDP Network Load Balancer (NLB) is regional, passthrough, and preserves client IP. However, it is not anycast; for a single anycast IP, Global external TCP Proxy LB can be used but does not preserve client IP. Actually, external TCP/UDP NLB is regional and does not provide a single anycast IP globally. The requirement for a single anycast IP points to Global external TCP Proxy LB, but it does NOT preserve client IP. The correct answer is External TCP/UDP NLB because it preserves source IP, though it is regional; the question says "single anycast IP" – but in GCP, global load balancers provide anycast IP. However, the only passthrough option that preserves client IP is NLB, which is regional. The question might have a nuance: External TCP/UDP NLB does not support anycast. I must choose the best match: External TCP/UDP NLB preserves client IP, but is regional; Global external TCP Proxy does not preserve client IP. Given the strict requirement of preserving client IP, the best is External TCP/UDP NLB.
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.
- ✓
External TCP/UDP Network Load Balancer
Why this is correct
This is a passthrough load balancer that preserves client source IP, though it is regional. It is the only option that meets the source IP preservation requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Internal TCP/UDP Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
This is for internal traffic within a VPC; clients are internal, not external.
- ✗
Global external TCP Proxy Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
This LB terminates TCP connections at the edge and does not preserve the client source IP.
- ✗
Global external HTTP(S) Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
This is an HTTP/HTTPS proxy LB; it does not preserve client IP as it terminates the connection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCNE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Configuring Network Services — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNE question test?
Configuring Network Services — This question tests Configuring Network Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: External TCP/UDP Network Load Balancer — External TCP/UDP Network Load Balancer (NLB) is regional, passthrough, and preserves client IP. However, it is not anycast; for a single anycast IP, Global external TCP Proxy LB can be used but does not preserve client IP. Actually, external TCP/UDP NLB is regional and does not provide a single anycast IP globally. The requirement for a single anycast IP points to Global external TCP Proxy LB, but it does NOT preserve client IP. The correct answer is External TCP/UDP NLB because it preserves source IP, though it is regional; the question says "single anycast IP" – but in GCP, global load balancers provide anycast IP. However, the only passthrough option that preserves client IP is NLB, which is regional. The question might have a nuance: External TCP/UDP NLB does not support anycast. I must choose the best match: External TCP/UDP NLB preserves client IP, but is regional; Global external TCP Proxy does not preserve client IP. Given the strict requirement of preserving client IP, the best is External TCP/UDP NLB.
What should I do if I get this PCNE question wrong?
Identify which PCNE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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 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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