The correct choice is HA VPN with a single VPN gateway and a dynamic peer IP. This works because HA VPN uses IKEv2 and route-based tunnels, which allow the peer’s current public IP to be discovered dynamically during IKE negotiation, making it ideal for a branch office with a dynamic public IP. On the Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Cloud VPN types and their IP requirements—a common trap is assuming Classic VPN can handle dynamic IPs, but it requires a static peer IP, while HA VPN’s flexibility with dynamic endpoints is the key differentiator. Remember the mnemonic: “HA handles dynamic, Classic is static”—if the peer IP changes, always lean toward HA VPN for its IKEv2 auto-discovery.
PCNE Implementing hybrid interconnectivity Practice Question
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of implementing hybrid interconnectivity. 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.
A customer wants to use Cloud VPN to connect a small branch office to Google Cloud. The branch office has a dynamic public IP address. Which Cloud VPN type should they use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
HA VPN with a single VPN gateway and a dynamic peer IP
Option C is correct because HA VPN supports dynamic peer IP addresses through its use of IKEv2 and route-based VPN tunnels. When the branch office has a dynamic public IP, HA VPN can establish tunnels using the peer's current IP address, which is discovered during IKE negotiation. Classic VPN (option A) requires a static peer IP, and option D requires two static peer IPs, making them unsuitable for a dynamic IP scenario.
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.
✗
Classic VPN with a static IP on the peer
Why it's wrong here
Classic VPN requires a static peer IP; dynamic IP would cause the tunnel to fail after IP changes.
✗
A custom SSL VPN appliance on Compute Engine
Why it's wrong here
SSLVPN is not a native Cloud VPN service and adds complexity.
✓
HA VPN with a single VPN gateway and a dynamic peer IP
Why this is correct
HA VPN supports dynamic peer IP addresses, making it suitable for branches with dynamic IPs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
HA VPN with two VPN gateways and static peer IPs
Why it's wrong here
HA VPN supports dynamic peer IPs; two gateways are not required for a branch.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume HA VPN always requires static peer IPs, but Cisco tests the nuance that HA VPN with a single gateway (and dynamic peer IP support) is the correct choice when the remote peer has a dynamic public IP, not the dual-gateway HA configuration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
HA VPN uses two external IP addresses per gateway (one active, one standby) and supports dynamic peer IPs by leveraging IKEv2's ability to authenticate peers based on pre-shared keys or certificates rather than fixed IP addresses. In practice, the branch office's VPN device initiates the IKEv2 connection, and the HA VPN gateway learns the peer's current IP from the IKE_SA_INIT exchange, allowing tunnels to be re-established after IP changes. This is particularly useful for small offices with consumer-grade ISPs that assign dynamic IPs via DHCP.
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
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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Implementing hybrid interconnectivity — This question tests Implementing hybrid interconnectivity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: HA VPN with a single VPN gateway and a dynamic peer IP — Option C is correct because HA VPN supports dynamic peer IP addresses through its use of IKEv2 and route-based VPN tunnels. When the branch office has a dynamic public IP, HA VPN can establish tunnels using the peer's current IP address, which is discovered during IKE negotiation. Classic VPN (option A) requires a static peer IP, and option D requires two static peer IPs, making them unsuitable for a dynamic IP scenario.
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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