Quick Answer
The answer is to enable Cloud NAT on the cluster’s subnet. This is correct because a private GKE cluster provisions nodes without external IP addresses, meaning pods cannot initiate outbound connections to the internet for tasks like fetching updates. Cloud NAT acts as a managed network address translation gateway, mapping private pod IPs to a single public IP address, thereby providing secure outbound-only internet access while keeping the cluster entirely private. On the Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of private cluster networking and the distinction between inbound and outbound connectivity—a common trap is confusing Cloud NAT with a Cloud Router or a VPN, but Cloud NAT is the standard solution for outbound-only access from private GKE. Remember the memory tip: “Private pods need a NAT to chat; no public IPs, just outbound stats.”
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network services. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 runs a private GKE cluster in us-central1. Pods need to access the internet for updates. Which configuration is required?
Add network tags to allow egress traffic.
Why wrong: Network tags help with firewall rules but do not provide NAT.
Create a Cloud Router with BGP peering.
Why wrong: Cloud Router is for dynamic routing, not NAT.
Enable Cloud NAT on the cluster's subnet.
Cloud NAT provides outbound internet access for private instances.
Assign external IPs to the nodes.
Why wrong: External IPs defeat the purpose of a private cluster and are not recommended.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Enable Cloud NAT on the cluster's subnet.
In a private GKE cluster, nodes do not have external IPs, so pods cannot reach the internet directly. Cloud NAT provides outbound connectivity by translating private IPs to a public IP, allowing pods to fetch updates while keeping the cluster private. This is the standard solution for outbound-only internet access from private GKE clusters.
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.
Add network tags to allow egress traffic.
Create a Cloud Router with BGP peering.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Router is for dynamic routing, not NAT.
Enable Cloud NAT on the cluster's subnet.
Why this is correct
Cloud NAT provides outbound internet access for private instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Assign external IPs to the nodes.
Why it's wrong here
External IPs defeat the purpose of a private cluster and are not recommended.
Common exam traps
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that private clusters can reach the internet via default routes or firewall rules alone, but the trap here is that without Cloud NAT or a public IP, private instances have no path to the internet because the VPC's default route only covers internal ranges.
Detailed technical explanation
Cloud NAT uses Andromeda, Google's network virtualization stack, to perform source NAT (SNAT) on packets from private instances, mapping them to a single ephemeral external IP or a pool of IPs. It supports both static and dynamic port allocation, and can be configured with manual or automatic NAT IP assignment. In a real-world scenario, if the cluster needs to access a specific set of external IPs (e.g., a third-party API), you can combine Cloud NAT with VPC firewall egress rules to restrict outbound traffic.
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
Configuring network services — This question tests Configuring network services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Enable Cloud NAT on the cluster's subnet. — In a private GKE cluster, nodes do not have external IPs, so pods cannot reach the internet directly. Cloud NAT provides outbound connectivity by translating private IPs to a public IP, allowing pods to fetch updates while keeping the cluster private. This is the standard solution for outbound-only internet access from private GKE clusters.
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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