- A
An Azure Virtual Network peering connection to the branch office network.
Why wrong: VNet peering does not connect an on-premises branch office across the public internet.
- B
A VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection.
A site-to-site VPN gateway creates an encrypted tunnel from the branch office to Azure over the public internet. Because the branch has a static public IP and the requirement calls for route-based connectivity, this is the correct Azure networking service. Once deployed, the gateway can provide private access to VMs and internal services in the virtual network without exposing them directly to the internet.
- C
A service endpoint on the target subnet.
Why wrong: Service endpoints are for Azure PaaS services and do not provide encrypted branch-office connectivity to a VNet.
- D
An Azure private endpoint for the virtual machines.
Why wrong: Private endpoints are for supported PaaS resources, not for exposing IaaS VMs or whole networks.
Quick Answer
The answer is a VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection. This is the correct choice because a route-based VPN gateway uses IKEv2 to establish an encrypted IPSec tunnel over the public internet between the branch office’s fixed public IP and the Azure VNet, enabling secure access to private Azure VMs and internal services. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of when to choose a site-to-site VPN over a Point-to-Site or ExpressRoute—the key differentiator is the requirement for a route-based design with a fixed public IP on-premises. A common trap is selecting a policy-based VPN, which is less flexible and not recommended for dynamic routing; remember that route-based VPNs support BGP and are the modern standard for branch connectivity. Memory tip: “Fixed IP + encrypted tunnel + route-based = site-to-site VPN gateway.”
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Virtual Networking Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage virtual networking. 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 branch office with a fixed public IP needs encrypted access to private Azure virtual machines and internal services in a VNet. Traffic must travel across the public internet in an encrypted tunnel, and the connection should use a route-based design. What should the administrator deploy in Azure?
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
A VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection.
A VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection is the correct choice because it establishes an encrypted IPSec tunnel over the public internet between the branch office's fixed public IP and Azure, using a route-based (IKEv2) configuration. This allows the branch office to securely access private Azure VMs and internal services in the VNet, meeting the requirement for encrypted traffic across the internet.
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.
- ✗
An Azure Virtual Network peering connection to the branch office network.
Why it's wrong here
VNet peering does not connect an on-premises branch office across the public internet.
- ✓
A VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection.
Why this is correct
A site-to-site VPN gateway creates an encrypted tunnel from the branch office to Azure over the public internet. Because the branch has a static public IP and the requirement calls for route-based connectivity, this is the correct Azure networking service. Once deployed, the gateway can provide private access to VMs and internal services in the virtual network without exposing them directly to the internet.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A service endpoint on the target subnet.
Why it's wrong here
Service endpoints are for Azure PaaS services and do not provide encrypted branch-office connectivity to a VNet.
- ✗
An Azure private endpoint for the virtual machines.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Virtual Network peering (which is for VNet-to-VNet connectivity within Azure) with site-to-site VPN (which is for on-premises to Azure connectivity), leading them to select option A incorrectly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A route-based VPN gateway uses IKEv2 and virtual network gateways to create a dynamic tunnel, supporting features like BGP and multiple tunnels for high availability. The connection relies on a local network gateway configured with the branch office's public IP and address space, and the VPN gateway in Azure terminates the IPSec tunnel, encrypting all traffic with protocols like AES-256 and SHA-256. In real-world scenarios, this design is essential for hybrid networking where branch offices need consistent, encrypted access to Azure resources without exposing them to the public internet.
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 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
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.
- →
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All AZ-104 questions
1,170 questions across all exam domains
- →
AZ-104 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
AZ-104 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related AZ-104 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Manage Azure Identities and Governance practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Manage Azure Identities and Governance.
Implement and Manage Storage practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Implement and Manage Storage.
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Deploy and Manage Azure Compute.
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Implement and Manage Virtual Networking.
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources.
AZ-104 Azure RBAC practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure RBAC.
AZ-104 storage account practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 storage account.
AZ-104 virtual network practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 virtual network.
AZ-104 NSG practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 NSG.
AZ-104 Azure Monitor practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 Azure Monitor.
AZ-104 backup practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 backup.
AZ-104 managed identity practice questions
Practise AZ-104 questions linked to AZ-104 managed identity.
Practice this exam
Start a free AZ-104 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking — This question tests Implement and Manage Virtual Networking — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection. — A VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection is the correct choice because it establishes an encrypted IPSec tunnel over the public internet between the branch office's fixed public IP and Azure, using a route-based (IKEv2) configuration. This allows the branch office to securely access private Azure VMs and internal services in the VNet, meeting the requirement for encrypted traffic across the internet.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More AZ-104 practice questions
- A storage automation service principal must upload, read, and delete blob data in one container by using Microsoft Entra…
- A subnet contains several application servers. You need to allow inbound TCP 3389 only from a management subnet named Su…
- A subscription admin wants to investigate who changed a resource and also review the platform-generated events for that…
- Based on the exhibit, which Azure feature should the administrator use to track this kind of platform-wide service issue…
- An administrator wants a script running on an Azure VM to create a resource in Azure without storing any passwords or cl…
- A PowerShell script runs on an Azure VM every night and uses Azure CLI commands to create tags and VM resources in anoth…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-104 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-104 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.