AZ-104 Implement and Manage Virtual Networking Practice Question
A route table contains these entries: 10.0.0.0/8 with next hop Virtual appliance, and 10.1.1.0/24 with next hop Virtual network gateway. Which next hop will Azure use for traffic to 10.1.1.5?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates mistakenly believe route creation order or the 'broader' route being created first determines priority, but Azure always uses the most specific prefix match, not the order of route entries.
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
✓
Virtual network gateway, because the /24 route is more specific than the /8 route.
Azure uses the most specific route prefix (longest prefix match) to determine the next hop for traffic. For destination 10.1.1.5, the route 10.1.1.0/24 (prefix length 24) is more specific than 10.0.0.0/8 (prefix length 8), so the next hop Virtual network gateway is selected, regardless of the order in which routes were created.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Virtual appliance, because the broader 10.0.0.0/8 route was created first.
Why it's wrong here
If the 10.0.0.0/8 route has next hop Virtual appliance (such as an NVA), that route is valid, but it is broader than the 10.1.1.0/24 route. Azure does not define routes sequentially or select one based on when it was created; it always compares prefix lengths. The 10.1.1.0/24 route (with virtual network gateway as next hop) has a longer prefix and therefore wins, so traffic to 10.1.1.5 is not sent to the virtual appliance.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question stated that the route table uses a custom routing algorithm that prioritizes routes by creation order (e.g., first match wins), then the earlier created /8 route would be correct. This is not standard Azure behavior but could appear in a hypothetical scenario.
- ✓
Virtual network gateway, because the /24 route is more specific than the /8 route.
Why this is correct
For a destination such as 10.1.1.5, Azure finds all matching routes in the table and then applies longest prefix match. The 10.1.1.0/24 route is more specific than 10.0.0.0/8 because 10.1.1.0/24 has 24 fixed bits versus only 8, so the /24 route's next hop (virtual network gateway) is used. This is true even if the /8 route was defined earlier, because specificity, not creation order, determines the effective route.
- ✗
Internet, because Azure always prefers the default system route for public addresses.
Why it's wrong here
Azure's default system routes include a 0.0.0.0/0 route with next hop Internet, but when a user-defined route matches a specific destination, the custom route takes precedence. For 10.1.1.5, if there is a user-defined route with a more specific prefix and next hop of virtual network gateway, that custom route overrides any default system route, including the Internet route. The default Internet route only applies when no other more specific route exists, so it would not be used here.
When this WOULD be correct
If the destination IP were a public address (e.g., 8.8.8.8) and no more specific route existed, Azure would use the default system route with next hop Internet. This option would be correct in that scenario.
- ✗
None, because Azure ignores overlapping route entries in the same table.
Why it's wrong here
Azure does not ignore overlapping routes. Every route that matches a destination is considered, and the one with the longest prefix is selected as the best route. In this scenario both the /8 and /24 routes overlap, but Azure still selects the /24 to reach 10.1.1.5 rather than discarding all matches, so traffic is forwarded to the virtual network gateway and not dropped.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question described a scenario where two routes have the same prefix length and the same next hop type, but Azure ignores duplicate entries. For example, if a route table had two identical entries for 10.1.1.0/24 with next hop Virtual network gateway, Azure would treat them as one and not fail.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-104 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Virtual network gateway, because the /24 route is more specific than the /8 route.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
For a destination such as 10.1.1.5, Azure finds all matching routes in the table and then applies longest prefix match. The 10.1.1.0/24 route is more specific than 10.0.0.0/8 because 10.1.1.0/24 has 24 fixed bits versus only 8, so the /24 route's next hop (virtual network gateway) is used. This is true even if the /8 route was defined earlier, because specificity, not creation order, determines the effective route.
✗Virtual appliance, because the broader 10.0.0.0/8 route was created first.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Azure uses the most specific route prefix (longest prefix match) for traffic, not the order of creation. The /24 route is more specific than the /8 route, so the virtual network gateway is used.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question stated that the route table uses a custom routing algorithm that prioritizes routes by creation order (e.g., first match wins), then the earlier created /8 route would be correct. This is not standard Azure behavior but could appear in a hypothetical scenario.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly think that route priority is determined by the order in which routes are added, similar to some firewall rule processing, rather than understanding Azure's longest prefix match logic.
✗Internet, because Azure always prefers the default system route for public addresses.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Azure uses longest prefix match for routing, not default system routes. The destination 10.1.1.5 matches the more specific /24 route, so the virtual network gateway is used, not the Internet.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the destination IP were a public address (e.g., 8.8.8.8) and no more specific route existed, Azure would use the default system route with next hop Internet. This option would be correct in that scenario.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly think Azure always prefers system routes over user-defined routes, or they confuse public IP handling with private IP routing.
✗None, because Azure ignores overlapping route entries in the same table.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Azure uses the most specific route (longest prefix match) for traffic, so the /24 route to the virtual network gateway is chosen over the /8 route. Overlapping routes do not cause Azure to ignore them; they are evaluated based on prefix length.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question described a scenario where two routes have the same prefix length and the same next hop type, but Azure ignores duplicate entries. For example, if a route table had two identical entries for 10.1.1.0/24 with next hop Virtual network gateway, Azure would treat them as one and not fail.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly think that overlapping routes cause conflicts or errors in Azure, similar to how some routing protocols handle duplicate routes, or they may confuse Azure's behavior with that of on-premises routers that reject overlapping entries.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-104blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
VPN Gateway and ExpressRoute
Key term
Route table
A route table is a set of rules, called routes, that determine where network traffic from a subnet or virtual network is directed.
Key term
Virtual network
A virtual network is a software-based network that connects computers, servers, and devices over the internet or within a cloud environment, simulating a physical network without requiring dedicated hardware.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.