A subnet has an NSG with these inbound rules: priority 100 denies TCP 443 from Any, and priority 200 allows TCP 443 from an Application Security Group named WebFrontEnd. A backend VM in the subnet still does not accept traffic from the frontend tier. What should the administrator change?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Distractor review
Change the allow rule source from an Application Security Group to VirtualNetwork.
The source is not the main issue here; the lower-priority deny rule is evaluated first and blocks the traffic.
Best answer
Move the allow rule to a lower priority number than the deny rule.
NSG rules are processed by priority, and the lowest number wins. Because the deny rule at priority 100 is evaluated before the allow rule at 200, the traffic is blocked. The administrator should make the allow rule a smaller number than the deny rule or remove the conflicting deny rule.
Distractor review
Attach a user-defined route to the subnet so traffic bypasses the NSG.
User-defined routes affect path selection, but they do not override NSG decisions or bypass inbound filtering.
Distractor review
Place the backend VM in a different availability set so the rule is evaluated differently.
Availability sets improve resiliency, but they do not change NSG processing or traffic filtering behavior.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
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Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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Question 3
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Question 4
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Question 6
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Move the allow rule to a lower priority number than the deny rule. — The subnet NSG is denying TCP 443 before the allow rule can match because Azure evaluates NSG rules in priority order, where the lowest number is processed first. Since priority 100 is lower than 200, the deny rule wins and blocks the traffic. The proper fix is to assign the allow rule a smaller priority number than the deny rule, or otherwise remove the conflicting deny rule. ASGs help target the correct workload, but priority still determines the result. Why others are wrong: Changing the source to VirtualNetwork does not help if an earlier deny rule already blocks the flow. User-defined routes only influence routing, not security filtering. Availability sets are unrelated to NSG evaluation and cannot change rule precedence. The core problem is rule order, not the destination VM placement.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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