Azure Bastion: Browser-Based RDP/SSH Without Public IPs or VPN
Third-party support engineers connect from the public internet and need browser-based RDP and SSH access to Azure VMs that have only private IPs. The security team will not allow public IPs on the VMs, inbound 3389 or 22 from the internet, or a client VPN on each laptop. What should you deploy?
Quick Answer
The answer is Azure Bastion. This is the correct choice because Azure Bastion provides secure, browser-based RDP and SSH access to Azure VMs with only private IPs, directly from the Azure portal over TLS, without requiring any public IPs on the VMs or exposing inbound ports 3389 or 22 to the internet. It deploys a hardened bastion host in a dedicated subnet that brokers the connection, satisfying the security team’s strict constraints of no public IPs, no open inbound ports, and no client VPN software on laptops. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of secure remote access solutions and the key differentiator between Azure Bastion and VPN Gateway—specifically, that VPN Gateway requires a client VPN installed on each device and still exposes the VM’s private IPs to the VPN tunnel. A common trap is choosing VPN Gateway because it also avoids public IPs, but it fails the “no client VPN” requirement. Memory tip: “Bastion = Browser, no VPN, no public IPs.”
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse Azure Bastion with a NAT gateway or VPN Gateway, mistakenly thinking any 'gateway' solution provides inbound RDP/SSH access, but Bastion is the only option that delivers browser-based connectivity without public IPs, client VPNs, or open inbound ports.
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
✓
Azure Bastion
Azure Bastion provides secure, seamless browser-based RDP and SSH connectivity to Azure VMs directly from the Azure portal over TLS, without requiring public IPs on the VMs or exposing inbound RDP/SSH ports (3389/22) to the internet. It uses a hardened bastion host deployed in a dedicated subnet, which brokers the connection via the Azure portal, satisfying the security team's constraints of no public IPs on VMs, no inbound internet access to those ports, and no client VPN software.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Azure Bastion
Why this is correct
Azure Bastion provides secure browser-based RDP and SSH access without exposing the VMs to public IP-based inbound traffic.
- ✗
VPN Gateway with point-to-site configuration
Why it's wrong here
A VPN would require client configuration on each laptop, which the requirement explicitly rejects.
When this WOULD be correct
If the requirement were to provide secure, encrypted connectivity from remote users to an Azure VNet without browser-based access, and client VPN installation is acceptable, then VPN Gateway with point-to-site would be correct.
- ✗
A public load balancer with inbound NAT rules
Why it's wrong here
That would expose management ports to the internet, which the security team does not allow.
When this WOULD be correct
You need to distribute incoming RDP/SSH traffic to multiple VMs that have public IPs, and you want to use a single public endpoint with port forwarding (e.g., different frontend ports map to the same backend port on different VMs). The security policy allows inbound 3389/22 from the internet.
- ✗
A NAT gateway attached to the VM subnet
Why it's wrong here
A NAT gateway supports outbound internet access only and does not provide inbound administrative access.
When this WOULD be correct
Deploy a NAT gateway when VMs in a private subnet need to initiate outbound connections to the internet (e.g., for updates or accessing external APIs) while remaining unreachable from the internet. The question would specify 'outbound internet access only' and no inbound requirements.
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.
✓Azure BastionCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Azure Bastion provides secure browser-based RDP and SSH access without exposing the VMs to public IP-based inbound traffic.
✗VPN Gateway with point-to-site configurationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The question requires browser-based RDP/SSH access without client VPN on each laptop. VPN Gateway with point-to-site requires a VPN client on each laptop, violating the 'no client VPN' constraint.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the requirement were to provide secure, encrypted connectivity from remote users to an Azure VNet without browser-based access, and client VPN installation is acceptable, then VPN Gateway with point-to-site would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think point-to-site VPN provides secure remote access to VMs, overlooking the specific requirement for browser-based access without client software.
✗A public load balancer with inbound NAT rulesWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A public load balancer with inbound NAT rules would require the VMs to have public IPs or be reachable via the load balancer's frontend IP, which still exposes RDP/SSH ports (3389/22) to the internet, violating the security team's restrictions.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
You need to distribute incoming RDP/SSH traffic to multiple VMs that have public IPs, and you want to use a single public endpoint with port forwarding (e.g., different frontend ports map to the same backend port on different VMs). The security policy allows inbound 3389/22 from the internet.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think a load balancer can provide secure remote access without public IPs on VMs, but they overlook that the load balancer itself exposes the ports and requires VMs to be reachable from its backend, which still necessitates network connectivity that violates the 'no public IPs' rule.
✗A NAT gateway attached to the VM subnetWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A NAT gateway provides outbound internet access for VMs with private IPs, but it does not enable inbound RDP/SSH connections from the internet. The question requires browser-based inbound access, which NAT gateway cannot provide.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
Deploy a NAT gateway when VMs in a private subnet need to initiate outbound connections to the internet (e.g., for updates or accessing external APIs) while remaining unreachable from the internet. The question would specify 'outbound internet access only' and no inbound requirements.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse NAT gateway with providing inbound access, thinking it translates public IPs to private IPs for inbound connections, similar to port forwarding. However, NAT gateway only supports outbound traffic initiated from the private subnet.
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?”
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Managed Identities for Azure Resources
Key term
Subnet
A subnet is a logical subdivision of an IP network, created by partitioning a larger network address space using subnet masks.
Key term
VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server, protecting your data and hiding your online activity.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on AZ-104
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company has 25 remote employees who need to connect from their laptops to Azure VMs that have only private IP addresses. No on-premises VPN appliance exists, and the VMs must not be assigned public IP addresses. Which solution should the administrator deploy?
medium- A.Site-to-site VPN Gateway
- ✓ B.Point-to-site VPN Gateway
- C.ExpressRoute circuit
- D.Public load balancer with inbound NAT rules
Why B: A Point-to-Site (P2S) VPN Gateway is the correct solution because it allows individual remote clients (laptops) to establish a secure VPN connection from anywhere to Azure VMs with private IP addresses, without requiring a public IP on the VMs or an on-premises VPN appliance. P2S uses SSTP, IKEv2, or OpenVPN protocols to create a tunnel from each client to the Azure virtual network, enabling access to private resources.
Variation 2. Your company has an on-premises office network that needs encrypted connectivity to an Azure virtual network. In addition, traveling users need secure access from their laptops when they are away from the office. Which Azure design best meets both requirements?
medium- ✓ A.Deploy a VPN gateway and configure both site-to-site and point-to-site connections.
- B.Use VNet peering between the office network and Azure, then share the same connection with remote users.
- C.Create a service endpoint to the virtual network and enable private access for laptops.
- D.Deploy a NAT gateway and use it for secure office and laptop connectivity.
Why A: A VPN gateway supports both site-to-site (S2S) connections for the on-premises office network and point-to-site (P2S) connections for individual traveling users. The S2S connection uses IPsec/IKE to establish encrypted tunnels between the on-premises VPN device and the Azure VPN gateway, while the P2S connection uses SSTP, OpenVPN, or IKEv2 to allow remote laptops to connect securely from anywhere. This single gateway resource can handle both connection types simultaneously, meeting both requirements efficiently.
JA
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.