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.”
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Virtual Networking Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage virtual networking. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
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?
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.
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.
✓
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.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
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.
✗
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.
✗
A NAT gateway attached to the VM subnet
Why it's wrong here
A NATgateway supports outbound internet access only and does not provide inbound administrative access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Bastion with a NATgateway 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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Bastion uses a dedicated subnet called 'AzureBastionSubnet' (minimum /27) and leverages TLS on port 443 to tunnel RDP/SSH traffic, with the VM's private IP resolved via Azure's internal network. Under the hood, Bastion creates a secure WebSocket connection from the browser to the bastion host, which then connects to the VM over the Azure backbone, ensuring no public exposure of the VM's network interface. A real-world scenario where this matters is in regulated environments (e.g., healthcare or finance) where VMs must remain isolated from the internet but administrators need occasional access without deploying a full VPN infrastructure.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
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: 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.
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 →
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.
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