Question 804 of 1,170
Implement and Manage Virtual NetworkinghardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

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 team is creating a new workload subnet in a spoke virtual network. The subnet must support 41 VM NICs, 2 internal load balancer frontend IP configurations, 3 private endpoint IPs, and 4 spare IPs for near-term growth. Azure reserves 5 IP addresses in every subnet. What is the smallest IPv4 subnet size that satisfies the requirement?

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

/26, because 64 total addresses provide enough usable IPs for the workload and growth.

The total IP addresses required are 41 (VM NICs) + 2 (ILB frontends) + 3 (private endpoints) + 4 (spare) + 5 (Azure reserved) = 55 IPs. A /26 subnet provides 64 total addresses, of which 59 are usable (64 - 5 reserved), which meets the requirement. Option B is correct because /26 is the smallest subnet that provides enough usable IPs.

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.

  • /27, because 32 total addresses are enough for a small workload subnet.

    Why it's wrong here

    A /27 provides only 32 total addresses, which leaves 27 usable addresses after Azure reservations. That is far below the 50 assignable addresses required here.

    When this WOULD be correct

    This option would be correct if the subnet needed to support only up to 27 IPs (e.g., 22 VM NICs, 2 ILB frontends, 1 private endpoint, and 2 spare IPs) and no additional growth beyond that.

  • /26, because 64 total addresses provide enough usable IPs for the workload and growth.

    Why this is correct

    A /26 contains 64 total addresses. After Azure reserves 5, 59 remain usable, which covers 41 VM NICs, 2 load balancer frontend IPs, 3 private endpoint IPs, and 4 spare addresses. This is the smallest subnet size that meets the stated requirement without wasting a larger block than necessary.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • /25, because 128 total addresses are required once private endpoints are included.

    Why it's wrong here

    A /25 would work, but it is not the smallest valid choice. It provides far more usable addresses than the scenario requires, making it unnecessarily large.

    When this WOULD be correct

    A question requiring support for a larger number of resources, such as 80 VM NICs, 5 load balancer frontends, 10 private endpoints, and 10 spare IPs, would need a /25 subnet (128 total addresses, 123 usable) to accommodate the total of 105 required IPs.

  • /28, because 16 total addresses are sufficient when load balancers are used.

    Why it's wrong here

    A /28 provides only 16 total addresses, leaving 11 usable after Azure reservations. That cannot support the requested number of NICs, frontend IPs, private endpoints, and growth.

    When this WOULD be correct

    This option would be correct if the question required a subnet for a small workload with only 6 VM NICs, 1 ILB frontend, 1 private endpoint, and 2 spare IPs, totaling 10 IPs, which fits within the 11 usable addresses of a /28.

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.

/26, because 64 total addresses provide enough usable IPs for the workload and growth.Correct answer

Why this is correct

A /26 contains 64 total addresses. After Azure reserves 5, 59 remain usable, which covers 41 VM NICs, 2 load balancer frontend IPs, 3 private endpoint IPs, and 4 spare addresses. This is the smallest subnet size that meets the stated requirement without wasting a larger block than necessary.

/27, because 32 total addresses are enough for a small workload subnet.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

A /27 subnet provides only 32 total addresses, of which 5 are reserved by Azure, leaving 27 usable. The requirement is for 41 VM NICs, 2 ILB frontends, 3 private endpoints, and 4 spare IPs, totaling 50 IPs, which exceeds 27.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

This option would be correct if the subnet needed to support only up to 27 IPs (e.g., 22 VM NICs, 2 ILB frontends, 1 private endpoint, and 2 spare IPs) and no additional growth beyond that.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may mistakenly think that the 5 reserved IPs are the only overhead and that 32 total addresses are enough for 41 IPs, or they may underestimate the total IP count by forgetting to include all resource types.

/25, because 128 total addresses are required once private endpoints are included.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

A /25 subnet provides 128 total addresses, which is more than the required 41 VM NICs + 2 load balancer frontends + 3 private endpoints + 4 spare + 5 reserved = 55 IPs. The smallest subnet that meets the requirement is /26 (64 total addresses, 59 usable), so /25 is unnecessarily large and not the smallest.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

A question requiring support for a larger number of resources, such as 80 VM NICs, 5 load balancer frontends, 10 private endpoints, and 10 spare IPs, would need a /25 subnet (128 total addresses, 123 usable) to accommodate the total of 105 required IPs.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may mistakenly think private endpoints or load balancers consume more IPs than they actually do, or they may overestimate growth requirements, leading them to choose a larger subnet than necessary.

/28, because 16 total addresses are sufficient when load balancers are used.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

A /28 subnet provides only 16 total addresses, of which Azure reserves 5, leaving 11 usable. The requirement demands 41 VM NICs, 2 ILB frontends, 3 private endpoints, and 4 spare IPs, totaling 50 IPs, far exceeding 11 usable addresses.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

This option would be correct if the question required a subnet for a small workload with only 6 VM NICs, 1 ILB frontend, 1 private endpoint, and 2 spare IPs, totaling 10 IPs, which fits within the 11 usable addresses of a /28.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may mistakenly think that Azure's 5 reserved IPs are included in the total, or they underestimate the number of required IPs, especially forgetting that private endpoints and load balancer frontends consume IPs from the 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?”

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often forget to include the 5 Azure-reserved IPs in their calculation, or they mistakenly think private endpoints or load balancer frontends do not consume subnet IPs, leading them to choose a smaller subnet like /27 or /28.

Trap categories for this question

  • Scenario analysis trap

    A /25 would work, but it is not the smallest valid choice. It provides far more usable addresses than the scenario requires, making it unnecessarily large.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Azure reserves the first four and last IP address in every subnet for protocol operations (e.g., network address, broadcast, default gateway, DNS, and future use). Private endpoints and internal load balancers consume IP addresses from the subnet, and each frontend IP configuration for a load balancer requires a separate IP. In real-world scenarios, underestimating growth or reserved addresses can lead to subnet exhaustion and reconfiguration.

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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.

Visual reference

192.168.1.0 /24 256 addresses (254 usable) 192.168.1.0 /25 Subnet A 128 addr (126 usable) 192.168.1.128 /25 Subnet B 128 addr (126 usable) Borrowing 1 bit from host portion creates 2 subnets (/25)

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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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: /26, because 64 total addresses provide enough usable IPs for the workload and growth. — The total IP addresses required are 41 (VM NICs) + 2 (ILB frontends) + 3 (private endpoints) + 4 (spare) + 5 (Azure reserved) = 55 IPs. A /26 subnet provides 64 total addresses, of which 59 are usable (64 - 5 reserved), which meets the requirement. Option B is correct because /26 is the smallest subnet that provides enough usable IPs.

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.

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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026

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