The answer is to attach a Standard SKU public IP address with static allocation to the VPN gateway. This is required because a site-to-site VPN gateway in Azure needs a public-facing endpoint to establish the encrypted tunnel with the on-premises VPN device, and the gateway’s public IP requirement mandates a static address that never changes to ensure consistent routing. The Standard SKU is mandatory because Azure VPN gateways do not support Basic SKU public IPs, and without this resource, the deployment validation fails as the gateway has no public IP to terminate the connection. On the AZ-104 exam, this tests your understanding of gateway networking prerequisites and often appears as a trick where candidates mistakenly choose a Basic SKU or dynamic IP, but the correct choice is always Standard and static. A helpful memory tip is “VPN needs a Static Standard” — think of a VPN tunnel as a permanent bridge that cannot have a shifting anchor point.
AZ-104 Implement and Manage Virtual Networking Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage virtual networking. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
An administrator is deploying a site-to-site VPN gateway in an existing VNet. The GatewaySubnet already exists, but deployment validation fails because the gateway has no public-facing IP resource. Which configuration is required?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Attach a Standard SKU public IP address with static allocation to the VPN gateway.
A site-to-site VPNgateway in Azure requires a public IP address to establish connectivity with the on-premises VPN device. The Standard SKU public IP with static allocation is required because VPN gateways do not support Basic SKU public IPs and must have a static IP that does not change. Without this public IP resource, the gateway cannot be provisioned as it has no public endpoint for the VPN tunnel.
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.
✓
Attach a Standard SKU public IP address with static allocation to the VPN gateway.
Why this is correct
Azure VPN gateways require a public IP resource, and Standard static IPs are the supported choice.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Attach a private IP address from the GatewaySubnet to the VPN gateway.
Why it's wrong here
VPN gateways terminate site-to-site connections on a public IP, not only on a private address.
✗
Place the gateway behind an internal load balancer in the GatewaySubnet.
Why it's wrong here
An internal load balancer is not how Azure VPN gateways receive on-premises encrypted tunnels.
✗
Create a NAT gateway and associate it with the GatewaySubnet.
Why it's wrong here
A NATgateway does not replace the public IP requirement for the VPN gateway service.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think a private IP from the GatewaySubnet is sufficient for a site-to-site VPN, overlooking that the VPN gateway must have a public IP to terminate the IPsec tunnel from the on-premises device.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure VPN gateways use a public IP address as the tunnel endpoint for IPsec/IKE (IKEv1/IKEv2) connections. The Standard SKU public IP supports the required static allocation and availability zones, whereas Basic SKU does not support zone-resiliency for VPN gateways. Additionally, the GatewaySubnet must have a minimum size of /27 to accommodate the gateway instances and future scaling.
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: Attach a Standard SKU public IP address with static allocation to the VPN gateway. — A site-to-site VPN gateway in Azure requires a public IP address to establish connectivity with the on-premises VPN device. The Standard SKU public IP with static allocation is required because VPN gateways do not support Basic SKU public IPs and must have a static IP that does not change. Without this public IP resource, the gateway cannot be provisioned as it has no public endpoint for the VPN tunnel.
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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Question Discussion
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