- A
Azure VNet peering
Why wrong: Peering connects Azure VNets to each other, but it does not connect a branch office network directly to Azure.
- B
Service endpoint
Why wrong: Service endpoints are for Azure service access from a VNet, not for encrypted branch-to-Azure network connectivity.
- C
VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection
A VPN gateway is the standard Azure service for encrypted site-to-site connectivity between an on-premises network and an Azure VNet. It allows branch users to reach private IPs in Azure without exposing the VMs to the internet. Because the branch has a static public IP, it can terminate a reliable site-to-site tunnel to the Azure VPN gateway.
- D
Azure Front Door
Why wrong: Front Door is for global HTTP(S) traffic acceleration and application delivery, not private network connectivity between sites.
Quick Answer
The answer is a VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection. This is correct because it establishes an encrypted IPsec/IKE tunnel between the branch office’s static public IP and the Azure VPN gateway, allowing users to access private Azure VMs and internal services without exposing those resources to the public internet. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of hybrid networking—specifically how to securely extend an on-premises network into Azure while keeping VNet resources private. A common trap is confusing a point-to-site VPN (which supports individual clients) with site-to-site (which connects entire networks). Remember: static public IP on-premises plus encrypted tunnel equals site-to-site VPN gateway. A quick memory tip is “S2S for sites, P2S for people”—if the branch office has a fixed public IP and needs full network-to-network connectivity, you always deploy a site-to-site VPN gateway.
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.
A branch office with a static public IP needs encrypted connectivity to an Azure virtual network so users can access private Azure VMs and internal services. The connection should support a site-to-site design and not rely on public IPs for the Azure resources themselves. Which service should the administrator deploy?
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
VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection
A VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection (option C) is the correct choice because it provides encrypted connectivity over the public internet between an on-premises branch office with a static public IP and an Azure virtual network. This design uses IPsec/IKE (RFC 4301) to secure traffic, and Azure resources remain private within the VNet, not requiring public IPs. The site-to-site connection establishes a tunnel from the on-premises VPN device to the Azure VPN gateway, enabling users to access private VMs and services securely.
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 VNet peering
Why it's wrong here
Peering connects Azure VNets to each other, but it does not connect a branch office network directly to Azure.
- ✗
Service endpoint
Why it's wrong here
Service endpoints are for Azure service access from a VNet, not for encrypted branch-to-Azure network connectivity.
- ✓
VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection
Why this is correct
A VPN gateway is the standard Azure service for encrypted site-to-site connectivity between an on-premises network and an Azure VNet. It allows branch users to reach private IPs in Azure without exposing the VMs to the internet. Because the branch has a static public IP, it can terminate a reliable site-to-site tunnel to the Azure VPN gateway.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure Front Door
Why it's wrong here
Front Door is for global HTTP(S) traffic acceleration and application delivery, not private network connectivity between sites.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse site-to-site VPN with VNet peering or service endpoints, mistakenly thinking those can provide encrypted on-premises connectivity, but they lack the necessary IPsec tunnel and on-premises-to-Azure routing capabilities.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, an Azure VPN gateway (using the 'RouteBased' type) supports IKEv2 and IPsec with pre-shared keys or certificates, and it requires a public IP for the gateway itself, but the VNet resources use private IPs only. A subtle behavior is that the on-premises VPN device must have a public IP and support IKEv1 or IKEv2, and the Azure VPN gateway must have a matching policy or route-based configuration. In a real-world scenario, if the branch office uses dynamic routing, BGP can be enabled on the VPN gateway to propagate routes automatically, avoiding static route management.
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.
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: VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection — A VPN gateway with a site-to-site connection (option C) is the correct choice because it provides encrypted connectivity over the public internet between an on-premises branch office with a static public IP and an Azure virtual network. This design uses IPsec/IKE (RFC 4301) to secure traffic, and Azure resources remain private within the VNet, not requiring public IPs. The site-to-site connection establishes a tunnel from the on-premises VPN device to the Azure VPN gateway, enabling users to access private VMs and services securely.
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 →
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 branch office has a single edge device with a static public IP and must connect securely to Azure so users can reach private VMs in a virtual network. The company wants traffic encrypted across the internet and does not need point-to-site access from individual laptops. Which solution should the administrator deploy?
medium- A.A point-to-site VPN configuration for each user laptop.
- ✓ B.A site-to-site VPN gateway connection.
- C.A private endpoint to each virtual machine in Azure.
- D.VNet peering between the branch and Azure.
Why B: A site-to-site VPN gateway connection (Option B) is correct because it creates an encrypted tunnel over the internet between the branch office's edge device with a static public IP and an Azure VPN gateway, allowing users to securely access private VMs in the virtual network. This solution meets the requirement for encrypted traffic across the internet without needing point-to-site access for individual laptops, as the entire branch network is connected via the VPN tunnel.
Variation 2. A branch office uses an on-premises firewall that supports IPsec/IKE and has a stable public IP. The office needs always-on private connectivity to an Azure VNet over the internet. Which Azure component should the administrator deploy?
medium- ✓ A.A site-to-site connection using Azure VPN Gateway.
- B.VNet peering between the branch office and the Azure VNet.
- C.Azure Bastion in the target VNet.
- D.A private endpoint for the Azure VNet.
Why A: A site-to-site VPN connection using Azure VPN Gateway is the correct choice because it provides always-on, encrypted connectivity over the internet between an on-premises network with a stable public IP and an Azure VNet. Azure VPN Gateway supports IPsec/IKE protocols, which are compatible with the branch office's firewall, enabling a secure tunnel that meets the requirement for private connectivity.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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