- A
/27
Why wrong: A /27 provides only 27 usable addresses after Azure reservations, which is not enough here.
- B
/26
A /26 provides 59 usable addresses after Azure reservations, which covers all required and buffer IPs.
- C
/25
Why wrong: A /25 would work, but it allocates far more addresses than the scenario requires.
- D
/28
Why wrong: A /28 is much too small for dozens of NICs, private endpoints, and spare capacity.
Question 476 of 1,170
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.
You are planning a subnet for an application tier in a new spoke virtual network. The subnet must support 34 VM NICs, 5 private endpoints, and 6 extra IP addresses for short-term scale-out during maintenance windows. Azure reserves 5 IP addresses in every subnet. What is the smallest subnet prefix that meets 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
The subnet must support 34 VM NICs, 5 private endpoints, and 6 extra IPs for scale-out, totaling 45 required IPs. Azure reserves 5 IP addresses in every subnet (first 4 and last 1). Therefore, the subnet needs at least 50 usable IP addresses. A /26 subnet provides 64 total IPs, of which 59 are usable (64 - 5), meeting the requirement. /27 provides only 32 total IPs (27 usable), which is insufficient.
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
Why it's wrong here
A /27 provides only 27 usable addresses after Azure reservations, which is not enough here.
- ✓
/26
Why this is correct
A /26 provides 59 usable addresses after Azure reservations, which covers all required and buffer IPs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
/25
Why it's wrong here
A /25 would work, but it allocates far more addresses than the scenario requires.
When this WOULD be correct
If the requirement were to support 100 VM NICs, 10 private endpoints, and 20 extra IP addresses (total 130 usable IPs), a /25 subnet would be the smallest prefix because it offers 126 usable IPs, which is insufficient, so a /24 would be needed. Alternatively, if Azure reserved only 1 IP address, a /25 would be correct for 45 usable IPs.
- ✗
/28
Why it's wrong here
A /28 is much too small for dozens of NICs, private endpoints, and spare capacity.
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.
✓/26Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
A /26 provides 59 usable addresses after Azure reservations, which covers all required and buffer IPs.
✗/27Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A /27 subnet provides 32 total IP addresses (2^(32-27) = 32), but after reserving 5 Azure addresses, only 27 are usable. The requirement is 34 VM NICs + 5 private endpoints + 6 extra = 45 IP addresses, which exceeds 27. Thus, /27 is insufficient.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A /27 would be correct if the requirement were for up to 27 usable IP addresses, e.g., supporting 22 VM NICs, 3 private endpoints, and 2 extra IPs for scale-out, with Azure reserving 5 addresses.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates often miscalculate the total required IPs (34+5+6=45) and forget that Azure reserves 5 addresses, or they incorrectly think /27 (32 total) is close enough, not realizing the need for 45 usable IPs.
✗/25Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A /25 subnet provides 126 usable IP addresses (128 total minus 5 Azure reserved), which far exceeds the requirement of 45 usable IPs (34 NICs + 5 private endpoints + 6 extra). It is not the smallest prefix that meets the requirement.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the requirement were to support 100 VM NICs, 10 private endpoints, and 20 extra IP addresses (total 130 usable IPs), a /25 subnet would be the smallest prefix because it offers 126 usable IPs, which is insufficient, so a /24 would be needed. Alternatively, if Azure reserved only 1 IP address, a /25 would be correct for 45 usable IPs.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly think a /25 is the smallest because they incorrectly calculate the required IPs (e.g., forgetting Azure reserves 5 IPs or miscalculating the total needed) or they overestimate the number of IPs a /27 provides.
✗/28Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A /28 subnet provides only 16 total IP addresses, of which 11 are usable (16 - 5 reserved). The requirement is for 34 VM NICs + 5 private endpoints + 6 extra = 45 IP addresses, far exceeding 11.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the requirement were for a subnet supporting only 5 VM NICs, 2 private endpoints, and 1 extra IP address (total 8 IP addresses needed), a /28 subnet (11 usable IPs) would be the smallest correct prefix.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly think /28 is sufficient because they forget to account for Azure's 5 reserved IP addresses or miscalculate the total number of required IPs.
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 add the 5 Azure-reserved IPs to the total requirement, leading them to incorrectly select /27 (thinking 34+5+6=45 fits in 32 usable IPs) or /28 (underestimating the scale-out need).
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
A /25 would work, but it allocates far more addresses than the scenario requires.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure reserves the first four IP addresses (x.x.x.0–x.x.x.3) and the last IP address (x.x.x.255 for /24 or broadcast equivalent) in every subnet for protocol operations like DHCP, DNS, and default gateway. Private endpoints each consume one IP from the subnet, and VM NICs each require one IP. When calculating subnet size, always subtract 5 from the total address count to get usable IPs, and ensure the total addresses are a power of 2 (e.g., /26 = 64 addresses).
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Visual reference
What to study next
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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 — The subnet must support 34 VM NICs, 5 private endpoints, and 6 extra IPs for scale-out, totaling 45 required IPs. Azure reserves 5 IP addresses in every subnet (first 4 and last 1). Therefore, the subnet needs at least 50 usable IP addresses. A /26 subnet provides 64 total IPs, of which 59 are usable (64 - 5), meeting the requirement. /27 provides only 32 total IPs (27 usable), which is insufficient.
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
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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