- A
Azure VPN Gateway
Why wrong: VPN Gateway uses the public internet over encrypted tunnels. It does not provide a dedicated connection and typically has a lower SLA (99.95% for active-active) but is not private.
- B
Azure ExpressRoute
ExpressRoute establishes a private connection to Azure via a connectivity provider, bypassing the internet. It offers higher reliability, bandwidth, and a stronger SLA (99.95% for dedicated circuits).
- C
Azure Bastion
Why wrong: Azure Bastion provides secure and seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to Azure VMs directly from the Azure portal. It does not connect on-premises networks.
- D
Azure Virtual WAN
Why wrong: Virtual WAN is a networking service that can orchestrate connectivity, but it is not a direct substitute for a dedicated private connection. ExpressRoute is the underlying service used within Virtual WAN.
Quick Answer
The answer is Azure ExpressRoute. This service establishes a dedicated, private connection from your on-premises data center directly to Azure, completely bypassing the public internet to meet the requirement for a private dedicated connection for hybrid workloads. Unlike VPN Gateway, which relies on internet-based IPSec tunnels with a 99.9% SLA, ExpressRoute offers a higher 99.95% SLA for dedicated circuits, ensuring lower latency and greater reliability. On the AZ-305 exam, this question tests your ability to differentiate between hybrid connectivity options based on SLA and privacy requirements; a common trap is choosing a Site-to-Site VPN when the scenario explicitly demands a connection that is not routed over the public internet. Remember the key distinction: VPN uses the internet, ExpressRoute bypasses it. For a memory tip, think “ExpressRoute = Express lane on a private road, VPN = public highway with traffic.”
AZ-305 Design infrastructure solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design infrastructure solutions. 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 company has an on-premises data center and wants to connect it to Azure with a dedicated, private network connection that is not routed over the public internet. They also need a higher service-level agreement (SLA) compared to VPN-based connections. Which Azure service should they use?
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
Azure ExpressRoute
Azure ExpressRoute provides a dedicated, private connection from on-premises to Azure that bypasses the public internet, ensuring lower latency, higher reliability, and a 99.95% SLA (for dedicated circuits) compared to VPN-based connections. This meets the requirement for a private network connection with a higher SLA than VPN Gateway, which relies on internet-based IPSec tunnels with a 99.9% SLA.
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 VPN Gateway
- ✓
Azure ExpressRoute
Why this is correct
ExpressRoute establishes a private connection to Azure via a connectivity provider, bypassing the internet. It offers higher reliability, bandwidth, and a stronger SLA (99.95% for dedicated circuits).
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure Bastion
Why it's wrong here
Azure Bastion provides secure and seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to Azure VMs directly from the Azure portal. It does not connect on-premises networks.
- ✗
Azure Virtual WAN
Why it's wrong here
Virtual WAN is a networking service that can orchestrate connectivity, but it is not a direct substitute for a dedicated private connection. ExpressRoute is the underlying service used within Virtual WAN.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Virtual WAN as a direct replacement for ExpressRoute, but Virtual WAN is a management overlay that still requires ExpressRoute or VPN as the underlying transport, not a dedicated private connection itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ExpressRoute circuits use Layer 2 or Layer 3 connectivity via MPLS providers, ensuring traffic never traverses the internet, which reduces latency and packet loss. The SLA for ExpressRoute is 99.95% for a single circuit and can be increased to 99.99% with redundant circuits, while VPN Gateway's SLA is 99.9% for active-active configurations. In real-world scenarios, organizations handling sensitive data or requiring consistent throughput (e.g., financial transactions) choose ExpressRoute to avoid internet congestion and meet compliance requirements.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Design infrastructure solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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Design infrastructure solutions practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
Design infrastructure solutions — This question tests Design infrastructure solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure ExpressRoute — Azure ExpressRoute provides a dedicated, private connection from on-premises to Azure that bypasses the public internet, ensuring lower latency, higher reliability, and a 99.95% SLA (for dedicated circuits) compared to VPN-based connections. This meets the requirement for a private network connection with a higher SLA than VPN Gateway, which relies on internet-based IPSec tunnels with a 99.9% SLA.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 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
1 more ways this is tested on AZ-305
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 needs to connect its on-premises data center to Azure for hybrid workloads. The connection must be private, dedicated, and provide guaranteed bandwidth. Which Azure service should they use?
easy- A.Azure VPN Gateway
- ✓ B.Azure ExpressRoute
- C.Azure Virtual WAN
- D.Azure Peering Service
Why B: Azure ExpressRoute provides a private, dedicated connection from on-premises to Azure, bypassing the public internet. It offers guaranteed bandwidth, higher reliability, and lower latency compared to VPN-based solutions, making it ideal for hybrid workloads requiring consistent performance.
Keep practising
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-305 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-305 exam.
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