A company has an Azure virtual network that uses Azure Firewall as the central traffic inspection point. They have a spoke VNet peered to the hub VNet. The spoke VNet contains a subnet with virtual machines. The security team wants to ensure that all outbound traffic from those virtual machines to the internet goes through the Azure Firewall. They have configured a route table on the spoke subnet with a default route (0.0.0.0/0) to the Azure Firewall's private IP. However, traffic from the VMs is still going directly to the internet. What is the most likely cause?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Distractor review
The route table is not associated to the subnet.
The scenario states the route table has been configured on the subnet, so association is likely correct.
Distractor review
The Azure Firewall is not configured with a default route.
The firewall itself does not need a default route for this scenario; it only inspects traffic sent to it.
Best answer
The virtual machines have public IP addresses assigned.
When a VM has a public IP, Azure performs default outbound SNAT using that IP, bypassing the route table and the firewall.
Distractor review
The VNet peering is not configured properly.
Peering allows traffic between VNets; the route table pointing to the firewall's private IP should work if peering is set and the firewall is properly configured.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Related practice questions
Related AZ-500 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-500 question test?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The virtual machines have public IP addresses assigned. — If a virtual machine in Azure has a public IP address assigned, Azure uses that public IP for outbound traffic (Source Network Address Translation) instead of the route table, unless forced tunneling is configured. This overrides the custom route to the firewall, causing traffic to bypass it. The solution is to remove public IPs from the VMs (or use a NAT gateway fronting the firewall).
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
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