A company has an Azure virtual network with a subnet that contains virtual machines. They have deployed Azure Firewall in a hub VNet and peered the spoke VNet to the hub. They have configured a route table on the spoke subnet with a default route (0.0.0.0/0) pointing to the Azure Firewall's private IP as the next hop. 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.
Best answer
The route table is not associated with the subnet.
Correct. Even if the route table exists, it must be associated with the subnet for the routes to take effect.
Distractor review
The Azure Firewall's private IP is not configured as the next hop; it should be the public IP.
For forced tunneling, the next hop should be the firewall's private IP, not public. Public IP would not work.
Distractor review
The VNet peering is not configured correctly.
Peering issues could prevent routing, but if traffic is going directly to internet, peering is likely working; the route table is the issue.
Distractor review
The Azure Firewall has a default route that bypasses itself.
The firewall itself does not have a route that causes traffic to bypass it; the issue is on the spoke subnet's routing.
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.
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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 route table is not associated with the subnet. — The most common reason for traffic bypassing Azure Firewall in this configuration is that the route table containing the default route is not associated with the subnet. Without association, the route is applied to no resources. The other options are less likely causes of the described behavior.
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.
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