Private S3 Access from EC2 Without Internet

Why the Answer Is Correct

A VPC endpoint—specifically an S3 gateway endpoint—attaches to the VPC's route table and lets an Amazon EC2 instance reach the Amazon S3 bucket entirely over AWS's private network, with no public IP, internet gateway, or NAT device required. The endpoint stays fully private, which is exactly what the requirement 'without accessing the internet' demands, and access can still be restricted with bucket policies and endpoint policies. Because S3 gateway endpoints are offered at no additional hourly cost, this is also the standard well-architected pattern for private S3 access.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

A VPN connection (A) creates an encrypted tunnel to an on-premises network or another VPC; it does not itself deliver private access from an EC2 instance to S3, and it adds infrastructure the question never asks for. An internet gateway (B) is the opposite of what is needed—it is the component that explicitly allows internet access from the VPC, violating the requirement. A NAT gateway (D) is the most tempting distractor, but it lets private-subnet instances reach external services by routing outbound traffic through an internet gateway, so S3 traffic would still traverse the public internet; it is meant for reaching destinations outside AWS, not for private AWS service access.

Community Comment Notes

The comment thread converged cleanly on option C, with its_tima explaining that "a VPC endpoint is a powerful cloud virtual device used in Amazon VPC to enable communication between instances" without internet connectivity. ShaiTay and d00b229 independently answered "C. VPC endpoint" with no dissenting reasoning offered. Because all 100 recorded votes chose C, the community consensus here aligns with the technical analysis rather than contradicting it.