Which AWS Service Provides a Dedicated On-Premises Connection?
Which AWS service or feature allows a user to establish a dedicated network connection between a company’s on-premises data center and the AWS Cloud?
Community Insight
The question tests the difference between a dedicated private link and an encrypted internet tunnel; the trap is confusing AWS VPN with Direct Connect because both connect on-premises environments to AWS.
AWS Direct Connect is the AWS network service that establishes a dedicated, private connection between an on-premises data center and the AWS Cloud. This page confirms why Direct Connect (A) is correct and why VPC peering, AWS VPN, and Route 53 do not satisfy the 'dedicated connection' requirement.
Learners often choose AWS VPN (C) because it also connects on-premises networks to AWS, but a VPN runs over the public internet and is not a dedicated private connection.
Community Discussion (25 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
AWS Direct Connect is a private, dedicated network connection from an on-premises data center to AWS, delivered through an AWS Direct Connect location and a cross-connect or partner. Because the traffic does not traverse the public internet, it can provide more consistent bandwidth and latency than internet-based connectivity. The wording "dedicated network connection" is the decisive cue, and lunamuller flags "dedicated network connection" as the key phrase in the stem. TheFivePips also summarizes Direct Connect as a "private, dedicated network connection," while Anyio emphasizes that traffic "never touches the public internet." Therefore A is the only option that matches the question's requirement.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
VPC peering connects two VPCs inside AWS, not an on-premises data center to AWS, as 3veryday explains when noting that "VPC peering is for connecting two VPC within AWS." AWS VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over the public internet; it connects on-premises networks to a VPC but is not a dedicated private circuit, which is the central trap in this question. Route 53 is a DNS and domain registration service and has no role in establishing the underlying dedicated network link. Thus B, C, and D fail the specific "dedicated network connection" requirement.Community Comment Notes
Community consensus is strongly for A, with TheFivePips, Anyio, lunamuller, Sir_Kay, Dimagi, and others all selecting AWS Direct Connect. Anyio usefully links the official Direct Connect product page and stresses that the connection avoids the public internet, which is the exact distinction the exam is testing. 3veryday provides a clean elimination of VPC peering and VPN by contrasting VPC-to-VPC peering with encrypted VPN tunnels. No commenter defends B, C, or D as the correct answer for a dedicated on-premises link.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When the stem says "dedicated" or "private" connection to on-premises, map it to AWS Direct Connect; when it says "encrypted tunnel over the internet" or "quick low-cost setup," map it to AWS VPN. Eliminate VPC peering immediately because it is VPC-to-VPC only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is AWS VPN not the dedicated connection described in the question?
AWS VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over the public internet, while Direct Connect is a private dedicated circuit; only Direct Connect matches "dedicated network connection."
Does VPC peering connect an on-premises data center to AWS?
No. VPC peering links two VPCs inside AWS; it does not extend a company data center network directly into AWS.
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