AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty Practice Exam

What is a key performance advantage of using AWS Direct Connect over a VPN connection?

1. Higher latency

2. Consistent and dedicated bandwidth

3. Reduced security measures

4. Greater connection flexibility

The correct answer is: Consistent and dedicated bandwidth

Using AWS Direct Connect offers a significant performance advantage because it provides consistent and dedicated bandwidth compared to a VPN connection. With Direct Connect, the data transfer occurs over a dedicated physical connection to AWS, which eliminates the variability inherent in internet-based connections, like those used with VPNs. VPN connections typically rely on the public internet for data transmission, which can introduce latency and bandwidth fluctuations due to network congestion, routing changes, and other factors that are outside of your control. This variability can adversely affect application performance and user experience, especially for latency-sensitive applications. In contrast, the dedicated link of AWS Direct Connect allows for more predictable data transfer speeds, reduced latency, and a stable network environment. This reliability makes it an ideal choice for enterprises that require consistent performance for high-throughput applications, large data transfers, or real-time data connections. The other options do not reflect the advantages relevant to performance in the context of AWS Direct Connect versus VPN.