Earning the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty certification represents a significant step for professionals aiming to prove their deep expertise in designing and implementing complex network architectures on the cloud. Unlike foundational certifications that test general cloud skills, this one dives into advanced scenarios that mimic real-world enterprise networking at scale. It is intended for cloud engineers, architects, and networking professionals who already possess solid experience in building and maintaining cloud infrastructure.

This article series provides a comprehensive, four-part guide built around practical exercises that simulate the kinds of tasks a cloud network engineer may encounter in daily operations. Rather than focusing solely on theory, this series emphasizes hands-on activities and deep experimentation, which are essential for internalizing networking concepts and AWS services at a professional level.

Why Hands-On Learning Is Crucial for This Certification

Most cloud certifications can be passed with a solid combination of study guides, documentation review, and practice questions. However, the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty exam goes beyond simple question recall. It tests your ability to design, evaluate, and troubleshoot networking solutions under specific business requirements and constraints.

To develop this kind of proficiency, hands-on experience is not optional—it is essential. Practical tasks force you to engage with subtle aspects of networking services and configurations that often go unnoticed in theoretical material. By working directly in the AWS environment, you expose yourself to edge cases, permission limitations, cost implications, and other variables that can’t be fully appreciated from whitepapers alone.

Setting up real scenarios not only reinforces memory but also reveals your knowledge gaps. It helps connect the dots between service features, routing configurations, network security rules, and AWS-native tools for monitoring and troubleshooting. In a certification where real-world problem-solving is heavily emphasized, this direct interaction can make the difference between passing and failing.

Prerequisites for Starting the Exercises

Before you begin the exercises, ensure your AWS environment is set up in a way that supports experimentation without disrupting any production work or running into billing surprises. While many exercises can be completed using the free tier, some scenarios require provisioning of VPCs, EC2 instances, or even cross-region resources, which may incur charges. A budget alert or billing dashboard should be in place before proceeding.

Start by setting up an AWS Organization with at least two member accounts. This structure is important because many networking features—such as Resource Access Manager, cross-account sharing, and transit gateways—are best understood in a multi-account setting. You can simulate the behavior of service provider and consumer accounts, allowing you to test roles and permissions alongside network flows.

You’ll also benefit from having a registered domain name, even a low-cost one. Several exercises involving DNS, Route 53, and split-view configurations require control over a hosted domain. This brings your testing closer to real-world architecture.

Additionally, make sure to organize your resources with clear naming conventions and tagging. This helps immensely when troubleshooting complex configurations and will mirror best practices used in actual enterprise environments.

Exercise 1: Peering VPCs with Interface Endpoints

Create two separate VPCs in different availability zones. Let’s refer to them as VPC A and VPC B. Inside each VPC, create an isolated subnet that does not have internet access—no route to an internet gateway and no NAT gateway attached. Launch an EC2 instance in each isolated subnet for testing purposes.

Now, create a VPC peering connection between VPC A and VPC B. Configure the route tables so that traffic between the two VPCs is enabled. Next, in VPC B, create an interface VPC endpoint for the AWS Key Management Service (KMS).

The test goal is to determine whether either EC2 instance can reach KMS through the peered connection. Begin by checking access from the EC2 instance in VPC B—it should work without issues. Then test the EC2 instance in VPC A. Does it work? You’ll find that while the peering allows EC2-to-EC2 communication, interface endpoints are not automatically accessible across peer connections unless specifically configured to allow it.

This exercise demonstrates the subtle limitations of peering and the visibility of endpoints, laying the groundwork for deeper exploration into PrivateLink and endpoint services.

Exercise 2: Internet Access Through a Peered VPC

Using the same setup as the previous exercise, try to connect to the internet from the EC2 instance in VPC A using resources in VPC B. For instance, set up a NAT gateway in VPC B and update VPC A’s route table to forward internet-bound traffic to VPC B through the peering connection.

You’ll soon realize that VPC peering does not support transitive routing. That means even though VPC A is peered with VPC B, it cannot use VPC B’s NAT gateway to access the internet. This limitation is crucial to remember when designing centralized egress patterns and helps justify the use of transit gateways or more complex proxy solutions.

Exercise 3: Peering with Overlapping CIDR Blocks

In this test, assign VPC A a CIDR block of 10.0.0.0/16 and VPC B a block of 10.0.0.0/20 with a secondary CIDR of 10.1.0.0/16. Attempt to create a peering connection between the two. AWS will reject this peering request due to overlapping CIDR blocks.

This limitation forces architects to carefully plan IP address allocation, especially when working in large-scale or federated cloud environments. The exercise highlights the importance of IP planning and the challenges of legacy migrations or partner integrations where IP conflicts are common.

Exercise 4: Creating a PrivateLink Between VPCs

To address some of the limitations of peering, set up a PrivateLink connection between VPC A and VPC B. In this configuration, VPC B hosts a Network Load Balancer (the required type for PrivateLink) attached to a service running on an EC2 instance. Then, expose that service using a VPC endpoint service.

In VPC A, create an interface endpoint that connects to the endpoint service in VPC B. Test connectivity from an instance in VPC A to the service in VPC B. This approach works even with overlapping IP address spaces and does not require updating route tables, making it ideal for secure and scalable service exposure between accounts or business units.

Exercise 5: Building a Cloud WAN Global Network

Start with the AWS Cloud WAN service and create a core network spanning three regions: us-east-1, eu-central-1, and ap-southeast-2. In each region, set up two VPCs—one for development and one for production workloads.

Use policy segments to ensure that development VPCs can communicate across regions, while production VPCs are also interconnected but fully isolated from development. This is achieved by associating each VPC with the correct segment and enforcing traffic separation through policy controls.

This exercise showcases how to design at global scale using Cloud WAN’s simplified routing policies and segment-based access control. It also introduces the concept of centralized policy management, which is key in distributed enterprise environments.

Mastering AWS Advanced Networking Through Real Scenarios – 

In the pursuit of achieving the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty certification, relying solely on theoretical understanding will not be enough. To truly grasp the intricacies of AWS networking, hands-on practice is a necessity.

Exercise 6: Create Three VPCs with Centralized Egress

In enterprise networking, egress patterns are tightly controlled. One advanced scenario is setting up a dedicated egress VPC that handles all outbound internet traffic for workloads deployed across multiple isolated VPCs. In this hands-on task, three VPCs are configured. Two will host application instances and have no direct internet access. The third VPC will act as the sole egress point, controlling and monitoring all traffic.

Begin by creating three VPCs: AppVPC1, AppVPC2, and EgressVPC. Establish peering or transit gateway connections between each application VPC and the egress VPC. Configure route tables in the application VPCs to forward internet-bound traffic to a NAT gateway or instance located in the egress VPC. This simulates a centralized network architecture used in compliance-heavy environments, where egress filtering and auditing are essential.

To extend complexity, deploy a network firewall in the egress VPC. Configure it to allow or deny specific outbound traffic based on ports, protocols, and destinations. This not only helps to understand traffic flow but also introduces key components of network security at scale.

Exercise 7: Regional Decoupling of Internet Access

Building on the previous exercise, attempt to move the egress VPC to another region. This tests multi-region VPC communication and showcases the limitations of traditional peering across regions. You will need to use transit gateways that support inter-region attachments, or explore third-party connectivity solutions.

When deploying the centralized egress in a different region, you’ll face latency implications, cost considerations, and routing complexity. These are common challenges in global application deployments. Evaluating the trade-offs in this setup sharpens your ability to make architectural decisions that are both scalable and cost-efficient.

Pay attention to the limitations of certain services in cross-region routing. While transit gateways make cross-region routing feasible, services like gateway endpoints remain regional, which may affect how you design access to cloud-native storage services.

Exercise 8: Connect VPCs with Overlapping CIDRs

Real-world networks often inherit legacy IP schemes or require integration between partners, resulting in overlapping CIDR blocks. Connecting two VPCs with overlapping IP ranges is not straightforward, as AWS native peering and transit gateway routing disallow such configurations.

The workaround involves advanced routing and network address translation. Start by creating two VPCs with overlapping CIDR blocks, such as 10.0.0.0/16. Deploy EC2 instances in each and attempt communication. It will fail due to overlapping ranges.

Introduce NAT gateways or EC2-based NAT instances. Configure destination network address translation so that packets appear to originate from a non-conflicting subnet when crossing VPC boundaries. Another advanced technique is using a third-party network appliance that performs both source and destination NAT, commonly seen in on-premise to cloud integrations.

This scenario is particularly relevant for organizations undergoing mergers or operating hybrid environments. Mastering these techniques demonstrates your capability to architect resilient solutions even in less-than-ideal IP environments.

Exercise 9: Use Transit Gateways Across Regions

Transit gateways have transformed AWS networking by simplifying complex mesh architectures. In this exercise, set up VPCs in different regions and attach them to a central transit gateway. This exercise shows how routing domains can be defined, how traffic can be segmented, and how security policies can be enforced at a hub level.

Begin with at least two regions, such as US East and EU Central. Deploy one VPC in each region and set up a transit gateway in one of them. Use inter-region attachments to connect remote VPCs. Configure route tables to allow full mesh communication. This will highlight the benefits of hub-and-spoke designs for scalability and manageability.

Monitor traffic using network monitoring tools to measure latency between regions. Simulate application deployments to see how regional failover can be handled via route manipulation. Use of CloudWatch metrics helps identify if regional routing introduces delays or performance issues.

This setup becomes the backbone of any global cloud deployment strategy. Mastering it demonstrates readiness to architect for global availability and performance optimization.

Exercise 10: Build a Client VPN and Simulate Remote Access

Remote access is a staple of modern enterprise environments. Configure a client VPN endpoint and simulate a remote workforce. From your local machine, establish a secure tunnel into a private subnet hosting application servers.

Create a Client VPN endpoint, associate it with a subnet, and configure an authorization rule. Set up an EC2 instance in a private subnet and test connectivity via VPN. Extend the scenario by enabling internet access over VPN. Route traffic through a NAT gateway and monitor the data flow.

This exercise demonstrates secure remote access design without relying on public IP addresses. It is particularly valuable for scenarios involving contractors, third-party developers, or remote workforce needs. A key skill tested in the certification is designing for secure yet flexible access models, and this exercise solidifies that knowledge.

Test authentication mechanisms using mutual authentication and directory-based access. Ensure compliance with least privilege principles when defining security groups for the VPN network interface. Combine this with logging to track session behavior and usage patterns.

Exercise 11: Use Shared Subnets Across Accounts

In a multi-account architecture, sharing resources across accounts is a foundational requirement. Using shared subnets via resource sharing allows centralized management while giving application teams flexibility.

Start by creating two AWS accounts in an organization. From the networking account, share a subnet using resource sharing features. In the application account, launch an EC2 instance into the shared subnet. Configure security groups and route tables accordingly.

Test scenarios where traffic needs to exit through shared NAT gateways or connect to shared load balancers. Understand how permissions must be configured to prevent unauthorized access while still allowing subnet use.

This exercise reinforces multi-account strategy, delegation models, and separation of concerns. It also highlights the fine line between security and usability in a shared services architecture.

Understanding how shared subnets interact with DNS resolution, network ACLs, and cloud firewall rules can prepare you for more complex integration challenges.

Exercise 12: Create an Egress VPC in One Account and Use It from Another

Expand on the previous exercise by creating a centralized egress VPC in a networking account and configuring internet access for a different application account.

This setup is common in large organizations where a shared services account manages security, internet gateways, and network appliances. The application account consumes those services via transit gateway attachments and route table configurations.

Create the egress VPC, set up NAT gateways or firewalls, and share connectivity using transit gateway attachments. In the application account, update route tables so that all internet-bound traffic is forwarded to the networking account.

Test the setup by deploying EC2 instances in private subnets and initiating outbound requests. Monitor traffic using flow logs and centralized monitoring. This helps visualize and understand how traffic flows across accounts and how egress points are enforced.

This exercise prepares candidates for questions that test centralized infrastructure design, operational governance, and compliance enforcement in a multi-account setup.

Exercise 13: Use Resource Access Manager to Share a Subnet

Go further with resource sharing by exploring the capabilities of resource sharing across accounts within an organization using access manager features.

Launch a VPC and subnet in Account A. Share the subnet with Account B. From Account B, attempt to launch an EC2 instance into the shared subnet. Observe which permissions are required and whether Account B can delete or modify resources in the shared subnet.

This introduces governance boundaries. While Account B can use the subnet, it does not own it. Modify IAM policies to test limitations. Try attaching an internet gateway or modifying route tables from the consumer account.

Such exercises build familiarity with shared resource boundaries, permissions, and organizational hierarchy. These are critical concepts for building scalable and secure infrastructure across a complex enterprise landscape.

Exercise 14: Implement Split-View DNS with Private Hosted Zones

Create split-view DNS for environments where internal and external users must resolve the same domain differently. Register a domain name, create a public hosted zone, and configure internal private hosted zones in multiple VPCs.

Route internal traffic to private IP addresses, while external users resolve the same name to public endpoints. Use conditional forwarding rules or route configurations to control resolution behavior.

This setup demonstrates advanced DNS control, which is crucial for hybrid environments, multi-tenant applications, and scenarios requiring traffic segregation.

Ensure testing includes failover scenarios, load balancing behaviors, and propagation delays. DNS control is often undervalued, but mastering it unlocks sophisticated traffic management capabilities.

Exercise 15: Implement DNSSEC and Security Controls

Finally, configure domain name system security extensions on a domain. This helps ensure DNS responses cannot be spoofed or manipulated.

Start by enabling DNSSEC signing and validation. Understand the differences between registrar requirements, DNS keys, and chain of trust.

Validate records from a resolver and observe how DNSSEC-enforced environments behave differently. Try modifying a signed record and observe how clients reject unsigned responses.

This hands-on exercise connects domain-level security to real-world threats like DNS hijacking and cache poisoning. Certification candidates who understand DNSSEC implementation are better equipped to design resilient, tamper-proof architectures.

Advanced Networking Mastery for AWS Certification 

Continuing from the previous sections, this part focuses on more advanced and rarely practiced hands-on exercises tailored for candidates pursuing the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty certification. The focus here is on enterprise connectivity models, real-world routing simulations, hybrid DNS configurations, and infrastructure segmentation based on security domains. Each activity builds upon previous ones, progressively increasing in complexity and encouraging a deep understanding of cloud networking behaviors.

Exercise 16: Configure EC2 Instances with Custom Private Hostnames

Customizing hostnames is often required in environments that integrate with on-premise naming conventions or organizational standards. AWS allows configuration of EC2 hostnames through DHCP options sets and launch configurations.

Start by creating a VPC with a private subnet. Modify the DHCP options set to specify a custom domain name and domain name servers, such as internal AmazonProvidedDNS or custom DNS resolvers. Launch an EC2 instance and verify that the system hostname aligns with the defined parameters.

This small but detailed exercise uncovers how internal DNS naming integrates with host resolution within a VPC. It also reveals how hostname settings persist across reboots or if they require reconfiguration. Test this with different OS types and network configurations.

Extending this further, integrate EC2 instances with centralized directory services and apply hostname patterns based on organizational unit or department structure. This is highly applicable in hybrid enterprise environments.

Exercise 17: Configure DNSSEC for Domain Integrity

Securing DNS responses from tampering is a growing concern. DNSSEC ensures integrity and authenticity of DNS data. Start by registering a domain. Enable DNSSEC signing and validation in the management console.

Generate key-signing keys (KSK) and zone-signing keys (ZSK) as needed. After enabling DNSSEC, test domain resolution using DNS tools to observe the chain of trust. Try to modify a signed DNS record without updating its corresponding cryptographic signature and observe the resolution failure.

This is a critical exercise for anyone handling sensitive applications or dealing with regulatory compliance. Understanding DNSSEC not only strengthens domain protection but is often essential in securing application endpoints across multiple regions.

Exercise 18: Architect Cloud WAN for Global Segmentation

Enterprise environments often have distinct network boundaries across teams, departments, or environments. Cloud WAN simplifies global connectivity with policy-based segmentation.

Create a Cloud WAN core network with segments defined for development, production, and shared services. Deploy VPCs across multiple regions and associate each with the appropriate segment. Define routing policies that allow communication within segments but block it across others.

For example, enable dev-to-dev and prod-to-prod communication while isolating dev from prod. Test segment behavior by launching EC2 instances and performing ping or curl operations between them.

Monitor Cloud WAN using route analytics and network insights. This exercise enforces concepts of segmentation, isolation, and policy-driven networking. It’s especially relevant in multi-regional, multi-team deployments where security and separation are critical.

Exercise 19: Centralized Logging with VPC Flow Logs

Capturing and analyzing network traffic is fundamental to diagnosing issues and ensuring compliance. VPC flow logs record information about the traffic reaching and leaving network interfaces.

Enable VPC flow logs for all subnets or specific network interfaces. Stream the logs to a centralized storage bucket or monitoring service. Query logs to analyze access patterns, detect anomalies, or troubleshoot connectivity issues.

Extend this by setting up cross-account access to a centralized logging bucket. This allows multiple accounts or teams to contribute logs to a single pane of glass.

Another variation includes filtering logs for denied traffic only, which can reduce data volume and sharpen focus on potential misconfigurations. You can also set alarms based on log patterns to detect data exfiltration attempts or port scanning activities.

Exercise 20: Simulate Route Conflicts and Resolution

Understanding how AWS resolves overlapping routes is key to effective troubleshooting. Create a transit gateway and attach multiple VPCs. Within the VPCs, configure route tables with overlapping entries pointing to different targets.

Create conflicting routes such as 0.0.0.0/0 pointing to different transit gateway attachments in separate route tables. Then simulate traffic to see which route is prioritized. AWS uses longest prefix match, but in tie scenarios, attachment order and propagation settings determine behavior.

Document your observations and test variations such as prefix specificity and attachment direction. This is a critical skill when integrating third-party SD-WAN solutions or building failover strategies across regions.

Exercise 21: Automate Subnet Isolation Using Network ACLs

Security and isolation can be enforced at the subnet level using network ACLs. Create three subnets: public, private, and isolated. Configure the ACLs so that only the public subnet can receive internet traffic, the private can connect outbound, and the isolated subnet is completely locked down.

Launch EC2 instances in each subnet and test their reachability. Then modify ACLs dynamically using infrastructure as code tools and re-test. Capture packet-level data to verify rule behavior.

This exercise solidifies subnet-level isolation strategies and shows how access controls work in a stateless fashion. It also differentiates ACLs from security groups and highlights their use in scenarios requiring subnet-wide policy enforcement.

Exercise 22: Use Traffic Mirroring for Packet Inspection

To gain deep visibility into network traffic, set up traffic mirroring. This replicates packets from target network interfaces to monitoring appliances.

Start with a VPC containing an application instance. Create a mirror target and a mirror session. Attach a monitoring instance or third-party intrusion detection system to the target.

Analyze mirrored packets to detect unusual patterns or security risks. Extend this by mirroring traffic from multiple interfaces and aggregating analysis in a centralized dashboard.

This is especially useful in regulated environments where packet-level auditing is required. It also enhances incident response by providing a forensic trail of network behavior.

Exercise 23: Visualize Global Architecture Using Network Manager

Large-scale AWS deployments span regions, accounts, and services. Use the network manager to visualize your entire cloud network topology.

Enable network manager, define a global network, and associate it with transit gateways or Cloud WAN. Use the topology view to see inter-region links, VPC attachments, and routing domains.

Set up performance monitoring across regions to track latency and availability. Create alerts for link degradation and routing changes.

This hands-on task brings clarity to large cloud environments and supports operational awareness. It is essential for network architects responsible for maintaining health and connectivity across global cloud estates.

Exercise 24: Integrate Route 53 with On-Premises DNS

Hybrid environments often require seamless DNS resolution between on-premise systems and cloud services. Set up Route 53 inbound and outbound resolvers.

Use inbound endpoints to allow on-premise systems to resolve cloud-hosted names. Use outbound endpoints to resolve on-premise domains from the cloud.

Create forwarding rules to route DNS queries based on domain suffixes. Monitor resolver query logs for audit and troubleshooting.

Simulate outages and resolution failures to see how the system responds. Test scenarios where records are missing or stale, and understand cache behavior.

This is vital for hybrid deployments and migrations, where unified name resolution reduces friction between environments.

Exercise 25: Apply IAM Policies for Network Segmentation

Finally, combine network controls with identity-based access control. Define IAM policies that restrict who can create or modify network interfaces, route tables, or security groups.

Create multiple IAM roles for networking, security, and application teams. Assign scoped permissions to enforce separation of duties.

Attempt unauthorized actions and verify denial. Use cloud auditing tools to monitor actions across accounts and services.

This exercise reinforces the principle of least privilege and demonstrates how IAM integrates with network-level security. It is a key competency for building secure, scalable, and maintainable cloud environments.

 Share a Subnet with Another Account Using Resource Access Manager

Modern cloud architectures often involve multiple AWS accounts, especially when following a well-architected multi-account strategy. One practical challenge is how to share resources like subnets across accounts while maintaining centralized governance. This is where AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM) becomes essential.

To get hands-on with this, begin by creating a networking account where a VPC and subnet are defined. Then, use RAM to share the subnet with another AWS account inside the same organization. Test if the recipient account can launch EC2 instances in the shared subnet. You’ll quickly observe that while the subnet is shared, the control over it remains with the owner account. Permissions and resource management boundaries remain clearly defined, which is an important concept to remember for both real-world deployment and certification scenarios.

Also investigate what types of resources become visible in the recipient account. For instance, while the subnet is usable, the recipient might not have visibility into the underlying route tables or security groups unless they are explicitly shared. Testing deletion permissions also helps clarify boundaries—attempting to delete the subnet from the recipient account should result in a permission error, reinforcing that the resource ownership remains with the origin account.

Exercise 13: Implement Split-View DNS with Route 53

DNS is a foundational concept in any advanced networking deployment, and Route 53 offers a high degree of flexibility, including support for split-view DNS. This feature allows you to serve different DNS records based on the location of the DNS query source—internal (VPC) or external (public internet). This is incredibly useful for hybrid workloads where private and public services share the same domain name but resolve to different IPs.

To practice, register a domain and create two Route 53 hosted zones: one public and one private. Associate the private hosted zone with your VPC and configure different A records for the same domain in each zone. From a private EC2 instance in the associated VPC, run DNS lookups and confirm that the private record is returned. Perform the same DNS query from an external network or public instance and observe the public response.

This hands-on setup helps reinforce your understanding of how Route 53 resolves DNS queries in different scopes and the importance of the VPC association in private DNS. It also highlights how internal services can remain hidden from the public while still being accessible internally using the same domain.

Exercise 14: Launch EC2 with Custom Private Hostname

Custom DNS hostnames for EC2 instances within a VPC are essential for establishing predictable, human-readable addresses. This is particularly relevant in enterprise networks or microservices environments where service discovery needs to happen dynamically yet remain readable and structured.

Begin by configuring the DHCP options set of your VPC to define a custom domain name and specify AmazonProvidedDNS as the name server. Then launch an EC2 instance and set a custom hostname during instance creation using user-data scripts or post-launch configuration. Ensure that the instance hostname reflects the custom domain suffix and is correctly registered in the Route 53 private hosted zone (if configured).

Testing hostname resolution using nslookup or dig within the VPC allows you to verify DNS behavior and hostname resolution paths. By repeating this exercise across multiple VPCs or using shared subnets, you can observe how custom hostnames can be standardized across accounts and environments.

Exercise 15: Configure DNSSEC on Route 53

Security is a critical theme in the Advanced Networking Specialty exam. One security-focused exercise worth doing is enabling Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) on a Route 53 hosted zone. DNSSEC provides origin authentication of DNS data, helping prevent DNS spoofing attacks by digitally signing zone data.

To practice, begin by creating a Route 53 public hosted zone. Then, enable DNSSEC signing for that zone and configure a key-signing key (KSK) through AWS Key Management Service. After setting up signing, publish the Delegation Signer (DS) record to your domain registrar to complete the chain of trust.

Test your setup using online DNSSEC validators or command-line tools to verify that your domain is properly signed and that DNSSEC validation works as expected. Through this exercise, you will understand the intricacies of DNS security, including trust anchors, cryptographic signatures, and the interaction between AWS and third-party registrars. This is highly relevant not just for the exam, but also for any role involving secure web infrastructure.

Additional Tips for Hands-On Mastery

1. Automate Your Lab Setup:
To save time and avoid configuration errors, consider using CloudFormation or Terraform to automate the deployment of your networking labs. Doing so helps reinforce infrastructure-as-code principles, which are integral to real-world cloud operations and modern DevOps workflows.

2. Monitor Cost and Cleanup:
Remember that services like Cloud WAN, NAT Gateway, and Transit Gateway can generate ongoing costs. Always monitor your bill and clean up resources when not in use. Include cleanup scripts as part of your automation process to make this a habit.

3. Track Configurations with Diagrams:
Use visual tools like Network Manager or third-party architecture tools to draw diagrams of your setups. This will help you reason through routing paths, gateway interactions, and CIDR overlaps. During the exam, having a mental model of the architecture can save you valuable time when interpreting scenario-based questions.

4. Work Across Regions and Accounts:
Many advanced scenarios require cross-region and cross-account configurations. Practice deploying resources in multiple regions and managing policies across organizational units. This will prepare you for complex exam questions where traffic spans geographies or where network isolation and access control are tested.

5. Document Your Learning:
Keep a personal journal or blog to track your experiments. Writing down the objective, configuration steps, results, and learnings will help reinforce memory and give you a handy reference. This also mimics real-world practice where engineers are expected to document their work.

6. Use CloudTrail for Audit Trails:
For exercises involving security, enable CloudTrail to observe API calls and events. For example, when working with IAM, RAM, or DNSSEC, CloudTrail gives you visibility into changes and can help you debug unexpected behavior. Understanding how to read CloudTrail logs is also relevant for governance and incident response tasks.

7. Replicate Enterprise Patterns:
Try to recreate common enterprise architecture patterns such as hub-and-spoke topologies, shared services VPCs, centralized logging, or hybrid connectivity via VPN. These patterns frequently appear in the real world and on the exam.

Final Words:

By completing the hands-on exercises across the four parts of this guide, you’re well on your way to mastering the networking scenarios that matter most in both the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty exam and the real world. These scenarios cover foundational to advanced topics such as VPC peering, PrivateLink, Cloud WAN, Transit Gateway, DNS, hybrid networking, and cross-account resource sharing.

Understanding the theory is important, but nothing replaces the power of doing. When you build it yourself, you uncover the nuance that helps you answer tricky exam questions with confidence. You also develop operational skills that transfer directly to production environments—whether you’re architecting secure, scalable networks or solving high-stakes connectivity problems.

This certification is considered one of the toughest in the AWS ecosystem for a reason. It expects you to know how AWS networking works at a deep level, across services and at scale. These exercises are structured to help you bridge the gap between learning and mastery. They also serve as a confidence booster—you’re not just memorizing concepts; you’re deploying, configuring, debugging, and solving.

If you’ve made it this far, keep going. You are far better prepared than most candidates. And if you continue reinforcing these concepts with real AWS experience, you’ll not only earn the certification but also develop into a highly skilled networking professional with capabilities that stand out in any cloud engineering role.