Direct Connect is a dedicated physical network link between your data center and AWS. It bypasses the public internet for more consistent bandwidth, lower latency, and better security than a VPN.
Direct Connect vs VPN
Site-to-Site VPN runs over the public internet — quick to set up, encrypted, but variable performance. Direct Connect is a private dedicated line — consistent, high bandwidth, lower latency, but takes time to provision. When a scenario stresses consistent performance or large sustained data transfer to on-prem, that’s Direct Connect.
Test yourself
A company transfers large volumes of data between its data center and AWS daily and needs consistent, high bandwidth with low latency. What’s the best connection?
- Site-to-Site VPN
- AWS Direct Connect
- A NAT gateway
- Internet Gateway
👉 Click to reveal the answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Direct Connect provides a dedicated private link with consistent high bandwidth and low latency — ideal for heavy, steady transfers. A VPN (A) rides the public internet with variable performance; NAT (C) and Internet Gateways (D) provide internet access, not private on-prem links.
Related topics
Amazon VPC · Transit Gateway · VPC peering
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