4.4 Connecting to the outside world and to yourself
You can join a cloud network to an office, another account or another cloud.
Before:03. Storage & DatabasesUnlocks:05. Identity, Security & Compliance
The same thing, three names
One idea, sold under a different brand by each provider. Learn it once and you can read any job advertisement.
- On AWS
- Site-to-Site VPN, Direct Connect, Transit Gateway, PrivateLink
- On Azure
- VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, Virtual WAN, Private Link
- On Google Cloud
- Cloud VPN, Cloud Interconnect, Network Connectivity Center, Private Service Connect
Sooner or later a cloud network must reach something outside itself — an office, another account, another cloud — and this topic covers the joining machinery: site-to-site VPNs, dedicated interconnects, peering, transit hubs and private endpoints for managed services. It closes the networking module because it assumes everything the module built. The judgement it teaches is when a dedicated line's cost is justified; the confusion it clears is peering transitivity — peering two networks with a third does not connect all three, which is exactly what transit hubs exist to fix.
Work through these
VPN gateways and site-to-site tunnels
An encrypted tunnel over the public internet is the cheapest way to join an office network to a cloud network. It is quick to set up and its performance depends on an internet you do not control.
Dedicated interconnects and when the cost is justified
A dedicated private circuit gives predictable bandwidth and latency at a cost that only some workloads justify. This item is about being able to make that argument with numbers rather than instinct.
Network peering and transit hubs
Connecting many networks pairwise gets unmanageable quickly, which is why a central transit hub exists. Recognising when you have crossed that threshold saves a redesign.
Private endpoints for managed services
A private endpoint lets you reach a managed service over your own network instead of the public internet. It is the standard way to use a provider's database without exposing anything.
Sign in to keep your progress.
Free resources
We haven't checked most of these for screen reader use yet.
Links last checked 29 Aug 2026.
Stuck here?
Ask a mentor. A real person answers, and they can see exactly which topic you're on. Usually within a couple of working days.
Checking your session…
Topics shown in module order.