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A virtual private cloud (VPC) is a logically isolated network that you define inside a public cloud. It gives your cloud resources an IP address range, subnets, routes, and traffic controls. The isolation is software-defined: a VPC does not mean you own separate physical data-center hardware.
What does a VPC do?
A VPC gives cloud workloads a network structure you can organize and control. Within it, you choose an address space, divide that space into subnets, define where network traffic can go, and apply rules that limit which traffic resources accept or send.
That structure matters because cloud resources do not all need the same exposure or connections. A web-facing service may need a route to the internet, while a database or application backend may need to communicate with other resources without having a direct inbound internet path. A VPC lets you build those different network roles within a single cloud environment.
Amazon Web Services describes its VPC as a “logically isolated virtual network” that you define. The key word is logically: the provider supplies the underlying infrastructure, while software-defined network settings separate and direct your traffic. The VPC is therefore a network boundary and configuration framework, not a private physical data center.
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A VPC is not itself a firewall, a single server, or an internet connection. It is the network in which you arrange resources, routes, gateways, endpoints, and traffic controls. Those components work together: the address plan identifies where resources fit, subnets group them, route tables provide paths, and security settings constrain traffic.
How do VPC address ranges and subnets work?
The VPC address range is the pool of IP addresses available to its network. Subnets divide that larger range into smaller ranges and provide distinct places to put workloads.
When defining a VPC, you choose an IPv4 range and, if your design needs it, an IPv6 range. These ranges are expressed using CIDR notation. The subnet ranges must fit within the VPC’s address plan, so the initial allocation affects how much room you have to separate workloads and add networks later.
Subnets are useful for more than organizing addresses. In AWS, each subnet belongs to one Availability Zone, while the VPC spans a Region. This lets a VPC cover multiple zones in that Region, with resources placed in the subnet associated with the zone where they run.
For example, a team might create separate subnets for web-facing resources, application backends, and databases. The separation makes it possible to apply different routing and security choices to each group. The labels alone do not enforce those differences: routes and traffic controls must be configured to support the intended design.
Plan the address ranges before deploying workloads. A clear, deliberate allocation helps avoid treating one large undifferentiated range as if it were a complete network design. It also gives you a basis for separating environments or connecting the VPC to another network. The exact ranges and connection requirements depend on the organization’s wider network plan.
How do VPC route tables work?
A route table is a set of destination-and-target rules that determines where traffic from a VPC is directed. AWS’s documentation describes routes as rules for directing network traffic. In practice, a route table supplies a path; it does not, by itself, guarantee that a connection is permitted.
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A route’s destination identifies the traffic the rule applies to, and its target identifies the next path for that traffic. Depending on the network design, traffic can remain within the VPC, go through an internet gateway, use a NAT gateway, reach an eligible cloud service through a private endpoint, or travel to another network through peering, a transit gateway, or a VPN.
Route tables are associated with subnets. That association is important because it means different subnets can have different paths. A subnet intended for internet-facing workloads can use a route to an internet gateway, while a backend subnet can have no direct inbound internet route and instead use a controlled outbound path or private service endpoint.
Think of the route table as the network’s directions, not its permissions list. A route can direct a packet toward a destination, but security groups or network ACLs may still block traffic. Conversely, allowing traffic in a security rule does not create a route where none exists. Troubleshooting usually requires checking both path and permission.
What is the difference between a public and private subnet?
“Public” and “private” describe a subnet’s routing and exposure, not separate categories of VPC. A public subnet generally has a route through an internet gateway, and a workload also needs appropriate addressing and security rules to communicate as intended.
A private subnet lacks a direct inbound internet route. That does not mean its resources must be completely disconnected. It may have controlled outbound access through a NAT gateway, or private access to eligible cloud services through endpoints. These are distinct paths with different purposes; a private endpoint, for example, provides access to an eligible service without making that access equivalent to general internet connectivity.
A common AWS design places web servers in public subnets and databases or application backends in private subnets. This reduces direct internet exposure for systems that do not need it. The design still depends on appropriate routes and security rules: calling a subnet “private” does not, by itself, secure every resource in it.
When evaluating a subnet, check the actual configuration rather than relying on its name. Consider its associated route table, the resource’s addressing, and the traffic controls that apply. A label such as “public” or “database” is useful for people, but network behavior comes from the configured paths and rules.
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How do VPC security groups and network ACLs differ?
In AWS, security groups control traffic at the resource level, while network access control lists (network ACLs) control traffic at the subnet level. They can be used together, providing traffic controls at two different points in the network.
This difference helps explain why a resource may be reachable from one place but not another. A subnet-level ACL can affect traffic entering or leaving that subnet, while a resource-level security group governs traffic associated with that resource. If an expected connection fails, check both layers as well as the route table.
Use each control in the context of its scope. Subnet-level rules shape traffic for a group of resources in that subnet; resource-level rules provide controls closer to an individual workload. Neither changes the route table’s job of selecting a path, and neither should be treated as a substitute for planning the network’s connectivity.
How does a VPC connect to the internet, services, or other networks?
Different connection components provide different kinds of paths. An internet gateway supports internet connectivity for a VPC when routes and workload configuration use it. A NAT gateway commonly lets resources in private subnets initiate outbound connections without giving those subnets a direct inbound internet route.
Endpoints provide private access to eligible cloud services. For connections beyond a single VPC, peering, transit gateways, and VPNs are among the options described in AWS’s VPC guidance. The right choice depends on what networks or services need to communicate and how the organization intends to manage those connections.
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For a new design, write down the required flows in plain language: which workloads need to reach which services or networks, and whether communication should be inbound, outbound, or private. Then map each flow to a route and the relevant traffic controls. This avoids assuming that placing resources in one VPC automatically gives them all the connectivity they need.
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How should I plan a VPC for a new workload?
Start with the resources and traffic the workload requires, then allocate address space and decide how to separate its network roles. The following sequence keeps the key decisions in a useful order; exact console steps and available features vary by provider.
- List the workloads and connections. Identify the web-facing components, backends, databases, cloud services, and any other networks they must reach. Note which flows need to be inbound, outbound, or private.
- Choose the VPC address space. Select IPv4 and, where required, IPv6 CIDR ranges that fit the wider network plan. Consider whether the VPC will later need to connect to other networks.
- Divide the range into subnets. Group resources according to placement and routing needs. In AWS, plan subnet placement by Availability Zone because each subnet belongs to one zone and the VPC spans a Region.
- Associate routes with the subnets. Decide which traffic stays inside the VPC and which paths use an internet gateway, NAT, an endpoint, or a network connection such as peering, transit, or VPN.
- Apply traffic controls at the right scope. In AWS, use resource-level security groups and subnet-level network ACLs as appropriate. Confirm that the allowed traffic matches the intended paths.
- Validate the design against each required flow. For every connection, verify that a route exists and that applicable traffic controls permit it. Check that workloads placed in private subnets do not inadvertently receive direct inbound internet routing.
This sequence is a planning framework, not a provider-specific deployment recipe. Provider interfaces, default behaviors, and network features differ. Confirm the current documentation for the provider and the specific region or configuration before deploying production infrastructure.
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AWS documents a default VPC in each Region for eligible accounts. It includes default subnets, an internet gateway, and a main route to the internet. That can provide a ready-made starting network, but it may not match an organization’s address plan or exposure requirements.
Teams often create custom networks to control CIDR allocation, separate environments, limit internet exposure, connect on-premises systems, or standardize security and observability. Those are design reasons to make the network fit the workload rather than simply accepting the account’s default arrangement.
The choice is not simply “default is unsafe” versus “custom is secure.” A default VPC has documented components, but the appropriate network depends on the workload, organizational policy, and required connections. Review its actual routes and resource exposure against those needs before deciding whether to use it or build a custom design.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is an AWS VPC the same as an Azure VNet or Google Cloud VPC?
They are comparable cloud networking constructs, but they are not identical implementations. AWS calls its construct a VPC, Google Cloud calls it a VPC network, and Azure calls its comparable construct a Virtual Network (VNet).
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| Provider | Network term | Related detail established by provider guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Web Services | Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) | A VPC spans a Region; each subnet is in one Availability Zone. |
| Google Cloud | VPC network | Supports Compute Engine, GKE, and serverless workloads. |
| Microsoft Azure | Virtual Network (VNet) | Microsoft maps an AWS VPC or Google Cloud VPC network to an Azure VNet, and security groups to Azure network security groups (NSGs). |
The shared idea is a software-defined cloud network, but terminology alone does not tell you how a provider handles network scope, subnet and zone models, route behavior, firewall semantics, internet access, private service access, hybrid connections, IPv4 or IPv6, logging, or charges for gateways and data transfer. Those are design-specific details to confirm in each provider’s current documentation rather than assume to be interchangeable.
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What should I check when a VPC connection does not work?
Work through the network path from source to destination instead of changing settings at random. A connection can fail because its route is missing, its target path is wrong, or a traffic control blocks it.
- Confirm the address and placement. Check that the resources are in the intended VPC and subnet and that the VPC and subnet address ranges support the planned placement.
- Inspect the subnet’s route table. Verify that it has a route for the destination and that the route targets the intended gateway, endpoint, or network connection.
- Check the traffic controls. In AWS, examine both resource-level security groups and subnet-level network ACLs. Confirm the required traffic is allowed at the applicable layer.
- Verify the intended exposure. For a workload expected to use the internet, check the relevant route and required addressing and security rules. For a private workload, verify the specific NAT or endpoint path it is meant to use.
- Check the network connection type. If traffic must leave the VPC, confirm that the design includes the appropriate peering, transit, or VPN path and that the route table directs traffic to it.
Keep the distinction between route and permission in view throughout diagnosis: a valid route does not override a security rule, and a permissive security rule cannot create a missing route. Tracing the intended flow one layer at a time makes it easier to find which part of the configuration disagrees with the design.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CIDR mean in a VPC?
CIDR notation is the format used to express an IP address range, such as the range assigned to a VPC or subnet. It lets a network plan describe a block of addresses compactly; the selected blocks still need to fit together in the organization’s broader addressing plan.
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A VPC defines network isolation, addressing, routing, and traffic controls; those properties alone do not establish that every traffic flow is encrypted. Check the encryption behavior of the particular service or connection you use rather than treating network placement as proof of encryption.
Can resources in the same VPC communicate without any configuration?
Being in one VPC does not mean every desired connection is automatically allowed. The route and applicable traffic controls still determine whether a particular flow has a path and is permitted.
Can I use the same VPC design in multiple cloud providers?
You can reuse the architectural intent—such as separating public-facing and backend roles—but should not assume identical implementation details. Confirm each provider’s current behavior for scope, routing, security controls, service access, and connectivity before translating a design.
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