Building My First AWS Network: A Hands-on VPC Lab
A hands-on exploration of Amazon VPC, where I learned how CIDR blocks, subnets, route tables, Internet Gateways, NAT Gateways, and security groups work together to build and manage a cloud network. Part of my AWS learning journey with the AWS Student Builders Group FUTA Bootcamp.
Before deploying resources in the cloud, we need a network for them to operate in. This is where Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) comes in.
A VPC is a logically isolated virtual network within AWS where we can launch resources and control how they communicate. It uses a CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) block to define its IP address range. For example,
10.0.0.0/16 provides a private IPv4 address range that can be divided into smaller networks called subnets.Subnets help organize resources, while route tables and gateways determine how network traffic moves.
This was the architecture I deploy for the lab.
Building My First VPC Infrastructure
For this lab, I worked on building a VPC infrastructure in AWS as part of the AWS Student Builders Group FUTA Bootcamp.
I created a VPC named
lab-vpc with the CIDR block 10.0.0.0/16 and enabled DNS resolution and DNS hostnames. I then worked with public and private subnets, route tables, an Internet Gateway, and a NAT Gateway before deploying an EC2 web server.The goal was to understand how these components fit together to provide network connectivity and control access to cloud resources.
Understanding Subnets and Availability Zones
A subnet is a smaller network within a VPC, created from part of the VPC's IP address range. Public subnets are configured to support direct internet connectivity, while private subnets are typically used for resources that should not be directly reachable from the internet.
During the lab, I started with two subnets in one Availability Zone and expanded the setup to four subnets across two Availability Zones, with public and private subnets in each.
This helped me understand how a VPC can be organized into separate networks and how distributing resources across Availability Zones can support resilience.
Routing Traffic Through Gateways
Route tables determine where network traffic is directed. In this lab, the public route table used a default route (
0.0.0.0/0) pointing to the Internet Gateway, while the private route table directed internet-bound traffic to the NAT Gateway.The Internet Gateway provides a path between the VPC and the internet for appropriately configured resources. The NAT Gateway allows instances in private subnets to initiate outbound internet connections without needing their own public IP addresses.
Working with both route tables helped me understand that connectivity depends not just on where a resource is placed, but also on how its traffic is routed.
Controlling Access with Security Groups
Security groups act as virtual firewalls for resources such as EC2 instances. They control permitted inbound and outbound traffic through rules based on factors such as protocol, port, and source or destination.
I configured a security group named
Web Security Group to allow HTTP traffic over TCP port 80 from 0.0.0.0/0. This allowed HTTP requests from any IPv4 address, subject to the other network settings.Deploying and Testing the Web Server
To test the infrastructure, I launched an Amazon Linux EC2 instance in a public subnet, enabled public IP assignment, and attached the Web Security Group.
I accessed the instance using its public IPv4 address, and the web page loaded successfully.
This was an important part of the lab because it allowed me to verify that the web server was reachable through the configured network path. It also reinforced how subnet configuration, routing, public IP addressing, and security group rules work together to enable connectivity.
Key Takeaway
This lab helped me connect the concepts of VPCs, CIDR blocks, subnets, Availability Zones, route tables, gateways, and security groups to a working AWS environment.
Rather than viewing these as separate services, I began to understand how they work together to build and manage cloud network infrastructure.
One lab at a time. ☁️
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