What is a common challenge that customers face when using MPLS for their WAN?

Question

Options

• AMPLS links, while cost-effective, do not provide dedicated bandwidth
• BMPLS links create an inefficient flow for cloud applications
• CMPLS Links can only go straight to the internet and cannot connect directly to the data center
• DMPLS links are less secure than broadband-based links

• B
  13% (2)
• C
  81% (13)
• D
  6% (1)

Explanation

There's a likely error in this answer key - option C is factually backwards. MPLS is specifically designed to connect branch offices directly to data centers over a private, managed network. It does not route traffic "straight to the internet"; that's what standard broadband does.

Option B is the defensible correct answer. The well-known challenge with MPLS in modern WANs is exactly what B describes: traffic must backhaul through the corporate data center before reaching cloud applications (SaaS, IaaS). This "hairpinning" adds latency and is why SD-WAN emerged as an alternative.

Why the other distractors are wrong:

• A is wrong twice over - MPLS is expensive (not cost-effective) and it does provide dedicated, QoS-guaranteed bandwidth.
• D is wrong because MPLS is a private network, making it generally more secure than public broadband, not less.
• C is wrong because it describes the opposite of reality - MPLS excels at connecting to data centers.

Memory tip: Think of MPLS as a "private highway to the data center." The modern problem is that cloud apps live off that highway, so every branch-to-cloud trip detours through headquarters. That inefficiency (option B) is why enterprises are moving to SD-WAN.

I'd recommend flagging this question to your exam prep source - the answer key appears to have an error.

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