An Internet Gateway is a critical VPC component that allows resources within the VPC to communicate with the public internet. Without an Internet Gateway, instances within the VPC would not be able to send or receive traffic from the internet. A Network Access Control List (NACL) acts as a firewall for controlling traffic in and out of subnets, but it does not enable internet communication itself. A Virtual Private Gateway is used to establish a VPN connection between your VPC and your on-premises network, not direct internet access. A Subnet is a range of IP addresses in your VPC, it merely segments your network and does not provide internet access.