| Connecting to the NASA Headquarters Virtual Private Network (VPN) requires a Headquarters-issued laptop. It cannot be used from a personal or public-access computer. VPN gives users access to private network resources such as file servers and internal Web sites. It is not necessary to use VPN to connect to NASA Headquarters' publicly available services. Note: Access to the public Internet is required to access NASA HQ VPN.
Known Issues with the VPN Method of Accessing NASA Headquarters
Note: These comments apply to either Windows or Mac OS computers. Users connecting their Headquarters-issued laptop to Verizon-supplied DSL modems may encounter problems obtaining any high-speed Internet connection, and will be unable to use OWA, SNA, or VPN.
Headquarters' VPN service requires Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to assign IP addresses or a known static IP address. The modems Verizon has issued over the last few years have varied in type and quality, and a significant proportion of them are not DHCP enabled. While workarounds are often possible, each of the many different modems Verizon has made available require a different solution. Obtaining the correct instructions for your Verizon modem is only possible by working with Verizon directly.
If the modem is too difficult to work with, a user can invest in an “air card,” available for purchase via PCMall. Air cards are small devices that plug into a computer. They utilize cell phone technology rather than wireless access points and provide a fast, more reliable signal in most urban areas. An air card would make your laptop Internet-ready in any location where cell phones function.
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