FAQs
Why does the HSRN exist and why is it special?
The HSRN was born from the Holodeck MRI, an NSF-funded project to build the Holodeck from Star Trek. As part of this, a high bandwidth, low latency network was needed to handle the low latency requirements of the interactive components, as well as the movement of massive amounts of multimedia data. Since then, the HSRN has expanded to assist research labs and projects throughout the University to support new kinds of high bandwidth and low latency use cases. The HSRN is managed by engineers and research scientists at Research Technology Services, who work closely with NYU HPC and NYU Network Engineering.
Where does the HSRN fit into the wider scope of Research Technology at NYU?
Connecting to the HSRN puts research workstations, servers, and lab equipment on the same network as HPC Services (such as Greene) as well as a high bandwidth fast-path to the Internet. If you heavily utilize existing Research Technology offerings such as HPC, transfer large datasets over the network, or have a use case that would benefit or be innovated by microsecond latency connections throughout NYU (notably involving multimedia data), you may benefit from using the HSRN.
Why is the HSRN only available in select locations?
The HSRN is only available in select buildings because to achieve the higher bandwidth and lower latency, optical fiber, and high-speed cabling must be installed from the ground up as the existing infrastructure is simply unable to support our speeds. This involves careful planning by the HSRN and Network Infrastructure teams, external contractors to cable the building with fiber, as well as new high-performance network switches.
Can I access resources on NYU-NET if I'm connected to HSRN?
Yes, you will still be able to access most services. In some cases, firewall rules may need to be altered, or routes added. However, the HSRN is purpose-built for research, certain administrative services may be unavailable for security purposes. If you need to access these while over the HSRN, please use the NYU VPN.
Am I on HSRN now?
You can use the hsrn-or-not page to test whether a machine is connected via HSRN.
A service or website hosted in NYU-NET I need for research is unavailable from HSRN. What do I do?
If a research-supporting service is required and unavailable when connecting through the HSRN, please send us an email at hsrn-support@nyu.edu and we will be able to assist. If the service is managed by your IT department, please email us as well and we will provide the appropriate HSRN network information.
What if I move my server farther away from the Optical Distribution Box, such as to another room?
If you require connectivity to a part of your lab that is farther away from your Optical Distribution Box's initial placement, please send us an email at hsrn-support@nyu.edu to assist in planning. Cables may be routed through the ceiling or a cable tray.
Can I connect to NYU-NET and the HSRN at the same time?
"Dual-homing" a host between NYU-NET and the HSRN is not allowed.
Who manages and governs the HSRN?
The High Speed Research Network (HSRN) team is an interdisciplinary team of research scientists and engineers that manage components of the HPC infrastructure to support and enhance the research community of New York University. Additionally, our team directly assists researchers in leveraging the NYU investment in specialized equipment to compete for larger interdisciplinary research grants.
A research Faculty Advisory Board (FAB) provides oversight and input to NYU IT regarding HSRN governance, planning, and operations.
Our department is under NYU Research Technology Services at NYU.