DirectAccess Planning Q&A

• Which client operating systems can connect using DirectAccess?

  Answer: Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise, and Windows 8.x Enterprise. You'll notice that the Professional SKU is missing from this list. That is correct, Windows 7 and Windows 8 Pro do not contain the DirectAccess connectivity components. Yes, this does mean that Surface Pro tablets cannot utilize DirectAccess out of the box. However, I have seen many companies now install Windows 8 Enterprise onto their Surface tablets, effectively turning them into "Surface Enterprises." This works fine and does indeed enable them to be DirectAccess clients. In fact, I am currently typing this text on a DirectAccess-connected Surface "Pro turned Enterprise" tablet.

• Do I need one or two NICs on my DirectAccess server?

  Answer: Technically, you could set it up either way. In practice however, it really is designed for dual-NIC implementation. Single NIC DirectAccess works okay sometimes...