---
name: text-to-speech-virtual-endpoints
title: Virtual Private Endpoints
description: IBM Cloud® Virtual Private Endpoints (VPE) for VPC enables you to connect to supported IBM Cloud® services from your VPC network by using the IP addresses of your choosing, allocated from a subnet within your VPC. See more details here.
last-updated: 2023-01-14
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/text-to-speech?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Virtual Private Endpoints
{: #virtual-private-endpoints}

[IBM Cloud]{: tag-ibm-cloud}

IBM Cloud® Virtual Private Endpoints (VPE) for VPC enables you to connect to supported IBM Cloud® services from your VPC network by using the IP addresses of your choosing, allocated from a subnet within your VPC.  See more details [here](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-about-vpe&format=markdown).
{: shortdesc}

This document applies to watsonx Assistant, Discovery, Speech to Text, and Text to Speech. Virtual Private Endpoints (VPEs) are available for these services in the Dallas, Washington, Frankfurt, London, Sydney, and Tokyo locations.
{: note}

## Prerequisites
{: #prereqs-virtual-endpoints}

- Have a [Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-getting-started&format=markdown)

- Have [private endpoints enabled](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watson?topic=watson-public-private-endpoints&format=markdown#requirements-endpoints) for your service instance

## Instructions
{: #instructions-virtual-endpoints}

- Create a VPE Gateway (VPEG) through the [UI](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-ordering-endpoint-gateway&interface=ui&format=markdown), [CLI](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-ordering-endpoint-gateway&interface=cli&format=markdown), or [API](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-ordering-endpoint-gateway&interface=api&format=markdown).

- Creation of the VPEG is confirmed when an IP address is set in the [details view of the VPEG page in the UI](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-vpe-viewing-details-of-an-endpoint-gateway&interface=ui&format=markdown), [CLI output of the `endpoint-gateway` command](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-vpe-viewing-details-of-an-endpoint-gateway&interface=cli&format=markdown), or [API details call](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-vpe-viewing-details-of-an-endpoint-gateway&interface=api&format=markdown).

You can verify by running `nslookup <endpoint>` on the private service endpoint of the Watson service from your VPC, for example:

```sh
# nslookup api.private.us-south.assistant.watson.cloud.ibm.com
Server:   127.0.0.53
Address:  127.0.0.53#53

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:   api.private.us-south.assistant.watson.cloud.ibm.com
Address: 10.240.0.9   <---- your VPE IP address
```
{: codeblock}

To make requests using the assigned IP address instead of just the private service endpoint as suggested [here](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-faqs-vpe&format=markdown#faq-access-using-cse-adn), you must do your own hostname resolution. For example:

```sh
curl -X POST "https://api.private.us-south.assistant.watson.cloud.ibm.com/v2/assistants" --connect ::10.240.0.9
```
{: pre}

```sh
curl -X POST "https://api.private.us-south.assistant.watson.cloud.ibm.com/v2/assistants" --resolve api.private.us-south.assistant.watson.cloud.ibm.com:443:10.240.0.9
```
{: pre}

## Additional links
{: #additional-links-virtual-endpoints}

- [IBM Cloud VPC](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?format=markdown)
- [VPE FAQ](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-faqs-vpe&format=markdown)
- [Accessing the VPE after setup](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-accessing-vpe-after-setup&format=markdown)
- [Viewing Details of a VPE Gateway](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-vpe-viewing-details-of-an-endpoint-gateway&interface=ui&format=markdown)
- [VPE Limitations](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-limitations-vpe&format=markdown)
- [Full VPC CLI reference](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-vpc-reference&interface=cli&format=markdown)