Network Drives (macOS) - Connecting to a Network Drive

Follow these steps to connect to a network drive in macOS.

Before performing these steps, you must know the address of the network drive. On macOS, this address will look something like:
smb://lss.drive.wisc.edu/lss
If you do not know the address for your network drive, please contact the TechZone.

  1. If you are off-campus, connect to WiscVPN: WiscVPN - How to Install, Connect, Uninstall, and Disconnect WiscVPN Palo Alto GlobalProtect.
  2. Open Finder.
  3. From the menu at the top of the screen, select Go > Connect to Server...
  4. Enter the address of the network drive in the "Server Address" field.
  5. Click the plus (+) button to save the drive address for easy access.
  6. Click Connect.
  7. If prompted to continue, click Connect.
  8. When prompted for a "Name" and "Password", enter your NetID credentials. If you'd like to skip this step in the future, check Remember this password in my keychain.
  9. Click Connect.

If you were successful, Finder will open the network drive. Depending on your Finder settings, you may see it on your Desktop or in the Finder sidebar.

Connecting at Login

  1. Follow the steps above to connect to the drive if it is not already connected.
  2. Open Finder.
  3. Using the menu at the top of the screen, select Finder > Preferences...
  4. On the General tab, ensure that Hard disks is checked. This should add an icon for the drive to your Desktop.
  5. Right-click (or hold control and click) on the drive icon on your Desktop.
  6. Select Make Alias.
  7. If desired, move the alias from your desktop to another convenient location. You can even pin it to the right side of the Dock, near the Trash.

When you log in to your computer, double-click on the alias to connect to the drive. Remember that you'll need to use VPN to connect when you are off-campus.

Troubleshooting

  • Make sure you're connected to the internet.
  • Make sure you've typed the server name correctly.
  • Make sure you've entered your NetID credentials correctly. If you'd like to double-check, try logging in to MyUW.


Keywordsshared storage space map   Doc ID88098
OwnerDavid H.GroupL&S Learning Support Services
Created2018-11-30 11:19:24Updated2023-03-07 16:30:07
SitesL&S Learning Support Services
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