In Mac OS X, how do I connect to network servers or another computer on the network?

Note: This document assumes you are using Mac OS X 10.1 or later and have an Internet connection.

On this page:

• Connecting
  • AppleShare
  • SMB
  • WebDAV
  • NFS
• Accessing
• Disconnecting

Connecting

With Mac OS X, you may connect to servers that use the following protocols: AppleShare, SMB, WebDAV, and NFS. The preferred method of connecting is via TCP/IP, but some AppleShare servers are available via AppleTalk.

Connecting to an AppleShare server over TCP/IP

1. With the Finder active, from the Go menu, select Connect to Server... . Alternatively, with the Finder active, press Cmd-k .
   
   
2. In the Connect to Server window that opens, next to the "Address:" field, type the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address of the server (e.g., idisk.mac.com). Click Connect.
   
   
3. In the authentication window that appears, type your username and password for the server. If the volume has guest access, click the Guest radio button instead. Click Connect.
   
   
4. Select the volume of the server and click OK.

Connecting to an AppleShare server over AppleTalk

The following instructions assume you have AppleTalk turned on and have access to an AppleTalk network. Note that AppleTalk is not available on the Indiana University network.

1. With the Finder active, from the Go menu, select Connect to Server... . Alternatively, with the Finder active, press Cmd-k .
   
   
2. In the Connect to Server window that opens, in OS X 10.3.x, click Browse. In the Network window that opens, if your AppleTalk network is divided into zones, click the AppleTalk zone for the server to which you wish to connect.

   In OS X 10.2.x or earlier, click the blue arrow to the far side of the "At:" menu so that it is expanded. If you are using Mac OS X 10.1.5 or earlier, in the left column, click AppleTalk. If your AppleTalk network is divided into zones, click the AppleTalk zone for the server to which you wish to connect.

3. Click the server you want to mount, and then click Connect.
   
   
4. In the authentication window that appears, type your username and password for the server. If the volume has guest access, click the Guest radio button instead. Click Connect.
   
   
5. Select the volume you want to mount and click OK.

Connecting to an SMB (Windows) server

Note: Because UITS has disabled LM and NTLMv1 support at IU, Macintosh systems using Mac OS X 10.3.9 or earlier are unable to make SMB connections to Windows servers that are part of ADS. If you use Mac OS X 10.3.9 or earlier, you should upgrade to Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

These instructions assume you have a connection to the Internet. Because SMB traffic at IU is filtered, you may not access campus SMB servers from off campus unless you are using VPN or the IU modem pools.

1. With the Finder active, from the Go menu, select Connect to Server... . Alternatively, with the Finder active, press Cmd-k .
   
   
2. In the Connect to Server window that opens, next to the "Address:" field, type smb:// , followed by the FQDN or IP address of the server, a forward slash, and then the name of the shared volume.

   The smb must be lowercase. If you are using Mac OS X 10.1, you must type the name of the shared volume because the Finder will not ask you for it. In Mac OS X 10.2, for some servers, you may omit the share name, and the Finder will ask you to choose a share after you authenticate.

   Note: Windows server administrators should have reverse DNS registration for Windows servers accessed by Macintosh or Unix systems.

   Alternatively, click the Browse button (OS X 10.3.x) or the blue triangle button (10.2.x) to browse the network for available servers. Select the one to which you wish to connect.

3. Click Connect.
   
   
4. In the authentication window that appears, type your username and password for the server. You must also specify the domain where the server is located. For most servers at IU, use ADS . Click OK.

Connecting to a WebDAV server

1. With the Finder active, from the Go menu, select Connect to Server... . Alternatively, with the Finder active, press Cmd-k .
   
   
2. In the Connect to Server window that opens, type the URL of the WebDAV shared volume (e.g., http://idisk.mac.com/username/). The http must be lowercase.
   
   
3. Click Connect.
   
   
4. In the authentication window that appears, type your username and password for the server, and then click OK.

Connecting to an NFS server

1. With the Finder active, from the Go menu, select Connect to Server... . Alternatively, with the Finder active, press Cmd-k .
   
   
2. In the Connect to Server window that opens, next to the "Address:" field, type nfs:// , followed by the FQDN or IP address of the server, a forward slash, and then the path of the exported share, for example: nfs://foo.com/home/u/jdoe

   The nfs must be lowercase. You must also type the name of the export; the Finder will not ask you for it.

3. Click Connect.

Accessing

Normally, when you access a shared volume on a network server, its icon will appear on your desktop. The exception is if you have changed your Finder preferences so that connected server icons do not appear on the desktop. If you have done this and want to see your mounted volumes, with the Finder active, from the Go menu, select Computer. A Finder window listing your disks and mounted volumes will appear.

Disconnecting

To unmount a network volume, drag its icon to the Trash in the Dock. (The Trash icon will turn into an arrow as you do this, indicating that you are ejecting rather than deleting.) Optionally, in Mac OS X 10.3.x (Panther), click the Eject icon next to the volume in the Finder window's sidebar. You can also click the volume icon, and then press Cmd-e .

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