How do I connect to a network drive or file share?
Many resources are stored on network file shares for collaboration, security, and data protection. Connections to these network resources are possible from most common operating systems both on and off campus.
If connecting to a network file share on campus, the wired network and IllinoisNet wireless will provide the network security requirements for establishing the connection. If using an off-campus internet connection, a Technology Services VPN connection is required before the network file share can be mapped.
Connecting to EWS Home Directories
For instructions connecting to your EWS Windows home directory, please see EWS Labs, Remote access to your EWS Windows home directory.
For instructions connecting to your EWS Linux home directory, please see EWS Labs, Remote access to your EWS Linux home directory.
Connecting to File Servers Using Windows:
1. If using an off-campus internet connection, a Technology Services VPN connection is required before the network file share can be mapped.
2. Open the Start Menu by selecting the Start Button and then type This PC. Click and open This PC.
3. Select the Computer tab and then click Map network drive.
4. A Map Network Drive window will appear. Select a Drive letter and a Folder path.
- For Drive: select a drive not already in use on your computer.
- For Folder: your department or IT support should provide a path to enter in this box. An example for format would be: \\file-server.engr.illinois.edu\fileshare
- For EWS Windows, connect to: \\ad.uillinois.edu\engr-ews\YourNetID
- To connect automatically each time you log in, check the Reconnect at logon box.
- Check Connect using different credentials.
- Click Finish.
5. A Windows Security box will ask for login information for the network file share.
- For most College of Engineering resources, you will use: UOFI\YourNetID as the username, where "YourNetID" is the NetID you use for logging in to other campus resources. The password will be your UOFI Active Directory password. (These will be the same credentials you use to log into your UOFI Exchange Email account if you have one.)
6. If the connection is successful, a drive for the network fileshare will appear.
For computers on Windows operating systems earlier than Windows 10 like Windows 7, the above steps should still be applicable except for Step 1 where This PC may need to be replaced by Computer in the search menu.
Connecting to File Servers Using macOS:
1. If using an off-campus internet connection, a Technology Services VPN connection is required before the network file share can be mapped.
2. Open a Finder window.
3. The Finder menu will appear at the top of the screen. Select the Go menu, then click Connect to server.
4. A Connect to Server window will appear.
- In the Server Address: box, enter the path to the file share, prefixing the path with smb:// and using forward slashes in the path (/). Your department or IT support should provide you with this information. An example of the format would be: "smb://file-server.engr.illinois.edu/fileshare". For EWS Windows, connect to: \\ad.uillinois.edu\engr-ews\YourNetID
- If you wish to save this path for future use, click the + after entering the path to save it in the Favorite Servers: box below.
- Click Connect.
5. An SMB File System Authentication window will appear.
- For Name, enter your campus NetID.
- For Password, enter your UOFI Active Directory password. (These will be the same credentials you use to log into your UOFI Exchange Email account if you have one.)
- If you have a box for Workgroup or Domain, enter "UOFI".
6. If the connection is successful, a drive for the network file share will appear in Finder.