EWS Labs, Remote access to your EWS Windows home directory

Overview

This page describes how to access files in your EWS Windows home directory remotely.

If you're connecting from off-campus, a Technology Services VPN connection using the "2_TunnelAll" option is required before the EWS home directory can be mapped.  If you're connecting from on-campus, the wired network and IllinoisNet wireless will allow the home directory to be mapped. 

Below are instructions for Windows and macOS. Please note that EWS support for personal devices is best-effort, and that these instructions are provided for reference only. EWS cannot guarantee that remote access to our systems will be compatible with your personal device.

EWS home directories are only meant to provide enough space for instructors and students to work on their courses for the current semester. Data will not persist beyond the current semester. At the end of each semester, we strongly recommend moving important files to the free cloud storage provided through your campus account, such as OneDrive, Box, or Google Drive (sign into these services with your campus account).

From Windows

  1. If connecting from off-campus, connect to the Technology Services VPN using the "2_TunnelAll" option

  2. Open Windows File Explorer by clicking on the folder icon in the taskbar.

  3. Right-click on This PC and select Map network drive.

    Map Network Drive

  4. A Map Network Drive window will appear. Select a Drive letter and input the Folder path.

    1. For Drive: select a drive letter not already in use on your computer.

    2. To connect to your Engineering home folder, input the following with your netID: \\ad.uillinois.edu\engr-ews\YourNetID (i.e., \\ad.uillinois.edu\engr-ews\johndoe).

    3. To have the drive available at all times, check the Reconnect at logon box. Please remember that if you are disconnected from the Technology Services VPN, you will receive an error message about the mapped drive until you are connected to the VPN again.

    4. For non-university managed computers, check 'Connect using different credentials'.

    5. Click Finish.

  5. Map Network Drive settings

  6. A Windows Security box will ask for login information for the network file share.

    • For the username, enter UOFI\YourNetID as the username (i.e. UOFI\JohnDoe). Note that the slash is a backslash (\). The password will be your Active Directory password.

  7. If the connection is successful, a drive for the home directory will appear.

From macOS

  1. If connecting from off-campus, connect to the Technology Services VPN using the "2_TunnelAll" option

  2. Click on the network icon on the menu bar and select "open network preferences"

    Open Network Preferences in macOS

  3. Click on the network adapter you are using in the left hand menu (probably Wi-Fi)

  4. Click on the advanced button in the lower right corner

    Select the network adapter and open Advanced

  5. Click on the DNS tab

  6. Click on the small plus under the "search domains" column

  7. Add "ad.uillinois.edu" and "illinois.edu" (without quotes) to the search domains list

    Navigate to DNS and select the plus sign under Search Domains

  8. Restart your computer.

  9. Open a Finder window.

  10. The Finder menu will appear at the top of the screen. Select the Go menu, then click Connect to server.

    Open the Go menu and select Connect to Server

  11. A 'Connect to Server' window will appear.

    1. In the 'Server Address' field, enter the following with your NetID to connect to your EWS home folder: smb://ad.uillinois.edu/engr-ews/YourNetID (i.e., smb://ad.uillinois.edu/engr-ews/johndoe). You could also enter your department's file-server path, as shown in the screenshot below.

    2. 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.

    3. Click Connect.


  12. An SMB File System Authentication window will appear.

    • For Workgroup or Domain, enter "UOFI".

    • For Name, enter your campus NetID.

    • For Password, enter your Active Directory password.

      Input the Domain, Name and Password

  13. If the connection is successful, a drive for the network file share will appear in Finder.

Short URL for this page: https://go.illinois.edu/ews-remote-homedir-windows

See Also


Keywords:
remote access windows home directory folder ews file files 
Doc ID:
81206
Owned by:
James H. in Engineering IT
Shared Services
Created:
2018-03-28
Updated:
2024-11-12
Sites:
University of Illinois Engineering IT