You can connect to the NMR file server from any computer. 

• On campus, you can be connected to either a wired University network or to the wireless IllinoisNet network. 
  • On-campus wireless connections to either the "Eduroam" or "IllinoisNet_Guest" networks will not work. 
    
    
• Off-campus connections to the server requires use of the University VPN.  This creates a secure connection between your computer and the Illinois campus network. If you do not already have the VPN software installed on your computer or need assistance with this, please see VPN Installation Instructions. 
  
  

• Instructions for Windows
  • Option A: Pin to Quick Access (recommended)
  • Option B: Create Desktop Shortcut:
  • Option C: Map a network drive
• Instructions for Mac
• FAQ (Frequently asked questions):
  • Why can't I see any data?  Who do I contact if I have problems getting my data? 
  • Why is it a bad idea to map a network drive on a Windows computer if I'm off-campus? 
  • Who do I contact if I have problems in the NMR lab obtaining data or using the instruments? 

Instructions for Windows

1. If you are off-campus, first connect to the University VPN.  
   
   
2. Open the Run box - you can either:
   • press the Windows logo key + R, or
   • type Run in the search box at the bottom of the screen and select the "Run" app
     
     
       
3. In the Run box, type (or copy) the following exactly as shown:
   
   \\nmrfs.scs.illinois.edu\shares
   
   and click OK.  Note the dual backslashes (generally found just above the "Enter" key on your keyboard) before nmrfs.scs.illinois.edu.  This is important! 
   
   
    
4. Credentials:
   • If your computer has been joined to the Active Directory, a window to the NMR File Server (nmrfs.scs.illinois.edu) will simply open
   • If your computer is NOT in the Active Directory, or if you are using a personal computer, you will be prompted for credentials. Use uofi\[yourNetID] and your Campus Active Directory (email, VPN) password.
      
5. A window with one or more shared folders will appear.  Only folders you have access to will be shown.
   
   
6. Add the connection to your computer using one of the following methods: 
   1. Pin to Quick Access (recommended)
   2. Create shortcut on Desktop
   3. Map network drive (NOT recommended for off-campus computer or computers not in the Active Directory)
      

Option A: Pin to Quick Access (recommended)

Right-click on the file share you want to access, and select Pin to Quick Access. This will add a link to the shares file share to the "Quick Access" panel in Windows Explorer.

• IMPORTANT NOTE FOR OFF-CAMPUS USERS: While the "shares" folder will always appear in your Quick Access bar, it will only be accessible when you are logged into the VPN.   
  

Option B: Create Desktop Shortcut:

You can create a shortcut to the shared folder on your desktop by right-clicking on the folder and choosing Create shortcut. You'll get a message:



Click yes and the shortcut will be created.

• IMPORTANT NOTE FOR OFF-CAMPUS USERS: While the "shares" shortcut will always appear on your Desktop, it will only be accessible when you are logged into the VPN. .

Option C: Map a network drive

IMPORTANT NOTE:  This is not recommended for off-campus computers - if you're curious as to why, see the FAQ section below:

1. Right-click on the file share, and select Map Network Drive.
   • NOTE: on Windows 11, when you right-click on the file share name, you'll first need to select Show more options, then on Map Network Drive
     
     
2. Select the drive letter
   
   
3. If you do not log into the computer with your University NetID and password, select the box labeled Connect using different credentials.  
   
   
4. Click Finish
   
   
5. If you selected Connect using different credentials, you'll be prompted to log in.  Use uofi\[yourNetID] and your Campus Active Directory (email, VPN) password.
   • If you are using a shared computer login (e.g. you did not log into the computer as yourself), DO NOT select "Remember my credentials".  If you do, everyone that uses that login will be connecting as you! 

Instructions for Mac

1. (If off-campus) Connect to the University VPN.  
   
   
2. Open the Connect to Server box.  To do this, you can either:
   • press Command + K or
   • Click on the Go menu, then select Connect to Server...
     
     4
     
     
3. In the top text box, type smb://nmrfs.scs.illinois.edu/shares and click on the Connect button
   
   • NOTE: You can save this address to your "Favorite Servers" by clicking on the plus (+) sign
   • Depending on the version of MacOS you're running, the plus (+) sign may be at the end of the "Server Address" text box or at the bottom of the window (green circle, above).
     
     
4. A login window will appear.  Type your name as "uofi\NetID" and then type your password. Click Connect.
   
   
   • 
     
     
5. The shared folder will open. 
   • NOTE: If you close the shared folder window, you can find a link to the server (titled "nmrfs.scs.illinois.edu") under "Locations" in your Finder window.  Click on the "nmrfs.scs.illinois.edu" server, then on the "Shares" folder, then select the instrument folder. 
     
     

FAQ (Frequently asked questions):

Why can't I see any data?  Who do I contact if I have problems getting my data? 

If you get an error when trying to connect to the server:

• Contact SCS Computing staff (email: scs-computing@illinois.edu) for connection issues. 
• Be sure to include any error messages, screen shots, URLs or other specific data to help us determine what may be happening.  

If you are able to successfully connect to the server (meaning you see the list of instruments inside the SHARES folder) but do not see ANY group folders inside of each machine's folder:

• Your permissions are not set correctly
• Contact the NMR staff (scs-nmr@illinois.edu)
• Let them know who your advisor is and that you do not see any data at all.  

Why is it a bad idea to map a network drive on a Windows computer if I'm off-campus? 

Several reasons:

1. Slow booting: When a Windows computer boots, it tries to reconnect all network drives before giving you an opportunity to log in.  Since the mapped drive only works when you're using the campus VPN, you'll have to wait the 45-60 seconds for the connection to time out before you'll be able to log in.  This gets old rather quickly. 
   
   
2. Lock-outs after changing password: Generally, a mapped drive is setup using cached credentials.  If you change your University password, the cached credentials are NOT automatically updated.  This means that every time Windows tries to connect to the mapped network drive (when you're connected to the VPN), it's using an out-of-date password and your Active Directory account WILL GET LOCKED OUT.  The only way to fix this is to remove the mapped network drive, and re-connect to it using your updated credentials.  

Alternatively, Windows only checks if items in the "Quick Access" bar are accessible when they are accessed.  So adding a shortcut to your "Quick Access" bar (Option A) does NOT make your logins take any longer regardless of VPN status.  

Who do I contact if I have problems in the NMR lab obtaining data or using the instruments? 

The NMR Laboratory staff (https://scs.illinois.edu/nmrlabstaff) can help you with questions about obtaining scientific data using the instruments and computers in the NMR lab.