How to Map a Network Drive in macOS

In case you have a community force or a Community Connected Garage (NAS) software, you’ll be able to get right of entry to it out of your Mac.

Mapping a community force in macOS allows you to create a snappy and simple shortcut to any shared folders and recordsdata for your community. This manner, you don’t have to go into the community deal with every time you wish to have to get right of entry to them.

Desk of Contents

If you wish to know the way to map a community force in macOS, observe the stairs beneath.

Learn how to Map a Community Power in macOS The usage of Finder

You’ll map a community force in macOS the usage of the integrated Finder app the usage of the SMB community protocol.

This not unusual protocol is supported on macOS, maximum Linux units, and on Home windows PCs. Mapping the force will permit you to get right of entry to it as though it was once attached in your Mac immediately.

  1. To map a community force in macOS, first open Finder by way of your Dock icons or from the Launchpad.
  2. In Finder, make a selection Pass at the menu bar and make a selection Connect with Server.
  1. Input the community deal with of your force within the Server Cope with box. It must get started with smb:// adopted by means of your force’s IP deal with or hostname and the folder title (as an example, smb://192.168.0.2/recordsdata or smb://nas-drive.native/recordsdata).
  2. Click on Attach. In case you’re caused for a username and password, input them and click on Attach once more. You might also want to input the community house or workgroup of your force if it’s required.

As soon as attached, you’ll see a brand new icon for your desktop and within the Places segment of the Finder sidebar. That’s your mapped community force—double-click the icon to open and use the force.

The force will stay attached till your PC restarts, however you’ll want to repeat those steps to connect with it once more in a while. Then again, observe the stairs beneath to routinely map your force after each and every restart.

Learn how to Disconnect from a Mapped Community Power in macOS The usage of Finder

In case you not want to get right of entry to your mapped community force, you’ll be able to disconnect from it the usage of the Finder app temporarily. Remember to shut and save any open recordsdata from the force ahead of continuing, or it’s possible you’ll chance information loss.

To disconnect from a mapped community force in macOS, find the force within the Places segment within the sidebar, then press the Eject icon. Then again, right-click the icon of your mapped community force for your desktop or within the Finder sidebar and make a selection Eject as an alternative.

Learn how to Routinely Map a Community Power in macOS

If you wish to have your mapped community force to stay after you restart your Mac, you wish to have to permit automounting. Then, your Mac will routinely hook up with the force while you log in.

Practice those steps to map a community force in macOS Ventura and later.

  1. Press the Apple menu icon and make a selection Machine Settings.
  1. In Settings, press Normal > Login Pieces.
  1. Click on the plus (+) button on the backside and navigate in your mapped community force.
  1. Make a selection the force and click on Upload or Open.

Your mapped community force will now stay to be had and attached each time you log in in your Mac.

Learn how to Map a Community Power in macOS by way of the Terminal

You’ll additionally map a community force in macOS the usage of the Terminal app. This technique lets you use instructions to glue and disconnect out of your community force temporarily.

  1. Open Terminal from the Utilities folder within the Launchpad.
  2. Kind sudo mount_smbfs //username:[email protected]/foldername /Volumes/foldername into the Terminal window and press Input. Substitute username, password, networkaddress, and foldername with your individual values. As an example, mount_smbfs //person:[email protected]/nas /Volumes/nas. This command will create a nas folder beneath /Volumes with the similar title as your community force and mount it there.
  3. To disconnect out of your community force, kind umount /Volumes/foldername into the terminal and press Input. Substitute foldername with the title of your community force.

Learn how to Disconnect from a Mapped Community Power by way of the Terminal

To disconnect from a mapped force the usage of the terminal, you’ll be able to use the umount command. This command unmounts the folder corresponding in your community force from the /Volumes listing.

To disconnect from a mapped force the usage of umount, observe those steps.

  1. Open the Terminal app by way of the Utilities folder within the Launchpad.
  2. Within the Terminal window, kind ls /Volumes and press Input to listing the entire fixed drives for your Mac.
  3. In finding the title of your community force within the listing. It must be the similar because the remaining a part of your community deal with (as an example, nas).
  4. Kind umount /Volumes/nas to disconnect out of your community force, the place nas is the title of your community force. If this doesn’t paintings, use sudo to power the command to run with the essential privileges (eg. sudo umount /Volumes/nas).
  5. Press Input and input your password (if caused to take action).
  6. If this doesn’t paintings, kind diskutil unmount /Volumes/nas into the Terminal window and press Input. You might also want to use the sudo command right here (eg. sudo diskutil umount /Volumes/nas).

Troubleshooting Guidelines for Mapping a Community Power in macOS

Suffering to connect with your networked drives on a Mac? In case you stumble upon problems looking to map a community force in macOS, listed below are some pointers that can assist you repair them:

  • Make sure your Mac and your community force are at the similar community and feature web get right of entry to.
  • Test in case your community force helps the SMB protocol, which macOS makes use of to connect with shared folders and recordsdata. Most current NAS units beef up SMB, as do maximum working methods.
  • Test that you’ve got entered the proper community deal with, username, and password to get right of entry to recordsdata for your community force.
  • If you’ll be able to’t in finding your community force in Finder, take a look at the usage of its IP deal with as an alternative of its hostname (as an example, smb://192.168.0.2 as an alternative of smb://nas-drive.native).
  • In case you have a firewall or antivirus tool for your Mac or your community force, be sure that they don’t seem to be blocking off SMB connections.

Managing Recordsdata on a Community The usage of Your Mac

If you wish to organize your recordsdata throughout more than one units, you’ll be able to use a community force. Mapping a community force in macOS the usage of the stairs above is a handy approach to get right of entry to those shared folders and recordsdata throughout your community.

Whenever you’ve arrange your community force, you’ll be able to transfer your recordsdata to or from it. You’ll additionally use Google Power for your Mac as a substitute for native or community garage to avoid wasting your crucial recordsdata.