How to Set Up a Network Drive

Today, Mytour will walk you through the steps to set up a network drive on both Windows and Mac computers. A network drive is a shared folder that allows multiple computers on the same network to access and use it.

Ensure that the computers are on the same network. These computers must be connected to the same internet network for the network drive you select to appear on the other devices.

Click on This PC located on the left side of the File Explorer window. The This PC window will open.

Click on the Computer tab located at the top left corner of the window. The toolbar will appear near the top of the screen.

Click on the icon labeled Map network drive. This option is found under the "Network" section on the toolbar. Be sure to click the icon for the flash drive, not the text Map network drive.

Select a drive letter. Click on the drop-down menu under "Drive" and choose a letter from the available list. This letter will then be assigned as the network drive name, allowing you to identify it later.

Click on Browse…, located on the right side of the window. A new window will pop up.

Choose the folder you want to map as a drive. Click on the computer you wish to create the drive for, then find and select the folder to use.

Click on the OK button at the bottom of the window. If any errors appear, it means the folder you selected cannot be shared. This typically happens if the folder is set to read-only.

Click on the Finish button at the bottom of the window. The network drive will be created and shared with all computers on the same network. If the computer has switched to a different network channel, you will need to set up the network drive again.

Access the drive from another computer on the same network. As long as the other computer has network discovery and file sharing enabled, you can open the selected drive by going to This PC and double-clicking the network drive listed under the "Devices and drives" section.

Make sure all computers are connected to the same network. The network drive from the selected computer will only appear on other computers if they are on the same internet network.

Open Finder. Click the blue face icon located in the Mac's Dock.

Select a folder. Click the folder on the left side of the Finder window to open it, then click on the folder you want to use as the network drive.

Click on the File menu at the top of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.

Click on Get Info. This option is located in the File drop-down menu. A window containing the folder's information will open.

Copy the folder location. Click and drag your mouse over the text next to the "Where:" title to select the folder path, then press ⌘ Command+C to copy the path.

• This path usually follows a format like "System/FolderName".

Click the Go menu at the top of the screen. A dropdown menu will appear.

• If you don't see the Go option in the menu bar, try opening a new Finder window to display it, or click anywhere on the desktop.

Click the Connect to Server option. This is located at the bottom of the Go dropdown. A new window will pop up.

Enter the computer name followed by a slash. You must type "smb://" (or "ftp://") at the beginning of the Connect to Server window.

• For example, if the computer's name is "Rhonda", you would enter Rhonda/ here.

Paste the folder address. Press ⌘ Command+V to paste. The computer name along with the folder address will appear in the text box.

Click the + icon next to the address bar. The folder address will be added to your Mac.

Click on the Connect button. This blue button is located at the bottom of the window.

Enter your login credentials when prompted. The username and password required here will vary depending on the network, so if you're unsure, ask your system administrator for assistance.

• Once logged in, you will see a flash drive icon along with the folder name appear on your desktop.

• If you prefer not to use a computer folder as a network drive, you can connect an external hard drive to the router via an Ethernet adapter (or USB cable if the router supports it), and then select ROUTER in the network drive browsing window. This method ensures better stability, as routers tend to be more consistent and frequently online compared to computers.
• The network drive server must remain on and online for other computers to access the drive, so be sure to schedule updates outside of working hours to avoid disruptions.

• If the computer hosting the network drive goes offline, you will be unable to access the network drive from any computer until the server comes back online.