Connecting your Mac to a server is an ideal way to copy files directly from one Mac to another, share large files, or access files from another network. You can connect to nearly any Mac or Windows server on your network as long as the server has file sharing enabled.
How to connect to a server on a Mac
Connecting to a server on your Mac can be achieved through several methods, each offering a distinct approach based on your needs.
Method 1: Using AppleScript
- Open the Finder application, which has a blue and white smiley face icon in your Dock. Alternatively, you can click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner, type terminal in the search bar, and then click Terminal in the results list.
- Click the Applications folder in the sidebar on the left of the Finder window.
- Open the Utilities folder, identified by a blue folder icon with tools on the front, located within your Applications folder.
- Launch the Terminal application, which appears as a black screen with a white text cursor.
- Type the command tell app “Finder” to open location into the Terminal. Do not press Enter yet.
- Add the following syntax to the Terminal command: “protocol://username:password@ipaddress/folder”. Replace “protocol” with the server protocol (e.g., ftp, smb), “username” and “password” with your actual login credentials, “ipaddress” with the server’s IP address (or “local” for a local server), and “folder” with the name of the shared folder. For example: tell app “Finder” to open location “ftp://admin:admin@192.168.127.2/pictures”.
- Press ↵ Enter on your keyboard to execute the command and connect to the specified server.
Method 2: Browsing in Finder
- Open a new Finder window by clicking its blue and white smiley face icon in the Dock.
- Click Go in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
- Click Connect to Server from the dropdown menu.
- Click Browse, the first option in the lower-right corner of the “Connect to Server” window, to view available servers on the network.
- Click the desired server you wish to connect to from the Network window or the sidebar.
- Select either Guest or Registered User next to “Connect as”.
- If Registered User: Type your username and password into the provided fields.
- Click Connect to establish the connection to the server.
Method 3: Entering the server address in the Finder
- Open a new Finder window from its icon in the Dock.
- Click Go in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
- Click Connect to Server from the dropdown menu.
- Type the full address of the server into the “Server Address” field. This should include the protocol (e.g., afp://, smb://, or ftp://) followed by the Domain Name System (DNS) name and the pathname for the computer.
- Click Connect in the lower-right corner of the “Connect to Server” window.
- Select either Guest or Registered User next to “Connect as”.
- If Registered User: Type your username and password into the provided fields.
- Click Connect to establish the connection to the server.
Method 4: Reconnecting to a recently used server
- Click on the Apple menu, represented by the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of the menu bar.
- Hover your mouse cursor over Recent Items to display a list of recently accessed servers and folder locations. If no servers are listed, you haven’t connected to any recently.
- Click on the name of the server you recently connected to, found under “Servers” in the list of recent items. Your Mac will automatically reconnect you, and the server files will appear in a new Finder window. You may be prompted to enter your username and password to complete the connection.
What to do next?
Once connected to a server, you can begin to transfer files, access shared resources, or collaborate on documents. Remember to properly disconnect from the server when you are finished to ensure data integrity and security, especially when working in a shared network environment. You can typically disconnect by dragging the server icon from your desktop to the Trash or by clicking the eject button next to the server name in the Finder sidebar.
Exploring the various connection methods will allow you to choose the most efficient approach for your specific needs, whether it’s a one-time connection or regular access to a remote resource. Understanding these methods enhances your ability to manage and utilize network resources effectively on your Mac.
