How To Connect To A Shared Folder On Your Network

Written by: Jay H.

Shared directories on your organization’s network make it for you and colleagues to access files. However, connecting to shared directories can seem a little tricky if you’re not sure how to. Fortunately, in just a few steps you can be accessing your company’s shared files! Here’s how to connect to a shared folder on your network.

How to connect to a shared folder in Windows 10

Before you’re able to connect to a shared folder, you’ll need a couple of things:

• A shared directory on your network.
• The IP address of the computer hosting the shared directory
  • To get this, go on the computer sharing the directory then click on the Windows icon. Click Settings, then Network & Internet. Under your connection type (Ethernet or Wi-Fi), click Properties. Scroll to the bottom of the window, then locate the number beside IPv4 address, usually something like (192.168.x.xxx). That’s the IP address!

After you get these, take these steps to connect to a shared folder in Windows 10:

1. Click the Windows Start icon then type and click on Run.
2. In the new window, type \\IPADDRESS\DIRECTORY, where IPADDRESS is the IP address we retrieved in the previous steps and DIRECTORY is the name of the folder you’re attempting to access. For instance, it might be \\192.168.1.1\Shared. Then, click OK.
3. File Explorer will then open the contents of the shared directory, and you’re finished!

How to connect to a shared folder on MacOS

Just like with Windows 10, before you’re able to connect to a shared folder on MacOS, you’ll these:

• A shared directory on your network.
• The IP address of the computer hosting the shared directory
  • To find this, get on the computer hosting the directory and open System Preferences and select Network. Then, select your network connection from the left-hand menu. You will then see your IP address.

Once you have these, follow these steps to connect to a shared folder on MacOS:

1. Open Finder, then click Go in the top menu bar.
2. At the bottom of the Go menu, click Connect to Server.
3. In the text field, enter smb://IPADDRESS, where IPADDRESS is the IP address we retrieved in the previous steps. Then hit Connect.
4. Verify your connection by clicking Connect.
5. You’ll be asked for your username and password. Under Connect As, click Registered User and enter your computer sign-in information.
6. If applicable, select the shared directories you want access to.
7. Once you click OK, Finder will open the contents of the shared directory. And that’s it, well done!

Help with connecting to shared folders

If you’re having difficulty connecting to your organization’s shared folders or any other technical issues, contact us today. Our fast, cost-effective remote technical support will have you accessing your shared directories in no time! Get in touch with us now for quick help.