How to Connect to a Server on a Mac

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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. This wikiHow teaches you how to connect to a server on a Mac.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Using AppleScript

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  1. It has an icon that resembles a blue and white smiley face. It's in the Dock at the bottom of the window. [1]
    • Alternatively, you can click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner and type terminal in the search bar and click the terminal in the list of search results.
  2. It's in the sidebar to the left of the Finder. This displays a list of all applications you have installed on your Mac.
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  3. It has an icon that resembles a blue folder with tools on the front. It's in your Applications folder. This displays a list of system-related applications.
  4. It has an icon that resembles a black screen with a white text cursor. Click this icon to open the terminal.
  5. tell app "Finder" to open location . This is the start of the command to open a location in the Finder. Don't press Enter just yet. There is still more to add to the line.
  6. "protocol://username:password@ipaddress/folder" . In this syntax, type the server protocol (i.e, ftp, smb) in place of "protocol". Type the actual username and password needed to log in in place of "username" and "password". Type the IP address of the server in place of "ipaddress". Finally, type the name of the shared folder in place of "folder".
    • For a local server, type "local" in place of "ipaddress".
    • The full command should look something similar to this: tell app "Finder" to open location "ftp://admin:admin@192.168.127.2/pictures"
  7. This executes the command. Your Mac will now be connected to the server you specified.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Browsing in Finder

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  1. The Finder has an icon that resembles a blue and white smiley face. Click on it in the Dock at the bottom of the screen to open a new Finder window. [2]
  2. It's in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
  3. It's at the bottom of the menu that drops down when you click "Go". [3]
  4. It's the first option in the lower-right corner of the "Connect to Server" window. This displays a list of servers available on the network.
  5. You can connect to it in the Network window, or the sidebar to the left.
  6. If you are a registered user of the server, click the radio button next to "Registered User". If you are not a registered user, click the radio button next to "Guest". These options are next to "Connect as" in the window.
  7. If you are a registered user, type the username and password in the fields provided. [4]
  8. You will now be connected to that particular server. [5]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Entering the Server Address in the Finder

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  1. The Finder has an icon that resembles a blue and white smiley face. Click on it in the Dock at the bottom of the screen to open a new Finder window. [6]
  2. It's in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
  3. It's at the bottom of the menu that drops down when you click "Go". [7]
  4. The network address should consist of a protocol (such as afp://, smb://, or ftp:// depending on the server type) followed by the Domain Name System (DNS) name, and the pathname for the computer.
  5. It's in the lower-right corner of the Connect to Server window.
  6. If you are a registered user of the server, click the radio button next to "Registered User". If you are not a registered user, click the radio button next to "Guest". These options are next to "Connect as" in the window.
  7. If you are a registered user, type the username and password in the fields provided. [8]
  8. You will now be connected to that particular server.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Reconnecting to a Recently Used Server

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  1. It's the icon that resembles an Apple logo in the menu bar in the upper-left corner. [9]
  2. This displays a list of recent servers and folder locations you have visited. [10]
    • If you have not connected to any servers recently, none will be listed.
  3. It's under "Servers" in the list of recent items. Your Mac will reconnect you to the server, and display the server files in a new Finder window. [11]
    • You may need to enter the username and password to connect to the server.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/script-editor/edit-scripts-scpedt1010/mac
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/connect-mac-shared-computers-servers-mchlp1140/mac
      3. ↑ https://ag.montana.edu/it/support/smb-macs.html
      4. ↑ https://ag.montana.edu/it/support/smb-macs.html
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/mac-help/mchlp1140/mac
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/connect-mac-shared-computers-servers-mchlp1140/mac
      7. ↑ https://ag.montana.edu/it/support/smb-macs.html
      8. ↑ https://ag.montana.edu/it/support/smb-macs.html
      9. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/connect-mac-shared-computers-servers-mchlp1140/mac
      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/connect-mac-shared-computers-servers-mchlp1140/mac
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/connect-mac-shared-computers-servers-mchlp1140/mac

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the Finder .
      2. Click Go in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
      3. Click Connect to Server at the bottom of the menu.
      4. Type the server address in the "Server address" bar at the top of the screen.
      5. Click Connect .
      6. Select " Registered User " or " Guest ".
      7. Type the username and password for the server.
      8. Click Connect .

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