StaffGuide: Information Systems and Technology

Connecting to File Servers - Windows

If you are off-campus, first connect to Global Protect VPN

If you wish to create a Quick Access pin for your server

  1. Open File Explorer
  2. Type \\ and the name of the file server you wish to access, and hit enter to access the drive (Doing this will allot a onetime connection)
  3. You can pin the file server by dragging the name from the search bar into your Quick Access list, on the left-hand side of File Explorer
  4. You can pin individual files from the accessed server by dragging them into your Quick Access list as well
  5. Pinned items in your Quick Access will maintain the connection without manually entering the name each time

Alternatively, the drive can be mapped by the following:

  1. Open File Explorer
  2. Choose "This PC"
  3. Choose ellipsis labeled "See More"
  4. Choose 'Map Network Drive'
  5. Select the drive letter of your choice and type \\ along with the name of the file server
  6. Click ‘Finish’ to complete the process

Connecting to File Servers - Mac OS

If you are off-campus, first connect to Global Protect VPN

 

  1. On the Finder toolbar, click on ‘GO’
  2. Choose ‘Connect to Server’,
  3. type in the server name you wish to access, in the following format:
  • SMB://Nautilus
  • SMB://Libarch
  • SMB://Wright

Server connections do not always persist session to session. 

Connecting to File Servers - Mobile Devices

If you are off-campus, first connect to Global Protect VPN

IOS / iPad

File browse on iOS devices will require a special file handler app such as FE File Explorer (comes in free and pro versions)

  • Download the FileExplorer app from the App Store: The free version seems to work fine.
  • Connect to campus VPN with GlobalProtect. Open FileExplorer and select the + for a new connection.
  • Choose a NAS connection.
  • The host name/IP I used was \\Nautilus
  • Leave the other settings as they are and input your UARK username and password.

In testing, we have been able to connect, browse files, open them, and download them. We could not add folders to Nautilus nor upload upload an edited file back to Nautilus. Let us know if your experience differs!

Android

File browse on Android devices will require a special file handler app such as FX File Explorer.