Easily map a network drive on Mac: Expert tips

After getting into the tech community, I was surprised by how many people prefer NAS (network-attached storage) over cloud storage or external hard drives. They say they chose NAS because, unlike a hard drive, files can be accessed from any device over the internet. And unlike the cloud, they feel NAS is more private and gives them better control.

So, I enlisted the help of Garry (DevOps), Mark (tech enthusiast), and Sonya (professional videographer) to learn how to map a network drive, avoid common NAS mistakes, and get some tips from their experience.

What is a network drive used for?

Whether it’s populated or diskless, has one bay, or more than five, a network drive is typically used as an alternative to cloud storage. It may be easy to drag and drop files to something like Google Drive or Dropbox, but just a bit of drive mapping can make using a network drive a fantastic cloud alternative.

Some of the network drive’s key advantages include:

• Better control over your files
• More security features than cloud services
• Flexibility without compromising on privacy
• Being used by multiple users across multiple devices

Other, perhaps less obvious benefits of NAS include things like automated backups and the ability to mirror data on two drives. By the way, I use a backup disk from a different manufacturer than my main disk. I feel like I am playing it safe that way.
Mark, tech enthusiast

Map network drive on macOS (one-time)

Nowadays, most NAS devices are seriously easy to map. Let’s say that you’ve been working on a document in your home office but have just remembered a key fact that you want to include. Time to make a quick edit from your wife’s laptop before you forget about it!

Network drive access can be obtained in three simple steps, provided you don’t mind having to repeat those steps if the connection drops, you restart your Mac, or the device is disconnected:

1. In Finder, either hit Command + K to bring up “Connect to Server” or click Go > Connect to Server.
2. Enter the path of the network drive you’re trying to map (e.g. smb://192.168.1.300/shared/Files) and click Connect.
3. Enter your login details and password, then click OK to mount the network drive.

You can now access the relevant drive either via your desktop or the sidebar in Finder windows.

But how do you get a path to the network drive you want to map? The user who wants to share files should follow these steps:

1. Go to System Settings > General > Sharing.
2. Click the i icon next to File Sharing.
3. Toggle File Sharing on.
4. Click the + button under the Shared Folders list.
5. Select the folder you want to share and click Add.
6. Add users who can access shared folders and grant them permissions (for example, Read Only).
7. Copy the SMB address under the File Sharing section (you will see something like "Other users can access shared folders at smb://192.168.1.100") and send it to a person you want to share the folder with. 

Automatically connect to a network drive on Mac

Maybe you have a server in your office with a connected network drive and want all your employees to be able to connect to it so they can collaborate on shared documents. If you want to keep a Mac connected to a network drive, even after restarting, the easiest way to do this is to follow the three steps above and then add these:

1. Hit the Apple menu, then System Settings > General.
2. From here, select Login Items and click + to add a new item.
3. Find your network drive and click Add, then close the window.

This is how to map network drive on macOS so it stays connected even after reboot. Network drives won’t, however, connect automatically if you’re using a different Wi-Fi network.

Make a network drive accessible from Mac desktop

Depending on your settings, mounted drives may not always appear on your desktop. That’s not necessarily a problem if you don’t mind only being able to see connected servers in Finder window sidebars and open/save dialogues.

If, however, you want your NAS device to always be just one double-click away (in the same way that most people have Macintosh HD as a visible item on their desktop), use CloudMounter, an essential utility to install on your Mac if you use network drives. After you mount a drive, you'll be able to easily access their contents in your Finder. Here's what it can look like:

Here's what Garry, DevOps, says about this way of managing storages:

"What I love about this app is that it gives me a single point of access to all my network drives, as well as any external drives whatsoever. I confidently recommend this app to all my friends who need it, even those who aren’t very tech-savvy. After installing, all you need to do is select the storage you want to connect to your Mac and log in with your usual credentials. That’s it — it will now function as part of your Mac."

Remount a mapped network drive with one click

Managing, or working across, multiple departments that each have their own network drive? In that case, it can be handy to create aliases of mapped network drive(s):

1. Right click on any mapped NAS device on your desktop.
2. Select Make Alias.

If you use CloudMounter, remounting is even easier — you can do it with a single click in the menu bar. That can be very helpful if you need to keep jumping between different shared drives. Check the article about how to clone a Mac hard drive.

How to manage files with network-attached storage 

In most cases, macOS’s default tools are sufficient for viewing, editing, and deleting files. That might change, however, if you’re using a NAS device.

Delete accidental duplicates

It’s very easy to end up with a ton of duplicate files on your network drive where it’s likely you’ll be less concerned about making the most of your storage as you might be with a built in hard drive.

This is the story of my life! On top of that, I follow the 3-2-1 backup rule: I keep three copies of my data on two different types of media, with one copy stored off-site. Occasionally, I accidentally duplicate files, and a single video can take up to tens of gigabytes. To manage those duplicates, I often use Gemini.Sonya, videographer

Gemini is a great tool for digging out any duplicate content on your drives, so you can ditch everything you no longer need while hanging onto backup documents, photos, etc.

1. Open the app and hit the giant + or drag your folder of choice into the window.
2. Choose from recommended locations or select a custom folder.
3. Push the green Scan for Duplicates button to get started.
4. Delete duplicate files manually or use Smart Cleanup to automate the process.

Improve file management

For a more granular approach to file management, you might want to consider something like DCommander or Forklift. These apps both offer dual-pane file management, as well as features like batch renaming, copying, and deletion, in a more seamless way than your default Finder.

Although Forklift was designed with FTP management in mind, it’s become a favorite of network drive users because of how closely it resembles macOS. Billed as a Finder replacement app in parts of its marketing material, you won’t find an app much more native unless it comes out of Cupertino.

Plus, getting started with the app is incredibly simple:

1. Open the Forklift app.
2. Use the left-hand panel to find the file(s) you want to move across.
3. Select the right-hand panel then, using the sidebar, click on your network drive.
4. Start moving, renaming and archiving files.

If Forklift isn’t for you then you might prefer to take a look at DCommander, an approved Mac alternative of Total Commander for Windows. In addition to two side-by-side file panels that look very similar to those of Forklift, DCommander puts a wider range of commands and features (including quick file viewing, selective file unpacking, navigation history, and a great looking Dark Mode) at your fingertips without the need to leave the dual-panel display.

Both apps let you do things like mark certain drives as favorites, create and browse archives, and get previews of items. In short, they’re much like macOS’s Finder … only better. It’s difficult to overstate how much easier it becomes to manage Mac storage with dual-pane browsing until you try to organize your network drive without it!

Effectively manage Mac storage day-to-day

Thanks to macOS, network drive mapping is a pretty simple process, even if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. You might be out of luck if you’re hoping to access a NAS device from another network using standard macOS tools but, at present, that’s pretty much the only thing keeping network drives from competing with the cloud at the mainstream level.

If remote access isn’t such a concern for you and you’re using NAS as an alternative to the cloud, then it’s definitely worth taking a look at programs like CloudMounter, Forklift or DCommander to make file management easier once you’re done drive mapping, as well as Gemini to ensure that your NAS device isn’t filling up with duplicate files you don’t need.

The software mentioned above is available to trial free with a Setapp subscription. This app platform powers up your work on Mac and iOS with dozens of apps for countless tasks. Manage your Mac more effectively starting today!