How to Connect to a Remote or Local Server on a Mac.
Connecting your Mac to a local or remote server allows you to access all the files available on that particular server. MacOS has a default connect to server feature that lets you connect your Mac to any server without any restrictions. It then appears in Finder as a regular drive, which you can open, work with, and even delete files.
There are actually several ways to set up a server as storage on your computer. You can do this with a built-in feature built into macOS, and even use a third-party app to access your servers on Mac.
How to connect to a server on a Mac using Finder
Using Finder to establish a connection to a server is the easiest and fastest way to complete a task. Basically, all you have to do is launch the option on your Mac, enter your server details, and you’re done.
Keep your server login details handy as you will need them in the next steps.
- Open a Finder window on your Mac. The easiest way to do this is to go to your desktop and you will be in a Finder window.
- Click the Go menu at the top of the window and select the Connect to Server option. Or press the keyboard shortcut Command + K.
- You will see a dialog box where you can enter your server details and then connect to it. Place your cursor in the box that says Server Address and enter your server’s address. It can be a URL or an IP address. Then click the Connect button to connect to the specified server.
- You will be prompted to enter your login information. Enter the details and it will connect you to the server.
Once connected, your server will appear on your Mac as a regular drive. You can double click on this driver to access its contents and even add new files from your Mac.
When you’re done experimenting with the server, you might want to disconnect from it. You can do this by right clicking on the server and choosing the “Check Out” option.
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It will be removed from the Finder on your Mac.
How to Connect to Modern Servers on Mac
When you connect to a server on a Mac using Finder, your Mac stores the server name on your system. This will help you connect to it later without having to re-enter the server details.
There are two ways to find and connect to recently installed servers on your Mac.
Using the Apple Menu to Connect to a Server on Mac
The Apple menu on your Mac lets you open recently used items, including your servers.
- Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the screen, select the Recent Items option, and you will find all your recently connected servers in the list.
- Click on any of the servers and you will connect to them.
Use the Connect to Server menu to connect to the last server
Another way to find and connect to a recent server is to use the same menu that you used in the first place to establish a connection.
- Enter a Finder window, click the Go menu at the top and select the Connect to Server option.
- There will be an icon that looks like a time machine. Click on it and you will see a list of the latest servers. Select the server you want to connect to and your Mac will connect to it.
Use AppleScript to connect your Mac to a server
AppleScript also has a feature that allows you to connect your Mac to the server from your code. This is a one-line code that instructs Finder to open the specified server on your computer.
- Click Launchpad in the Dock, find the Script Editor and click it when it appears on your computer. screen.
- Click the File menu at the top and select New to create a new script in your application.
- When the new script editor opens, enter the following command. Be sure to replace SERVER with your actual server address.
Tell Finder to open the location server.
- Click the Script menu at the top and select Run to test the script and see if it connects to the server of your choice.
You can save the script to use later on your Mac. Then all you have to do is double-click the file and the connection will be established.
How to connect to a server on a Mac using Cyberduck
If for some reason you do not like the default option for connecting to the server, you are not tied to it and can use any of the third-party applications available on the market for your task.
Cyberduck is one of the free apps that helps you connect to different types of servers. You can use it to connect to FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, and other servers from your Mac.
- Download and install the Cyberduck app on your Mac.
- Run the application and click on the “Open connection” option. This will allow you to connect to the server.
- On the next screen, select the server type, enter the server address, enter your login information, and click Connect to connect to the server.
If you will continue to connect to this server in the future, be sure to select the Add to Keychain checkbox so that your login information is automatically filled in the next time you connect to it.
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