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Networks enable you to easily share resources with all of your computers. The most commonly shared resources are Internet connections, printers, and files. You can control which network users can access designated folders stored on the network.
 | If you do a lot of file sharing, you should consider a dedicated network storage drive. Many companies now offer hard drive enclosures that connect directly to your network, either wirelessly or by Ethernet connection. |
Controlling access to folders
Follow these steps to control access to folders:
1. Open the network drive's management utility and then open the Share screen.
2. Click the link for Folder Configuration or Folder Access, depending on your drive, and perform one of the following actions:
• To add a folder to the drive, click Add.
• To delete a folder, select it and click Delete.
• To edit folder access privileges, click the folder's name.
3. In the screen shown in Figure 1, set global privileges for all users and control access for individual users.
Figure 1: Manage folder access privileges.
| The Non-Access setting means the user will not be able to see or access the folder at all. The Read Only setting means users can see and access files in the folder, but not change or delete them. |
4. Click Apply to apply your changes.
Accessing the network drive from Windows
To access the network drive from Windows, follow these steps:
1. If the setup utility for the network drive created a desktop icon, double-click it and then proceed to Step 3. Otherwise, choose Start --> My Network Places.
2. Click View Workgroup Computers under Network Tasks on the left side of the My Network Places window. Double-click the icon for the network drive when it appears.
3. Log in to the drive using an account name and password.
 | You must use an account name and password for a valid user account on the network drive, not your local computer. After you are logged in, browse the drive using the Windows Explorer windows just as you would any other drive. |
Accessing the network drive from a Mac
Use the following steps to access the network drive from a Mac:
1. Open the Finder and then click the Network icon to access network locations.
2. Double-click the network drive's icon.
3. Log in to the drive using an account name and password.
4. Choose a folder which you want to authenticate and click OK.
You can now browse the drive using the Finder window.
| You must use an account name and password for a valid user account on the network drive, not your local computer. |
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