Running Out of Room? How to Set Up and Use a Network Drive

Are you running out of space on your computer? If the only way to access your photos, videos, songs, and files is to keep your PC constantly running, a network drive may be the best solution. Through a network drive, you can keep all those files on a hard drive, access them even when your computer is turned off, and make them accessible to the entire household.

A Network Attached Storage (NAS) device is another option for storing files on a home network, and one that provides more features and capabilities. However, a network drive can be a less expensive and simpler approach if all you need is quick and convenient file storage, and you already have the right type of drive. Here's how to set up and use an external hard drive as a network drive in both Windows and macOS.

Set Up a Network Drive in Windows

If you want to use a wired external hard drive, plug it into your router’s USB port. A wireless hard drive may be a more convenient option—just make sure it's fully charged or running off external power. Fire up the drive and follow the instructions in the manual to set up a wireless connection to your computer.

Next, use your browser to sign into your router's firmware, typically via an IP address of 192.168.1.1. If that address doesn't work, and you don't know your router's IP address, you will need to look it up before proceeding.

You can do this if you type cmd into the taskbar and open a command prompt. Type ipconfig, press Enter, then look for the Default Gateway entry. The number you see is your router's IP address.

You can also find your router’s IP address in Windows settings. The process will be different depending on your version of the operating system:

• Windows 10: Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status and click the link for View hardware and connection properties.

• Windows 11: Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced Network Settings and click Hardware and connection properties.

The next screen will display details for your different network connections. Again, look for Default Gateway to find your router’s IP address.

After logging into your router, check for an entry called USB storage, or something similar. You should see the external drive listed here. Typically, you can edit the settings for the drive to change its name and drive letter and set up a password for accessing it. Save any changes and then exit your router's firmware.

If you're using a wireless drive, you’ll likely need to use the manufacturer's own software to change the name or create a password.

After setting up your new network drive, you can now use it just like any other drive: Create folders, move files, and retrieve any stored photos, videos, or songs. Only now the drive is active and available at all times, letting you—and anyone else in the household—access it from any computer or mobile device.

If you've created folders on the drive, you’re also able to map a drive letter to a specific folder from File Explorer. How you do this will depend on your version of Windows:

• Windows 10: Open File Explorer and select This PC in the left page, then click Computer > Map network drive in the ribbon.

• Windows 11: Open File Explorer and select This PC, then click the ellipsis icon on the toolbar and choose Map network drive.

Choose the drive letter you wish to use, then check Reconnect at sign-in if you want to map the drive each time you log into Windows. If you set up a username and password for the drive different from the ones for your Windows account, check Connect using different credentials.

You can then either type the UNC path for the drive and folder—e.g., \\drive\folder—or click the Browse button and click the name for the network drive. Select the folder for which you want to create the drive mapping and click OK. Enter the username and password for your network drive, if necessary.

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Your new drive mapping should now show up. Click Finish to close the Map Network Drive window. Now click the new drive letter in File Explorer, and you'll be able to access that folder to view and work with the files contained in it.

Set Up a Network Drive in macOS

In order to set up a network drive on your Mac, connect a drive through a wired or wireless connection. Once the drive is set up, you will also need your IP address. How you find your IP address will differ depending on the operating system:

• macOS Ventura or later: Go to System Settings > Network. Select Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on the type of connection you're using. Click Details and then select TCP/IP. The router’s IP address is listed on this screen.

• macOS Monterey or earlier: Go to System Preferences > Network. Select Wi-Fi or Ethernet based on your connection type. Click Advanced and then select TCP/IP to see the router’s address.

Use the IP address to sign into your router's settings, then look for a category called USB storage or something similar. You should see the external drive listed here, with options to change its name, drive letter, and password.

Once the drive is set up, open Go > Connect to Server to map it to a specific folder from your Mac. You can type the UNC path for the network drive and folder or click the Browse button by clicking the folder for which you want to create the drive mapping.

Click the Connect As button, enter the username and password for your network drive, if necessary, and then click Connect. The mapped network drive should now appear under Locations in the left pane of the Finder window. From there, you can move it to the desktop as well.

You can permanently mount the network share so that it’s always available. How you do this depends on what version of macOS is on your computer:

• macOS Ventura or later: Go to System Settings > General > Login Items. In the Open at Login section, click the + button and select your network share and then click Open.

• macOS Monterey or earlier: Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups. Select your user account and click Login Items. Click the + button, select your network share, and then click Add.