Accessing Network Disks
Mac OS X gives you a number of ways to connect to a remote filesystem (or a segment of one) using the Finder, an Open or Save dialog box, of even from the command line. The remote system need not run under Mac OS; you can, for example, use SMB to connect to Windows machines, and NFS to access filesystems on Unix computers.[3]
Browsing Network File Servers
Mac OS X allows you to browse local network fileservers that
use any of the supported service discovery protocols: Rendezvous,
AppleTalk, SLP, and SMB. To configure the service discovery function
of these protocols on your Mac, use the Directory Access application,
found in /Applications/Utilities. Note that
turning off a protocol in Directory Access doesn’t
keep you from connecting to and using a server if you already know
its name; it only prevents you from discovering the server using that
protocol.
In a Finder window or an Open or Save dialog, click the Network icon in the Sidebar to browse your local network for discoverable file servers. What you’ll find inside Network depends on the complexity of your network. Even if you’re not connected to any network, you’ll always find at least one item, named “Servers,” which is a mount point for remote home directories and not the location of any file servers.
If you have only AppleShare servers (AFP over IP or AppleTalk) on your network, and your network is without AppleTalk zones, those servers will appear loose within Network alongside the Servers item. If ...
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