Setting Up a New Connection


To set up a connection to a CTERA Portal from CTERA Drive Connect:

  1. Click the CTERA Drive Connect icon.
    The CTERA Drive Connect menu is displayed.
Windows macOS
  • Click Open Connection.
Windows macOS
  • Enter the information to connect to the CTERA Portal.
    Nickname – A name to identify the portal. you can connect to more than one CTERA Portal, each with its own unique nickname.
    Labels – An optional label to identify the connection in the connection. If a label is specified, the connection is saved in the CTERA Drive Connect menu as a bookmark.
Windows macOS
  • If a label is not specified:
Windows macOS

If you use the same label for different connections, all the connections are grouped under the bookmark.

Note Refer to Using an Existing Connection to see how connecting to a CTERA Portal depends on whether a bookmark is defined.

  • Server – The full name or IP address of the CTERA Portal.
    Port – The port to use to connect to the CTERA Portal.
    Username – The username to access the CTERA Portal.
    Password – The password for the username to access the CTERA Portal.
  • macOS settings only:
    SSH Private Key – For future use.
    Client Certificate – For future use.
  • Path– The path to access the CTERA Portal:
    • /ServicesPortal/webdav – Access as an end user or team portal administrator.

Windows setting only:
Drive Letter – The drive letter to map the CTERA Portal cloud drive in Windows File Explorer.

macOS settings only:
Encoding – For future use.
Timezone – For future use.

Options – Whether the connection is read-only or read/write access. The default is read/write. Check Options to set the connection as read-only.

  1. Click Connect to save the connection settings and connect to the CTERA Portal.
    Windows: If you close the connection window or click OK or Cancel, a connection is created, even if you did not specify any connection details.
    macOS: If you close the connection window, a connection is created, even if you did not specify any connection details. If you click Delete, you are prompted to delete the connection, as described in Deleting a Connection.

Connected portals and bookmarked portals in the menu are displayed with a green icon, or if sync is paused or another CTERA Drive Connect process is running, with an orange icon, .

Note If the portal is configured so that it is only accessed using single sign-on, a web page opens in your browser to allow access.

Windows: File Explorer opens and displays the CTERA Portal cloud drive. If you close the connection window or click OK or Cancel, a connection is created, even if you did not specify any connection details.
macOS: The Finder opens and displays the CTERA Portal cloud drive. If you close the connection window, a connection is created, even if you did not specify any details. If you click Delete, you are prompted to delete the connection.

If Save Workspace is checked in Preferences > General, connections to the CTERA Portal are reopened even if you close CTERA Drive Connect.

Using an Existing Connection

To connect to a CTERA Portal Using an Existing Connection:

  1. Click the CTERA Drive Connect icon.
    The CTERA Drive Connect menu is displayed.
  2. Hover over the bookmark in the list that does not have a connection icon,  or , at the side, click Connect from the popup menu.

With a label defined for the connection:

Windows macOS

Note If you have more than one connection under the bookmark, clicking the bookmark lists all the connections. In the above screenshots there is only one option in the bookmark.


Without a label defined for the connection:

Windows macOS


Windows: File Explorer opens, displaying the CTERA Portal cloud drive.
macOS: The Finder opens and displays the CTERA Portal cloud drive.