(In this figure, “Ts-xlb66” is the name of the NAS device as it appears on our network. You can change that if you want, but we used the default setting.)

After you select the folder, choose OK to return to the Map Network Drive window. Notice that there is a checkbox at the bottom of that window: “Reconnect at logon”. If you put a check here, your computer will automatically reconnect to the NAS device when it boots, so you’ll never have to do these steps again.

Note that with Vista, the steps are nearly identical. In Windows Explorer's Folders pane, select Computer, then click the Map network drive option at the top of the window. The Map Network Drive dialog box has the same options and choices as the XP version described above.

And the Browse for Folder works the same way as with XP, as well.

We’ve explained how to connect to the NAS device to show just how easy it is to use. You don’t need to know any fancy network stuff. You don’t have to know about IP addresses or file systems or Linux. Just two windows and you’re done. The NAS device will show up as another hard drive on your computer. We hope that this seems easy enough that you’ll want to learn about how easy it is to install a NAS device on your network, and what it can do for you.