Adding a network location or place allows you to access FTP, sFTP, Windows file shares, and some HTTP servers directly from File Explorer, without having to use an FTP client. Unlike a mapped network drive, a network location has no drive or label attached, can point to either external or internal resources, and is easy to set up. Network location is very useful for people connecting to sFTP or FTP servers. It allows them to simply connect from Windows File Explorer without the need for an FTP client. Although Windows 11 is new, the network location isn’t. It was first introduced in Windows XP. To get started with adding or removing network locations in Windows 11, follow the steps below:
How to add network location in Windows 11
As mentioned above, network location is simply a shortcut to networked resources such as FTP, sFTP, and other resources. To create a network location in Windows 11, simply open File Explorer. There, right-click click on This PC, and select Show more option. On the next context menu, select Add a network location as highlighted below. A welcome page should appear. There click Next to begin adding a network location. Then, click on the folder that says Choose a custom network location. Then click Next to continue. For this post, we’re going to be adding an sFTP host as our network location. Next, type in the network resource you want to add.
For FTP: ftp://example.com For shares : \sharedserver\resource For websites: http://example.com
On the next screen, choose Log on anonymously if the host allows for anonymous access. If not, type in the username provided to log in. Next, type in a name for the network location you’re adding. Finally, click Finish to complete the network location wizard. After setting up the location, you’ll get a pop-up to log on to the server. You may also be able to save the password. Type in the username and password and click the Log On button. After a successful log-on, you should see the content of the sFTP host. In File Explorer, a new folder under Network Location should appear with the name of the host you just added. The next time you wish to connect, simply open the folder and log on. You can use File Explorer to copy and move stuff from and to the sFTP host.
How to remove network location on Windows 11
If you change your mind about the network location created above, simply delete the location. Select the network location folder and click Delete from the toolbar menu. Or right-click on the location folder, select Show more options, then select Delete. That should do it! Conclusion: This post showed you how to set up a network location in Windows 11. If you find any error above, please use the comment form below to report.
