--- title: "Accessing a CTERA Edge Filer" slug: "accessing-a-ctera-edge-filer-5-1-1" tags: ["7.11", "Edge Filer", "Gateway", "Filer"] updated: 2026-10-21T06:27:51Z published: 2026-10-21T06:27:51Z canonical: "kb.ctera.com/accessing-a-ctera-edge-filer-5-1-1" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.ctera.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Accessing a CTERA Edge Filer CTERA Edge Filers are managed via a web-based user interface. **To connect to a CTERA Edge Filer:** 1. Open a web browser. You can use any of the latest two releases of Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. 2. Enter the CTERA Edge Filer's IP address to navigate to the CTERA Edge Filer. ## Logging in Each time you connect to the interface the browser displays the **LogIn** page: ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-XB5SBLLB.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) 1. Enter your user name and password for accessing the CTERA Edge Filer. The administrator user is defined as part of the initial setup immediately after installation. All other users are added by the administrator, as described in [Adding and Editing Users](/v1/docs/adding-and-editing-users-6-1-1). **Note** When the CTERA Edge Filer is connected to Active Directory, the user name to log in can be the user name or the Active Directory UPN (User Principal Name). 2. Click **Login**. As a member of the **Administrators** or **Read Only Administrators** user groups, the **Configuration** view **Dashboard** page is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-XWOB3GM4.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) **Note** If an **Edge Filer Health** warning is displayed that automatic crash reporting is not enabled, you can enable automatic crash reporting as described in [Automatically Sending Crash Reports to Support](/v1/docs/generating-a-support-report-5-1-1#automatically-sending-crash-reports-to-support). If you have not set up Active Directory, a security alert is displayed in the dashboard. You can set Active Directory by rerunning the setup wizard: Select **Main > Dashboard** and click **Setup Wizard**. If the edge filer is not connected to a CTERA Portal, the edge filer is unlicensed and the **Cloud Drive** is not available. To connect, see [Connecting to a CTERA Portal](/v1/docs/accessing-a-ctera-edge-filer-5-1-1#connecting-to-a-ctera-portal). Details of the last login is displayed on each login. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-Y5XJ5NZH.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) To use the CTERA Edge Filer, it must be connected to a CTERA Portal. You connect the CTERA Edge Filer to the CTERA Portal using an administrator account. During the [Initial CTERA Edge Filer setup](/v1/docs/initial-ctera-edge-filer-setup-5-1-1) you connect the CTERA Edge Filer to the CTERA Portal. If the connection between the CTERA Edge Filer and Portal is down, reconnect using the procedure described in [Connecting to a CTERA Portal](/v1/docs/accessing-a-ctera-edge-filer-5-1-1#connecting-to-a-ctera-portal). Check the status of the connection, as described in [Viewing the Status of the Connection to a CTERA Portal](/v1/docs/accessing-a-ctera-edge-filer-5-1-1#viewing-the-status-of-the-connection-to-a-ctera-portal). ## Connecting to a CTERA Portal During the initial setup of the CTERA Edge Filer, described in the installation guide, you connect to the CTERA Portal. This section describes how to connect to the CTERA Portal if it is not connected. **Note** If access using CAC, Common Access Card, has been enabled for the CTERA Portal, the CTERA Edge Filer connects to the CTERA Portal using an activation code instead of the user and password credentials. For details, contact [CTERA support](https://www.ctera.com/support/). **To connect the CTERA Edge Filer to a CTERA Portal:** **Note** When you set up the CTERA Edge Filer, you connected to a portal.. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-67FKBMI9.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) 1. In the **Configuration** view, select **Cloud Services > Status** in the navigation pane. The **CTERA Portal** page is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-V5BVPCWL.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) 2. Click **Connect to Services**. The **Account Details** window is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-ZMPCMRGV.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) 3. Enter the address of the CTERA Portal, and then click **Next**. Do **not** use the IP address of the CTERA Portal. The edge filer should always connect to an application server and not to either the primary database server or to the secondary replication server. **Note** If the CTERA Portal sends an unknown or untrusted CA certificate, a warning is displayed the first time you connect to the portal, offering the option to proceed anyway. The **Sign In** window is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-W74VSE2G.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) **Note** If single sign-on has been set up to the portal, the following window is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-AJH3TQOD.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) In this case, click **Sign In** and then **Allow** in a separate window when prompted, and then the **Select License** window is displayed. For CTERA Edge Filers except the HC100, skip the next step. For an HC100, skip the next 2 steps. 4. Enter the CTERA Portal designated user username and password to access the CTERA Portal. **Note** The designated user is the owner of the cloud folders and data to manage the CTERA Edge Filer connection to the CTERA Portal for all users and not just the current user. This designated user has CTERA Portal read/write administrator permissions. 5. Click **Next**. The **Select License** window is displayed with the licenses that can be used for this connection. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-6AQV8LI9.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) The available storage currently available on the edge filer is displayed. CTERA provides the following licenses: | **License:** | EV4* | EV16 | EV32 | EV64 | EV128 | EV256 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Maximum Storage | 2TB | 16TB | 32TB | 64TB | 128TB | 256TB | | Maximum recommended users | 20 | 500 | 1000 | 3000 | 5000 | 5000 | You are prompted to select the license from those available on the CTERA Portal. - The EV4 license is only available for use with an HC100 edge filer. 6. Select the license and click **Next**. **Note** If only one license is available, this license is selected automatically. The CTERA Edge Filer connects to the CTERA Portal and is added to the CTERA Portal account. A success window is displayed. 7. Click **Finish**. The **CTERA Portal** page is displayed, showing that the CTERA Edge Filer is connected to the CTERA Portal. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-67FKBMI9.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) ## Viewing the Status of the Connection to a CTERA Portal The **CTERA Portal** page displays information about the CTERA Edge Filer connection to a CTERA Portal account. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-67FKBMI9.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) After connecting to a CTERA Portal the CTERA Edge Filer status panel shows the following: - The status of the connection to the CTERA Portal can be one of the following: **Resolving the portal address** – The CTERA Edge Filer is resolving the CTERA Portal address. **Connected to** ***portal*** – The CTERA Edge Filer is connected to the CTERA Portal named *portal* or with the IP address *portal*, and the connection is currently in use. **Connecting** – The CTERA Edge Filer is connecting to the CTERA Portal. **Disconnected** – The CTERA Edge Filer is disconnected from the CTERA Portal. You can reconnect as described in [Reconnecting and Disconnecting to a CTERA Portal](/v1/docs/accessing-a-ctera-edge-filer-5-1-1#reconnecting-and-disconnecting-to-a-ctera-portal). **Authenticating** – The CTERA Edge Filer is authenticating to the CTERA Portal. **Connection Failed** – The connection to the CTERA Portal failed. - The amount of time that the CTERA Edge Filer has been connected to the CTERA Portal. - The IP address of the CTERA Portal. - The edge filer identifier used by the portal. ## Reconnecting and Disconnecting to a CTERA Portal If the connection to the CTERA Portal is lost due to a connectivity failure, the CTERA Edge Filer automatically reconnects when it detects that the CTERA Portal is available. To force the CTERA Edge Filer to immediately try to reconnect, click **Reconnect**. The connection status displays whether the reconnection attempt is successful or not. **To disconnect from a CTERA Portal:** 1. In the **Configuration** view, select **Cloud Services > Status** in the navigation pane. The **CTERA Portal** page is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-67FKBMI9.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) 2. Click **Sign out** and **Yes** when the confirmation message is displayed. ## Accessing the Connection to a CTERA Portal After connecting a CTERA Edge Filer to a CTERA Portal, you can access the CTERA Portal account. **To access the CTERA Portal account:** 1. In the **Configuration** view, select **Cloud Services > Status** in the navigation pane. The **CTERA Portal** page is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-67FKBMI9.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A29%3A11Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A29%3A11Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=hd7Pt3bkxLJ7W2KCUOo3IssJvuXdbCCrgPDvqy%2F%2B3Dw%3D) 2. Click **Access My Portal Account**. The CTERA Portal sign in page is displayed in a new window, and you can sign in and access the account. For details about using the CTERA Portal account, refer to *[CTERA Portal documentation](https://kb.ctera.com/v1/docs/ctera-portal-2)*.