How to Connect to a Network Share Using User Credentials in .NET?

Connecting to a Network Share with User Credentials

Problem:

Connecting to a network share without explicit user authorization can encounter permission issues.

Options for Establishing User Credentials in .Net:

Using the .Net framework (2.0 and above), there are several approaches to resolve this issue:

1. NetworkConnection Class:

public class NetworkConnection : IDisposable
{
    // ...
    public NetworkConnection(string networkName, NetworkCredential credentials)
    {
        // ...
    }
    // ...
}

This custom class seamlessly facilitates user credential authentication for network share access. It employs the following methods from the mpr.dll:

• WNetAddConnection2(): Establishes the network connection with provided credentials.
• WNetCancelConnection2(): Terminates the network connection.

2. Drive Mapping:

public class DriveMapper
{
    public static void MapNetworkDrive(string networkPath, string username, string password)
    {
        // ...
    }

    public static void UnmapNetworkDrive(string networkPath)
    {
        // ...
    }
}

Drive mapping utilizes the WNetUseConnection() and WNetCancelConnection2() methods. It creates a virtual drive letter associated with the network share and handles authentication transparently.

3. Impersonation:

Impersonation involves impersonating a user to access resources and perform actions as that user. In your case, you could impersonate the user with the required privileges to connect to the share. However, this approach may introduce security concerns.

Detailed Implementation of NetworkConnection Class:

• Define a NetResource struct to describe the network resource properties.
• Use WNetAddConnection2() to establish the network connection with provided credentials.
• Implement the Dispose() method to release the network connection using WNetCancelConnection2().

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