How do I access shared folders by ip address? (for example, in windows, I use "\\172.16.243.7")

Solution 1:

The easiest way is to open Nautilus, the file manager, and press ctrl+L. This will give you a text field where you can type

smb://172.16.243.7/

You can also connect to a share using the places menu. From the places menu, select "connect to server". In the dialog that appears, selet "Windows resource", type the IP into the "server" field. This will create a shortcut on your desktop to the share.

Solution 2:

smb://172.16.243.7/

press Ctrl+L if you can't type in the location bar.