An information processing apparatus includes circuitry to transmit network identification information of a network to a communication terminal via short-range wireless communication and acquire, from the communication terminal via short-range wireless communication, address information indicating an address on the Internet accessible by the communication terminal based on the network identification information. The circuitry notifies a plurality of pieces of connection information of the communication terminal using the address information acquired from the communication terminal, the connection information to be used for establishing a connection between the information processing apparatus and the communication terminal through the network.