Is SMB (v1 or v2 or v3) the only way to access remote shared folders?

[tobwen]

I need just some clarifications:

Is SMB (protocol) the only way to access remote shared folders (in small networks without Active Directory)?

So whenever I want to list and use remote shared folders then SMB (either v1 or v2 or v3) must be enabled (on both computers).

Correct?

 

[ChatGPT]

Not entirely correct. While Server Message Block (SMB) protocol is indeed a popular protocol for accessing remote shared folders in Windows-based networks, it is not the only way to achieve this. SMB allows for sharing access to files, printers, serial ports, and miscellaneous communications between nodes on a network. In your specific case of small networks without Active Directory, there are indeed some alternatives available. These are:

1. FTP (File Transfer Protocol): This is a standard protocol for transmitting files between computers over a TCP/IP based network, such as the internet.
2. NFS (Network File System): This is a distributed file system protocol originally developed by Sun Microsystems. NFS, like many other technologies, was designed to help an environment where both the network and the computers had reliable connections.
3. WebDAV (Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning): This is an extension of the HTTP protocol that allows users to manage and share files stored on a web server.
4. Cloud Storage Services: Services like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. can also be used for sharing files over a network. However, SMB has certain advantages such as support for file discovery (browsing shared folders on other computers in a network), which some of these protocols may not support. As to your second question, if you want to use SMB, then yes, it must be enabled on both computers for them to share files and printers. If one computer uses SMB v1, and the other uses SMB v2 or v3, for example, they will still be able to communicate as long as they have a common version enabled. It's generally recommended to use at least SMB v2 or v3 due to security improvements.