shell/docs/smb-vs-nfs-guide.md

SMB vs NFS: Understanding Network File Sharing

What's the Difference?

SMB/CIFS (Server Message Block)

• Used by: Windows, Synology, QNAP, and most consumer NAS devices
• Share format: Share names (like media, backup, public)
• Example: //192.168.68.51/media
• Authentication: Usually requires username/password
• Best for: Mixed Windows/Linux environments, consumer NAS

NFS (Network File System)

• Used by: Linux servers, enterprise NAS, some advanced setups
• Share format: Directory paths (like /volume1/media, /export/data)
• Example: 192.168.68.51:/volume1/media
• Authentication: Usually IP-based or Kerberos
• Best for: Linux-only environments, performance-critical applications

Your NAS Situation

Based on the tests, your NAS at 192.168.68.51:

• ✅ Has SMB/CIFS enabled (port 445 accessible)
• ❌ No NFS exports (showmount returned empty)
• 🔒 Requires authentication (no guest access)

Recommendation: Use SMB/CIFS (option 1 in the setup script)

Common Share Names to Try

When the script asks for a "share name," try these common ones:

• media - for movies, TV shows, music
• backup - for backup storage
• public - for general shared files
• homes - for user home directories
• volume1 - common on Synology NAS
• share - generic share name

What You'll Need

For SMB setup, you'll need:

1. Share name - The folder name your NAS admin set up
2. Username - Your account on the NAS
3. Password - Your NAS account password

Example Setup Flow

1. Run: ./setup-nas-mount.sh
2. Choose option 1 (SMB/CIFS)
3. Script will try to list available shares
4. Enter your NAS username and password
5. You'll see something like:

   Sharename       Type      Comment
   ---------       ----      -------
   media           Disk      Media files
   backup          Disk      Backup storage
   public          Disk      Public share
   

6. Enter the share name you want (e.g., media)
7. Script will set up persistent mounting

If You're Not Sure

Contact your NAS administrator or check your NAS web interface to see:

• What shares are available
• What your username/password should be
• Whether you have access to the shares you want to mount