Shares can be accessed over a network. Network access to data stored on your ReadyNAS system is managed by file-sharing protocols, which handle the transfer of data. You can access a share on your ReadyNAS from other network-attached devices (for example, a laptop or a tablet) if the share is enabled for a file-sharing protocol that the network-attached device supports. You can enable a share to support more than one file-sharing protocol.
The following table lists the file-sharing protocols that your ReadyNAS storage system supports.
| Protocol | Description | Recommendation |
|
CIFS (Common Internet File Service) |
Used mainly by Microsoft Windows computers and sometimes by Mac OS X computers, this protocol is enabled by default. It is sometimes referred to as the SMB (Server Message Block) file-sharing protocol. | If Windows users will access your storage system, enable this protocol. |
| NFS (Network File Service) | Used by Linux and Unix computers. Your ReadyNAS system supports NFS v3 over UDP and TCP. | If Linux or Unix users will access your storage system, enable this protocol. |
| AFP (Apple File Protocol) | Used by Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X computers. Your ReadyNAS system supports AFP 3.2. | If only Mac OS 9 and OS X users will access this your storage system, enable this protocol. However, in a mixed Windows and Mac environment, NETGEAR recommends using CIFS only. |
| FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and FTPS (FTP with SSL encryption) | Used by many public file upload and download sites. | If users will access your storage system using FTP, enable this protocol. |
| HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol and HTTPS (HTTP with SSL encryption) | Used on the world wide web. | If users will access your storage system from a device with a web browser, including a smart phone or tablet computer, enable this protocol. |
| Rsync | Fast file-transfer protocol that uses a delta-transfer algorithm that sends only the differences between the source file and the existing file. | If users will access your storage system from a device that supports Rsync, enable this protocol. |
When users access a share, it appears in their computer like a hard disk, and users can interact with it like they interact with a hard disk, depending on the access rights that are granted to the share and protocol combination.