Administrator Guide

Accessing an SMB Share Using Windows
Microsoft Windows offers several methods for connecting to SMB shares. To access an SMB share, the client must be a valid
user (local or remote) and provide a valid password.
Option 1 - net use Command
Run the net use command from a command prompt:
About this task
net use drive_letter: \\client_vip_or_name\smb_share_name
Option 2 - UNC path
Use the UNC path.
Steps
1. From the Start menu, select Run. The Run window opens.
2. Type the path to the SMB share that you want to connect to:
\\client_vip_or_name\smb_share_name
3. Click OK.
Option 3 - Map the Share as a Network Drive
Map the share as a network drive.
Steps
1. Open Windows Explorer and choose Tools → Map Network Drive. The Map Network Drive dialog box opens.
2. From the Drive drop-down list, select any available drive.
3. Either type the path to the SMB share that you want to connect to in the Folder field or browse to the SMB share:
\\client_vip_or_name\smb_share_name
4. Click Finish.
Option 4 - Network
Connect to the share using the Windows Network. This option does not map the share.
Steps
1. From the Start menu, select Computer. The Computer window opens.
2. Click Network.
3. Locate the NAS appliance and double-click it.
4. From the SMB shares list, select the SMB share that you want to connect to.
Show Dot Files to SMB Client
You can enable or disable the show dot files setting for each SMB share. By default, the setting is enabled, which means files
with names that start with a dot character (period) are shown to SMB clients. When disabled, files that start with a dot are
shown with a hidden flag set to SMB clients of all versions (SMB, SMB2) that access the specific share. This setting applies to
all files and folders in the system, regardless of the creation origin.
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FluidFS Administration