Resource-sharing protocols

Resource-sharing protocols

1. FTP: One of the oldest Internet protocols, File Transfer Protocol allows network access to files.

   • It isn't very secure, and it isn't very much like accessing local files at all, so it's been gradually displaced by SSH on the Internet and other file sharing protocols on the LAN.
   • Still, FTP is in common use as a way to provide Internet access to files. FTP uses TCP ports 20 and 21.

2. SMB: Server Message Block allows folders or hard drives to be shared over the network and accessed much like they were local drives.

   • It's not only used by file servers, but by clients sharing folders on peer-to-peer networks.
   • SMB uses ports 137-139 and 445.

3. NFS: Network File System is very similar to SMB but is used primarily by Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.

   • In Linux-only environments it tends to have better performance and easier configuration than SMB, while in Windows environments it's the opposite.
   • The newest version, NFSv4, uses TCP and UDP port 2049. Older versions additionally require port 111

4. AFP: Apple Filing Protocol operates similarly to SMB, but with specific features more tuned to Apple's file systems.

   • Operates on ports 427 or 548. Older literature might call AFP AppleShare or AppleTalk Filing Protocol.

5. NetBIOS: A session-layer API, rather than strictly a protocol, NetBIOS is designed to allow various applications to communicate over the network.

   • On TCP/IP networks, NetBIOS is often called NetBT and uses TCP and UDP ports 137-139.
   • Due to a number of serious security vulnerabilities, when NetBIOS must be used it should only be enabled on trusted local networks, not on connections accessible from the Internet.