Building a computer network can be incredibly beneficial when it comes to sharing important information between users, especially users within the same business, or on the same team.
However, actually putting a computer network together can be a whole ordeal unto itself!
One of the toughest parts that come with dealing with a computer network is figuring out what all of the various terms and abbreviations refer to.
You are likely reading this article right now because you are trying to work out exactly what ‘SMB’ means, right?
If so, allow us to investigate exactly what it refers to, and what the abbreviation means to you!
What Does SMB Mean?
SMB is an abbreviation that stands for ‘Server Message Block’, and this is a type of network used by Windows computers. These networks allow multiple computers within the same network to share files with one another.
It is rather similar to hosting content on a cloud platform, except all of the content is kept entirely within a local domain, which helps to keep it secure.
What Are The Benefits Of An SMB?
Now that you know what an SMB is, you’re likely wondering what exactly it exists for, and what benefits it can offer to users.
One of the main benefits of an SMB is that it allows computers on the same network to gain access to shared printers and other external devices without hassle.
This means that all manner of important documents can easily be printed out from any computer that is connected to the same SMB network! This is incredibly beneficial to business offices with multiple employees, workspaces, and computers.
Of course, another major benefit of SMB networks is that they allow all users on the same network to easily access the same files from absolutely any device on that network.
This helps to improve the efficiency and workflow of a business, as there is no hassle spent in trying to transfer documents and other files from one computer to another.
Whenever a document is urgently needed, it can easily be pulled up and put to use. This helps to increase the efficiency of a business, as well as reduce downtime in which a business may be busy digging out documents.
SMB networks also require very little internet usage, which can help a business save bandwidth for other activities. However, this can mean that it can take some time to upload large files and documents to the server.
What Is The Difference Between An SMB And An FTP?
First, it is important to determine exactly what an FTP is. FTP is an abbreviation that refers to a “File Transfer Protocol”.
An FTP is slightly different from an SMB because it allows users to transfer files not only between other computers in the same network but also between different networks themselves.
FTP has made a name for itself as a safe method of file transfer thanks to the fact that it is incredibly fast and smooth.
Compared to an SMB, uploading a file to an FTP takes much less time, which makes it a highly efficient option for any business that needs to frequently share large or complex files that take up plenty of memory space.
FTP servers are also noted for being incredibly safe and secure. There are multiple layers of protection that help to keep files from being compromised while transferring from network to network, and also allow you to make quick changes on the fly.
However, unlike the SMB interface, it can take some time and practice to get up to speed with the FTP user interface, which means that it can be easy for those that are new to the interface to accidentally make errors that could lead to data being deleted or corrupted.
This may mean that new employees in a business may need to be adequately trained on FTP protocols.
One of the major differences between SMB and FTP servers is that FTP servers tend to be much faster, which makes them incredibly efficient for uploading and transferring large files from computer to computer.
This is why FTP servers are so beneficial to businesses that rely on large files being shared quickly and efficiently.
However, with regards to speed, SMB networks can still prove very quick when used to transfer files that are of a slightly smaller size than others. This can help to improve the efficiency of an internet connection within an office.
SMB servers, unlike FTP servers, are also intended entirely for use within private, secure, and local networks, with files only transferring between computers connected to that same server.
This means that they require slightly less security, and in turn less internet usage to power them. However, this does mean that they can prove incredibly vulnerable when connected to the wider internet.
FTPs, on the other hand, are far more secure, because they are designed to make it easy to transfer files from network to network, rather than just from computer to computer.
As a result, they contain many more layers of security that help to keep prying eyes or hackers from compromising your files.
To Conclude
There we have it, SMB is simply an abbreviation that refers to “Server Message Block”, and this is a type of network that helps to make it easy for users on the same network to easily share files with one another.
This can really help the efficiency of a business, by allowing employees to more easily share important data with one another.
These networks are primarily based entirely on local internet connections and servers in order to keep them secure.
They are also designed for transferring slightly smaller files, as FTPs are instead better for transferring larger file sizes from network to network.
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