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The Network Drive

NAS Reborn runs a real SMB server, the file-sharing protocol built into macOS, Windows and the Files app. Your computers connect with what they already have; there is no client software to install.

Connecting from a Mac

The server appears in the Finder sidebar under Network as "NAS Reborn (device name)". Click it, choose Connect As… and sign in with a device account. If browsing does not show it, use Go → Connect to Server… and enter the smb://… address shown on the Share tab.

Connecting from an iPhone or iPad

In the Files app on another device, tap the ⋯ button, choose Connect to Server and enter the server's smb://… address from the Share tab. Sign in as a registered user with the device account. The shared folders then appear as a location in Files.

Connecting from Windows

The server announces itself so it appears in the Network view of Windows Explorer. You can also type its address, in the form \\NAME, directly into the Explorer address bar; the Share tab shows the exact name and a plain \ip-address alternative that always works. Sign in with the device account.

What is shared

Every served top-level folder in the tree appears as a share of the same name, alongside a "Time Machine" share for backups. Folders switched Off disappear from the drive. Git repositories are shares like any other folder, with the checked-out files in them, so a push from your laptop changes what the Finder shows. An account narrowed to part of the server sees only its own shares; the rest are not offered and do not connect. The server's name as it appears on the network can be customized in Settings with the Pro unlock.

The Share tab shows who is connected and how much data is moving, and its addresses can be copied or sent with the share sheet. If someone signs in with a wrong username or password, the Share tab points it out and offers the fix.

Security

Connections use modern SMB 2 and 3 with mandatory signing, and encryption whenever the client supports it; there is no guest access, every connection signs in with a device account. Even so, SMB is a protocol for the trusted home network:

The drive is for your local network only. Never forward port 445 from the internet to the device. For reaching files across the internet, use the web and S3 serving that is designed for it.