SMB

Windows File Sharing, (also known as Common Internet File System [CIFS] or Server Message Block [SMB]), is probably the most flexible of all of the options for sharing media between your computer or a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device and XBMC.

• On Mac OS X it's called Windows Sharing.
• On Linux/UNIX/BSD its counterpart is SAMBA.

SMB/SAMBA/CIFS sharing has many advantages over the other options, mainly:

• It is already incorporated in Windows, eliminating the need for additional software and services to be installed on your PC
• It allows for authentication by Windows username and password, making it good for use on public networks
• Once properly configured, it will allow your network shares to be seen and accessed by not only XBMC, but also any Windows machine on your network.
  

Setting up SMB

• SMB/Windows - Setting up SMB on Windows

• SMB/Mac - Setting up SMB on Mac OS X

• Samba - Setting up SMB in Linux

External links

• How to enable Windows File-Sharing on your XBMC Live system (mini-itx.com)