max number of SMB filesharing users is 9? Default 5?

[RussellInCincinnati]

This doesn't make perfect sense to me, but had installed ...25 (not "B") in an environment with a mix of linux machines and Windows 98 through Win 7 boxes running old DOS database applications. Using a high-end USB flash drive formatted as a Linux ext2 volume (thanks to tips on this forum) as the RT-AC66u "fileserver". First 24 hours after launch was a nightmare with the DOS many-files-open apps running on Windows machines losing their SMB shares at random times. Upgraded on day 2 to ...25b and everything has been perfect for a couple of days now.

Wonder if part of this 25b-fixing-everything experience, was finally noticing that in my many-computer environment, the default number of SMB filesharing users is I think only 5, which I changed to 9.

(Also am super impressed by the polish and perfect settings preservation of the Merlin firmware installation process when going from Asus stock firmware to Merlin. Admittedly my configuration is not so complex, all I'm doing besides WiFi routing is SMB sharing of a single folder. The firmware install was so easy and event-free as to be a bit surprisingly anticlimatic.)

Wonder if the average user notices that the default limit of SMB users is only 5, and it appears to only be raise-able to 9. Am I interpreting that correctly? By default only 5 people can SMB-share a USB storage volume at one time? And the SMB filesharing subsystem can't be set to handle more than 9 simultaneous filesharing users?

Also there can't be more than 5 or so different usernames with passwords for the SMB sharing?

Not complaining in the slightest, it's a router that happens to be able to do a bit of low-end NAS work. My interest is more in understanding. Really the SMB filesharing is meant only for a real small number of users? Uh, would it be heavier-duty or have less limits to go to crude FTP, or somewhat-different NFS filesharing?

Of course am not meaning for anyone to spend too much mind-space on this topic, when you can buy a pretty fast, feature-loaded, software-add-on-compatible Zyxel 310 to -325 series NAS for $130-$160 U.S. dollars.

 

[RMerlin]

The original firmware limits it to 5 concurrent connections. I increased it to 10 as the limit was a bit low. Not sure allowing increasing beyond that is a good idea, since the router's performance as a file sharing device isn't exactly impressive compared to any entry level NAS. If you need to have more than 10 devices concurrently accessing your router's shared disk, best to buy an entry level NAS instead IMHO.