For access to remote file systems, Windows CE supports a CIFS redirector. The CIFS protocol is also referred to as the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. A redirector is a module through which one computer gains access to another. The redirector has two purposes: to reestablish disrupted connections and to handle remote file system requests by packaging them and then sending them to the target host for processing. The target host returns the results to the originating computer.
The Windows CE redirector allows connections to computers running Windows NT, Windows 95, or any other server that is compliant with the NT LM 0.12 dialect of the CIFS specification. Applications gain access to the redirector either through the Windows CE WNet API or the Universal Name Convention (UNC). Drive letters are not supported.
To use the WNet functions under Windows CE, the redirector dynamic-link library (DLL), known as Redir.dll, and the NetBios DLL, known as Netbios.dll, must be installed on the system. If these DLLs are not installed, the WNet functions return ERROR_NO_NETWORK.
Note The NetBios DLL contains only what is necessary to support the CIFS redirector. The NETBIOS applications interface is not supported by Windows CE.