Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) Practice Exam 2026 – All-in-One Guide to Master Your Certification!

The default file sharing protocol is SMB3 (Server Message Block version 3). SMB3 is widely used in modern operating systems, especially on macOS and Windows, allowing for efficient sharing of files, printers, and other network resources between devices. This protocol improves upon earlier versions by providing enhanced performance and security features, making it the preferred choice for file sharing in a networked environment.

AFP (Apple Filing Protocol) was previously the standard for file sharing in older versions of macOS, but it has largely been phased out in favor of SMB3. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is another file transfer method, but it does not provide the same level of integration and security features as SMB3, especially in a mixed operating system environment. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is primarily designed for transferring web pages and does not specialize in file sharing, making it less suitable for this purpose. SMB3 represents the most current and effective approach for file sharing across different systems, highlighting its role as the default protocol in contemporary networks.