Create clickable links/menu for SMB servers

[j7n]

A newbie question.

The Windows Network Neighborhood browser often does not work for a variety of reasons: parts of it are disabled, conflicting Windows versions are present, different broadcast domains, etc. It doesn't work for me, because I want to access shares over the Internet or different LAN subnets.

How do I create a menu of available hosts so that the servers would open into Total Commander without going through the Network Neighborhood? I do have access to servers by ip or hostname, just not the browser service. If I put \\1.2.3.4 or \\server into TC's Start menu, the SMB is opened in Explorer, and I can't use TC's copy dialog with full options (speed reading and ability to move to Background).

Is it possible to disable browsing the Workgroup when I click on Up One Level when at the root of the \\server ? This causes TC to hang for 1 minute waiting for the unavailable workgroup.

I'm sure TC is working correctly with regards to Network browsing. In this case I'm looking for solutions when the Network isn't working as intended by Microsoft.

[Sob]

If I put \\1.2.3.4 or \\server into TC's Start menu, the SMB is opened in Explorer, ...

Use cd as command and \\server as parameter.

[j7n]

That worked. Thank you.

[ghisler(Author)]

Or use the directory hotlist: Ctrl+D, or click on the small "*" to the right of the current path.

[j7n]

I've never noticed the Directory Hotlist menu, even though it's there on my old TC 6 too. It's working just as well if I use the "cd \\server\directory" command there. I think I'm gonna use that menu instead of the Start, because I feel directories belong there.

Is it still possible to disable the Up One Level or browsing of Workgroup (but retain access to SMB servers)? I intuitively use it, as if the SMB computer was an FTP, and it's annoying that it hangs. The program hangs again when I try to open the drives listbox if I happen to be on the Workgroup level at that time. It works ok, if I switch drives when inside a server.

SMB over Fast Ethernet is currently working very well, reaching 9 MB/s compared to 11 MB/s over FTP (using TC with fixed UploadBlockSize). I have 2000 and XP hosts. I read Microsoft has broken(changed) something in Seven that causes slow transfers again... Aside from the UploadBlockSize, I learned how to set up FTP within a week, and can do it in half an hour with users, and permissions. On the other hand, SMB workgroup never works as intended...