SMB (network share)

Load PS2 (and PS1) games directly from a shared folder on a Windows PC, Linux Samba server, or NAS over your local network using SMBv1. No USB drive required — the PS2 mounts the share and reads ISOs straight off it.

ℹ SMB and Network Boot share the same adapter

The PS2 has one Ethernet port and one network driver. SMB (ETH) and Network Boot (UDPBD/UDPFS) are mutually exclusive — enabling one in Device Settings disables the other. If you switch, you must save and restart for the change to take effect. See Network Boot for the UDPBD/UDPFS alternative.

What you need

A PS2 with a network adapter (PS2 HDD adaptor with Ethernet, or a compatible third-party adapter).
A PC, NAS, or Linux/macOS box that can serve an SMBv1 share — Windows 10/11 can do this once you re-enable the SMBv1 server feature; Samba on Linux works natively.
Both devices on the same local network (wired is strongly recommended — Wi-Fi via a media bridge is possible but adds latency).
A static IP address for the PS2, or DHCP with a known/stable lease. A static IP is far simpler and avoids reconnection surprises.

ℹ SMBv1 only

OPL's embedded SMB client speaks SMBv1 only. Modern Windows disables the SMBv1 server by default as a security precaution. You need to re-enable it in Windows Features (Control Panel → Programs → Turn Windows features on or off → SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support). Samba on Linux defaults to a range that includes SMBv1; you may need min protocol = NT1 in smb.conf if your distro's defaults have been tightened.

Create a folder

Create a folder to act as the OPL root — e.g. C:\PS2SMB on Windows or /srv/ps2smb on Linux. Give it the standard OPL subfolder layout (OPL will create missing folders automatically on first connect, but it helps to have them ready):

PS2SMB\
  CD\       ← PS2 CD-ROM games (blue-bottom discs, <700 MB ISOs)
  DVD\      ← PS2 DVD5 / DVD9 ISOs
  POPS\     ← PS1 *.VCD files + POPSTARTER.ELF (for PS1 games)
  ART\      ← cover art
  CFG\      ← per-game config files
  VMC\      ← Virtual Memory Card images
  THM\      ← themes
  CHT\      ← cheat files
  APPS\     ← homebrew ELFs

Share the folder with full read/write access

OPL needs full read and write permissions on the share so it can create the sub-folders above and write per-game config files during gameplay.

Windows: right-click the folder → Properties → Sharing → Advanced Sharing → Share this folder. Set the share name (e.g. PS2SMB). Under Permissions, give the user account (or Everyone) Full Control. Also check the Security tab to confirm the NTFS permissions allow the user read and write access.

Linux / Samba: add a share block to /etc/samba/smb.conf — for example:

[PS2SMB]
   path = /srv/ps2smb
   browseable = yes
   writable = yes
   guest ok = yes
   min protocol = NT1

Then run sudo systemctl restart smbd. If you use a password, set up a Samba user with sudo smbpasswd -a <username> instead of using guest ok = yes.

Place your game ISOs

Copy PS2 ISOs into DVD\ (for DVD games) or CD\ (for CD-ROM games). USBExtreme/USB Advance split-format games (ul.*) work too, but single-file ISOs are simpler over a network. There is no per-file size limit on the SMB path — DVD9 dual-layer ISOs (~8 GB) are fine.

2. Configure Network Settings in OPL

In RiptOPL, go to Settings → Network Settings. This dialog has two sections: the PS2's own network identity, and the share address.

PS2 IP address

Field	Description
IP address type	Static or DHCP. Static is recommended — it avoids re-needing to update the settings when your router assigns a different lease.
IP Address	The PS2's IP address (e.g. `192.168.0.10`). Grayed out when DHCP is selected.
Subnet Mask	Typically `255.255.255.0` for a home /24 network.
Gateway	Your router's IP (e.g. `192.168.0.1`).
DNS Server	Usually the same as the gateway, or your ISP/public DNS. Not required for SMB itself (which connects by IP), but needed if DHCP negotiation touches DNS.
Eth. Link Mode	Leave on Auto unless your switch forces a specific speed/duplex. Options: Auto, 100Mbps Full-Duplex, 100Mbps Half-Duplex, 10Mbps Full-Duplex, 10Mbps Half-Duplex.

Field	Description
Address Type	IP Address or NetBIOS. For most setups use IP address — it connects directly without name resolution. NetBIOS lets you type a Windows machine name (e.g. `MYPC`) but requires the PS2 to resolve the name first; if the name lookup fails, OPL cannot connect at all.
Address	Either the server's IPv4 address (e.g. `192.168.0.5`) or its NetBIOS name (up to 15 characters, e.g. `MYPC`), depending on Address Type.
Port	The SMB port. Default and standard is 445. Only visible with Show Advanced Options enabled; leave at 445 unless your server is explicitly configured otherwise.
Share	The share name, e.g. `PS2SMB`. This is the name you gave the share on the server — not a path. Default is `PS2SMB`.
User	The username to log on with. Default is `GUEST`. For a guest/public share leave this as-is. For a password-protected share enter the correct account name.
Password	Leave empty for no-password shares. For password-protected shares OPL will attempt to send a hashed password first; if the server rejects the hash it falls back to plaintext.

ℹ Subfolder prefix (ETH Prefix)

If your share contains more than one OPL layout — for example you have multiple consoles sharing one NAS share — you can point OPL at a subfolder inside the share. Set ETH Prefix Path in Device Settings (config key eth_prefix) to the subfolder name. OPL will prepend that path to every read/write inside the share. Leave it empty to use the share root directly.

Saving and connecting

After filling in the fields, press OK to save. The dialog also has a Reconnect button: it saves and immediately retries the SMB connection without a full restart. If anything changed on the server (new files, credentials updated), Reconnect refreshes the game list without rebooting.

3. Enable SMB in Device Settings

Network Settings stores the how (address, credentials). Device Settings stores the whether — open Settings → Device Settings and set ETH Start Mode to Auto or Manual:

Start Mode	Behaviour
Off	SMB is not loaded. Use this if you are not using network sharing.
Auto	OPL connects to the SMB share on startup and shows ETH Games in the tab bar without any extra steps.
Manual	The ETH Games tab appears in the list but OPL does not connect until you select it. Useful if the server is not always on — boot is faster and you only pay the connection cost when you navigate to SMB.

ℹ SMB is interlocked with Network Boot

In Device Settings, ETH Start Mode and Network Boot (UDPBD/UDPFS) are interlocked: enabling Network Boot disables the SMB start-mode selector, and vice versa. Both features require the PS2's single Ethernet adapter; only one can be active at a time. This interlock is enforced both in the UI and at runtime in ethsupport.c.

4. Game and folder layout

OPL uses the same folder structure on an SMB share as on USB or MMCE:

Folder	Contents
`CD\`	PS2 CD-ROM games (ISOs under ~700 MB — blue-bottom discs)
`DVD\`	PS2 DVD5 and DVD9 ISOs (up to ~8.5 GB — FAT32 4 GB limit does not apply over SMB)
`POPS\`	PS1 `*.VCD` files + `POPSTARTER.ELF` (see PS1 over SMB below)
`ART\`	Cover art images
`CFG\`	Per-game configuration files
`VMC\`	Virtual Memory Card images (`.bin`)
`THM\`	Themes
`CHT\`	PS2RD cheat files
`APPS\`	Homebrew ELFs

Note that SMB paths use backslashes (\) internally — OPL handles this automatically; your folder names on the server should just be plain ASCII without special characters.

5. PS1 games over SMB

The L3 VCD view works on SMB just like USB: press L3 on the ETH Games page to toggle between your PS2 disc list and your PS1 *.VCD list. Place your VCDs (and POPSTARTER.ELF) in the POPS\ subfolder of the share.

Launching a PS1 game over SMB has one extra requirement: POPSTARTER needs its own copy of the network configuration and its SMB modules on the memory card — it cannot read them from the share at launch time.

Copy the SMB modules to the memory card

The release package ships a POPSTARTER/ folder containing the four network IRX modules POPSTARTER needs for SMB: smbman.irx, ps2ip.irx, ps2smap.irx, and ps2dev9.irx. Copy them to mc0:/POPSTARTER/ (or mc1:/POPSTARTER/). If they are missing when you try to launch a PS1 VCD over SMB, OPL will warn you rather than hanging.

Write the POPSTARTER network config

Enable Settings → Network Settings → Write POPSTARTER Network Config (off by default). When you save Network Settings with this enabled, OPL mirrors the IP address and share values you just entered directly into mc?:/POPSTARTER/IPCONFIG.DAT and mc?:/POPSTARTER/SMBCONFIG.DAT, in the exact format POPSTARTER expects. You do not need to edit those files by hand.

The write is free-space-gated and truncation-safe — it will not corrupt the memory card even if the card is nearly full. If writing fails, OPL shows an error message.

For deeper PS1 coverage — cover art by PS1 disc ID, the Default game view lock, and BDMA module equipping for exFAT — see PS1 Games (VCD).

Does the BDMA exFAT equip apply to SMB?

No. The BDMA equip copies block-device driver modules for POPSTARTER to use when reading an exFAT drive. SMB is a pure network path — there is no block device involved. The BDMA Mode and BDMA Source settings in General Settings have no effect on an SMB VCD launch. The only prerequisite for PS1 over SMB is the four network IRX modules above plus the POPSTARTER network config files.

6. SMB vs. Network Boot — the NIC interlock

The PS2's DEV9 expansion bay contains the Ethernet adapter (SMAP). There is only one, and only one network driver stack can own it at a time.

SMB active: OPL loads its own network stack (NETMAN + SMAP + PS2IP) and connects to the share. UDPBD/UDPFS cannot load.
Network Boot active: Neutrino's UDPBD or UDPFS driver owns the adapter. The SMB stack will not load (enforced both in the Device Settings UI and by a runtime guard in ethsupport.c).

To switch from SMB to Network Boot (or vice versa), go to Device Settings, change the mode, save, and restart OPL. You do not need to change any hardware.

The two approaches serve different use cases: SMB lets any device on the LAN (NAS, always-on PC, server) host your library with no special server software beyond a standard file share; Network Boot via UDPBD/UDPFS requires a dedicated server process running on a PC during play but streams the disc image at block-device level (Neutrino handles the disc emulation, not OPL's loader core). See Network Boot (UDPBD/UDPFS) for details.

7. Common problems

Symptom	Likely cause & fix
OPL shows "Network startup error: CONN" or similar	The PS2 cannot reach the server. Check: server IP is correct, server is on and reachable, SMBv1 is enabled on the server, no firewall blocking port 445, PS2 IP is valid (can ping the server from another device on the same subnet).
OPL shows "LOGON" error	Wrong username or password. Try `GUEST` / empty password for a guest share, or confirm the account credentials. Check that the Samba user (if Linux) has been added with `smbpasswd`.
OPL shows "SHARE" error (open share failed)	The share name does not match. Verify the exact share name on the server (case-sensitive on Linux). The default OPL share name is `PS2SMB`.
Game list is empty even after connecting	Check that ISOs are in the correct subfolder (`DVD\` or `CD\`) and that the user has read access to those folders. On Windows, NTFS permissions and share permissions are separate — verify both.
Games load slowly or stutter	Wired Ethernet is strongly recommended. If using a media bridge or powerline adapter, test with a direct cable run first. SMBv1 has no compression or caching; all disc reads go across the wire in real time.
DHCP fails / no IP assigned	OPL waits up to 30 seconds for a valid DHCP lease. If it times out, it logs "Unable to get valid IP address via DHCP." Switch to a static IP if your DHCP server is slow or if the PS2's MAC is not being offered a lease.
PS1 VCD launch fails or hangs	Check that the four SMB IRX modules (`smbman.irx`, `ps2ip.irx`, `ps2smap.irx`, `ps2dev9.irx`) are present in `mc?:/POPSTARTER/`, and that the network config files (`IPCONFIG.DAT`, `SMBCONFIG.DAT`) have been written. Use the Write POPSTARTER Network Config toggle in Network Settings.
Windows: share works from PC but PS2 cannot connect	Confirm SMBv1 server is enabled in Windows Features. Also check Windows Firewall — the File and Printer Sharing inbound rules must allow TCP port 445. Some security software (antivirus) may block SMBv1 connections even with the feature enabled.

8. Config file keys

All network settings are stored in conf_network.cfg (saved alongside settings_riptopl.cfg). You can edit it directly for values the on-screen number-spinner makes tedious to enter:

Key	Description
`ps2_ip_use_dhcp`	`0` = static, `1` = DHCP
`ps2_ip_addr`	PS2 static IP address
`ps2_netmask`	Subnet mask
`ps2_gateway`	Default gateway
`ps2_dns`	DNS server
`eth_linkmode`	`0` = Auto, `1`–`4` = 100M FDX / 100M HDX / 10M FDX / 10M HDX
`smb_share_use_nbns`	`0` = IP address mode, `1` = NetBIOS name mode
`smb_share_nb_addr`	NetBIOS name of the server (used when `smb_share_use_nbns=1`)
`smb_ip`	Server IP address (used when `smb_share_use_nbns=0`)
`smb_port`	SMB TCP port (default `445`)
`smb_share`	Share name (default `PS2SMB`)
`smb_user`	Login username (default `GUEST`)
`smb_pass`	Password (empty for no-password shares)

What about eth_prefix / ETH Prefix?

The eth_prefix key (set via Device Settings → ETH Prefix Path) is stored in settings_riptopl.cfg, not in conf_network.cfg. When non-empty, OPL appends it (plus a backslash) between the share root and every path it constructs — so smb0:PS2\DVD\game.iso instead of smb0:DVD\game.iso. Use this if the share hosts multiple setups and OPL's root is not the share root.