https://graspingtech.com/mount-nfs-share-windows-10/
NFS is cleaner than SMB, I would suggest this route.
Also, many routers have file sharing built in , just add usb storage.
That’s way beyond my skill-set, but Openurmind probably knows what the article means.
Did that. Doesn't work well. Some computers only "see" the USB drive as a "Media Center" and will not open to show as an actual hard drive. And the problem seems to be intermittent. Windows 7 originally saw the drive as a drive, but now only as Media. I found a fix for Windows 10, which remedied the problem and which "seems" to be permanent.