Using VLC + Local Drive as an SMB Server for Multi-Device Streaming — Can the PC Sleep While Keeping the SSD Active?

Hey everyone,

I've been using my PC as a local media server by sharing files over SMB (Samba), then streaming them via VLC on multiple devices including my iPhone. It works great when the PC is fully awake.

Here's my question: Is there any way to put the PC into a partial sleep/low-power state where only the SSD stays active, so the SMB share remains accessible without the full system running?

Every time my PC goes to sleep normally, the SMB share goes offline and video playback stops on my iPhone mid-stream.

Things I've already tried / considered:

• Windows Sleep mode → kills the network share completely

What I'm looking for:

• A way to keep the network adapter and SSD active while the rest of the system powers down
• Or a low-power alternative that still serves SMB files reliably

Has anyone solved this cleanly? Any advice is appreciated.