DIY a Manjaro Desktop to function as a router - possible?

No. That’s the version of Samba. SMB1/2/3 are samba protocols – SMB1 (and to some extent SMB2) is highly insecure – even Microsoft effectively removed SMB1 from Windows; in the process breaking the longstanding “Network Neighbourhood” feature. SMB1 (and SMB2 ?) is likewise unavailable in Linux.

SMB3 (and greater) Samba protocols are considered secure.

Yes. However, don’t rely on forum suggestions for that. Go directly to Arch and learn what you need to learn from the extensive documentation; then, by all means, ask here for clarification in relation to Manjaro.

That said, there are reliable resources within this forum, and it’s not quite as scary as it might otherwise seem: :slightly_smiling_face: