KDJ, "Network Providers"... it is something old, very old.
Run "control ncpa.cpl"
In menu "Advanced" select "Advanced Settings"
Tab "Adapters and Bindings"
In upper list you have all your network connections
In lower - bindings "Network Provider"=>"Protocol" for selected in upper list connection.
As you see there - "Microsoft Windows Network" is "Network Provider" which allows to see "shared folder" and allows to share own folder among PCs.
The same is "Web Client Network" (WebDAV - working with file structure of http servers). The same is "Microsoft Terminal Services". If you ever installed Windows on VirtualBox, and configure "Shared Folders" feature(i.e. file system on host machine see in guest OS too), you should notice that this sharing in guest implemented as separate item in Network Neighbourhood similarly as "Microsoft Windows Network" i.e. it is another "Network Provider".
This is way it should be done for FTP. Mapping drive letter is done by OS itself, not by third party. No extra processes.
How to locate installed network provider you can read
here