[SMF] Quote function not working

Does SEF Advance strip the word component from the URL?  i.e.

www.kaitech.hk/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,71.html

becomes

www.kaitech.hk/option,com_smf/Itemid,71.html

This is normal behavior right?

Does SEF Advance strip the word component from the URL?  i.e.

www.kaitech.hk/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,71.html

becomes

www.kaitech.hk/option,com_smf/Itemid,71.html

This is normal behavior right?

Yes.

OK - do you think my problem relates to SEF Advance?

I've tested without SEF Advance enabled, this is what happens:

link generated wrote: www.kaitech.hk/component/option,com_smf/...31495008cbaca8158a19

after clicking wrote: www.kaitech.hk/component/option,com_smf/...31495008cbaca8158a19

Even though the links differ, it still "works"...

I don't understand your problem at all, sorry. Looks like SMF does some kind of falty redirect.
Why don't you just disable SEF for forum if you don't have human friendly URLs anyway?

I don't understand your problem at all, sorry. Looks like SMF does some kind of falty redirect.
Why don't you just disable SEF for forum if you don't have human friendly URLs anyway?

You mean set SEF Advance to 'ignore' SMF Bridge component?  Should I ignore the SMF registration as well?

Yes. No big point in having SEF on registration links.