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The server's mobile-enabled personal cloud feature is a bonus for frequent travelers. However, after multiple tries and shutting off all security/anti-virus, I could not install WD Discovery on any of my PCs, and WD seemingly is terrible at product support. One annoying issue is the inability to shut off the overly bright LED, but can live with that. Even though unit is refurbished, appears to be brand new, and price is very reasonable. If you're looking for a dual-bay server that offers similar performance with much more advanced features, however, also check out a dual-bay server from Synology, such as the DS712+.
Macs will immediately see the My Cloud as an available destination for Time Machine backup and the My Cloud EX2 will also appear on Finder. All DLNA-enabled network media player devices, such as the WD TV, will also immediately find the content stored on the server for streaming purposes. In all, with the combination of performance, ease-of-use, affordability and features, the WD My Cloud EX2 fits perfectly in a small home or an office with around five users. For more options of excellent network storage devices, check out this list.
WD My Cloud EX2 review: Everything a connected home needs
This means the EX2 is not only the fastest among all the servers in WD's My Cloud series, but also among the fastest dual-bay NAS servers on the market. Both the WDMyCloud account and the My Cloud mobile app support multiple WD My Cloud servers. If you have more than one server, you have the option to pick which one you want to connect to at a time, and it's very easy to switch between them. Similar to its predecessors, the biggest selling point of the My Cloud EX2 is the Cloud Access feature.
You can also get it for just $200 with no hard drive included. Everyone added to your device can set up their own private space that only they have access to. They have full control over how they manage, access and share their files. We want you to be 100% satisfied with your National Credit Direct purchase. At any time you can return an item in its original condition within 30 days from receipt and we’ll issue a refund.
Synology DiskStation DS1621+ 6-Bay Desktop NAS for SMB
The My Cloud Home Duo works seamlessly with Windows Backup, Time Machine and your phone's camera roll. Please note that services listed under “Services available after Wednesday, April 6, 2022” below will continue to be available. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended.
The EX2's interface is well-organized and easy to use, and offers access to all of the server's customizations and settings. Similar to the case of the original My Cloud or the EX4, the My Cloud EX2 is very easy to setup. In fact these servers are so similar that this part of the review is almost the same as found in the two previous reviews.
Synology HAT5300-16T 16 TB,Internal,7200 RPM,3.5 inch (HAT530016T) Hard Drive
The server works with all standard 3.5-inch internal hard drives from any vendors. WD says it will honor the three-year warranty even when you use non-WD hard drives. The My Cloud EX2 is an excellent replacement for the already-excellent original My Cloud server.
This feature allows you to sign up for a WDMyCloud.com online account for each user account of the NAS server, and to create an access code for a remote device. To make changes to the settings of the server, including turning its features on and off, adding more users, restricting access, and so on, you will need to use the server's Web interface. To get there, point a connected computer to the server's IP address or click on the Dashboard icon created by the WD Setup software. As soon as the server is plugged in, without needing to do anything else, you can start using it as a backup destination and shared storage space. By default, the server comes with three public share folders called Public, SmartWare, and Time Machine Backup. As the names suggest, the Public folder is for storing public data, and the other two are for backups of Windows and Mac machines, respectively.
The design of the app itself could also use some improvements. First, there's no search, meaning you have to manually browse for content. And since the content is not automatically organized by type, you generally have to dig though folders and sub folders to find what you want. This might be OK if you have just videos or not much content to go through, otherwise, this could be a frustrating experience, especially with music or photos. To make things worse, there's no back button to bring you back the previous folder level.
You can remotely backup your phone to it and access pictures from phone. You can save and back up from your home computer BUT you cannot see what you backed from you phone on your home computer and from the phone app you cannot see what you backed up of your home computer. I would not buy again but would get one of the true NAS options. The My Cloud EX2 continues the friendly pricing set by the previous two coming with the suggested retail price of just $570 for 8TB (or $470 and $370 for 6TB and 4TB, respectively).
Unlike a NAS, it's a simple centralized solution to back up your photos, videos and files, and have it stored in one place. With the My Cloud Home app, you can access, upload and share your content from anywhere with an internet connection. From within the same home network, via Wi-Fi, download the app on your mobile device from the Google Play or App Store.
Secure files with this My Cloud Home Duo personal storage device. The My Cloud Home Duo is an easy-to-use, dual-drive personal storage device that plugs directly into your Wi-Fi router at home so you can save all your digital content in one central place. With two drives set to Mirror Mode, all your content is automatically saved twice. You can automatically back up the photos and videos on your phone, and wirelessly back up and sync all your PC and Mac computers and cloud accounts. Use the USB port to quickly import photos, videos and documents from other devices, like USB flash drives and external hard drives.
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world. My Cloud Home™ Duo comes equipped with two hard drives and is set to Mirror Mode , so all your content is automatically duplicated on each drive for extra peace of mind.
While 4TB is a huge amount, it can fill up pretty fast with multiple users. That said, the EX2 is ideal for a household with five users or fewer, even though the server supports up to 10 concurrent users. Invite your family and friends to collaborate on folders and albums. Today, WD announced the latest member in its user-friendly My Cloud series, the EX2 NAS server, which turns out to be among the best of its type. Remotely access all your files on your My Cloud Home from anywhere you have internet. Search by date, time or keyword to quickly find your favorite memories and create photo albums or folders.
You can do more than one of these tasks at a time, making it an excellent backup server for those who love taking photos and video with their phones. In my trials, the back-up process worked well with smaller files, such as documents or photos. When I wanted to back up a large file, such as a 30-second video recorded on an iPad, the performance was slow. But this depends a lot on the connection between the mobile device and the server. For obvious reasons, it generally works better over Wi-Fi than over a cellular connection. My Cloud Home Duo is an easy-to-use personal cloud storage device that plugs directly into your Wi-Fi router at home so you can save all your digital content in one central place.
Thanks to having two internal drives, the new server offers data redundancy as a safeguard if one of the drives fails. That, plus the excellent performance, the affordability, and the ease of use make it an ideal choice for an entry-level, yet robust, network storage device. Unlike the backup function, the My Cloud app's playback function was mediocre at best. For one, the support for media streaming is also extremely limited.
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