WD MY CLOUD EX2 Ultra - Still Worth It In 2018/19?

[@GlenReed]

Thank you for your support kzbin.info/door/pWquuZsxf_shuOAWcIWMew

[@michaelkaercher]

I bought one of these a couple of weeks ago and I do not concur. Technically, the NAS can handle several concurrent users and provide very good network speed. My home network is equipped with Gbit Ethernet and transfer speed is nearly maxed out. I have transfer speeds of about 100-110 Mbyte per second which is about 900 MBit which is 90% of the network bandwidth. More then enough in the house. Plex may not a good idea on any ARM based NAS. Go for a multi-core Intel NAS system instead then there should be no big problem. For media streaming I use KODI which is more like a fat client. Just tried it. I could stream 5 movies at the same time just connecting KODI to the file shares. In general, I like this little box because of it's simplicity.

[@GlenReed]

That’s awesome! I’m glad that it’s working well for you. I wish I had gotten the same results. Thanks for watching.

[@VlNCcz]

Hi Glen, thanks for your review. I watched it only after I had purchased the WD MC EX2U a few days ago and was eager to test your insights out on the new NAS. I must say that my findings are very different in terms of the performance. I chose a relatively large file stored on the NAS, 20GB blu-ray with the bitrate of 17Mb/s and launched it simultaneously on 5 different devices (MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone, and one Android device). Moreover, I started editing a photo on the MBA, continually watching the performance of the NAS. All of the devices were playing the video smoothly with no screen freeze or delays, while the RAM indicator reported only ca. 30-40% usage and the CPU went hardly over 5%. Having said that, I must admit that at one point the MBA disconnected from the network and it took while to reconnect, but I believe it was rather a VLC network connection issue than a problem of the NAS itself. I didn't try the performance on PLEX. However, given that one of the main advantages of PLEX is the file transcoding (a process consuming loads of CPU), which is not necessary on WD MC EX2U in the first place as the high bit rate video played just well on all devices simultaneously, I wonder what are the other advantages of the WD MC PR2100 justifying the +40% higher price tag. Thank you!

[@GlenReed]

Wow that’s very interesting because my ex2 ultra has a VERY hard time multitasking at anything. The poor performance results I received seem to be a trend on other KZbin channels as well. But hey if it’s working for you that’s awesome! The cheaper price is definitely more attractive, which is why I chose it first. Thanks for watching 😊

[@VlNCcz]

@@GlenReed I tested it a bit more with Plex as well, and the poor performance comes when I'm trying to connect to the NAS from outside my local network. Even the lower resolution video files have loading problems, probably because of the ARM processor, which doesn't support transcoding. Contrary to that, in the local network, Plex works just fine playing video of all formats on all of my devices, probably also since there's no transcoding happening and the devices support the video formats. On the other hand, I uploaded some 5.000 high-resolution photos onto the NAS; and Plex has a tough time displaying any of these photos quickly, making presentations impossible even on the local network. All in all, the Ex2 Ultra does an excellent job multitasking video play locally in both, Plex and VLC, but struggles with the same task when accessed from outside or with the Plex's photos management even in the local network. I'm returning this NAS and purchasing PR2100 instead. Best Regards. L

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for posting your results as I’m sure this will help many 😊

[@Michael-xv4rb]

@@VlNCcz Hi Lukas, did PR2100 worked better?

[@JDT2885]

@@VlNCcz So if I take your usage and instead of using VLC, I use KODI, do you think i Will be able to stream 4k files with sizes above 40 Gb within my Local Network to 1 TV/Nvidia Shield at a time..... or with at most some torrents downloading to the same NAS???

[@sbcns]

Hi Glen, Thanks for the review. Just a quick question, are we able to access our file locally (via file explorer) on this device? Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you!

[@GlenReed]

Hey! Yes you can under the network tab. I use my WD PR2100 that way daily. It is slow though so transferring large files takes some time. Thanks for watching!

[@Archigreg]

Access to my wdcloud nas is no longer available outside my home because I can't update to OS5. If I replace it with ex2 I see that support ends in 2026. So I'd have the same problem? Do I have to wait until 2026 to buy a Nas in order to have 8-10 years valid support and therefore access to the NAS outside my home? Is the same problem with synology support nas?

[@GlenReed]

I purchased the PR2100 and was able to update it to OS5. However I also have a synology 220+ and like it much better. I don’t think I’ll be buying any more WD nas is the future.

[@vilhy1]

I use it as SMB only and it is great, no need to transcode anything, just access it and transfer speed is great

[@GlenReed]

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing I’m sure the info will help a lot of people who do but need transcoding. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@JDT2885]

I am having a hard time getting any videos or reviews that answer my question. I am currently downloading 4 Hi Res torrents and/or ripping Blue Ray to 4k files.. and then copy them to a 2 TB portable disk.. Then plugging them into my Android box/Samsung MU8000 Smart TV.. and they all play fine............................... My Goal is to remove the hassle of copying to as USB and then moving it from the laptop to the Android Box/TV...... Will this NAS be a good replacement to serve as ... 1. An external storage that is available to my laptop (for downloading torrents onto it)....2. Reading files already downloaded onto it using my Android Box running KODI and/or My Samsung Smart TV over DLNA...... .I do not need any transcoding as I will not be using any other device except for my Android Box or 4k Smart TV........... Somebody please help

[@GlenReed]

This will serve as a way to transfer files directly from you computer to the storage device without having to use a usb drive as long as you have it connected to your network. However I still would not recommend this NAS for any kind of media server it’s just to slow imo. I would recommend the PR2100 which is what I purchased instead. I use my NAS mainly for storing 4K ProRes and H.264 files and it works great for me. Hope this helps.

[@rexsceleratorum1632]

@@GlenReed This is just bad advice. He specifically doesn't need transcoding, which is the only thing a "slow" processor will struggle with. Upgrading to a faster processor means additional costs including the device price and monthly power bills. If he had money to splurge, he wouldn't be asking this question.

[@GlenReed]

@@rexsceleratorum1632 I thought this was a bad unit in 2018 and still think the same today. I’m still using my Pr2100, wish it was a little faster but overall it’s been decent. If I had to do it all over again I would go for something from Synology.

[@stewartstewartstewart]

Thanks for this review. It's a mine field. Loving the Dexter style table cover :)

[@GlenReed]

Thanks 😊

[@m-studios8549]

Very helpful in my decision making. Thank you. Off to watch your other review now of the PR2100

[@GlenReed]

Glad I could help! Thanks for the encouragement!

[@m-studios8549]

Glen, we went for the Synology DS920+ in the end, 16TB, 4 x 4TB WD Red Pro drives. Thanks again - you really helped push us in the right direction! Sending best wishes from the UK.

[@GlenReed]

That’s awesome! Synology makes a good product and has a lot of very happy users. Glad I could help. Thanks for watching!

[@Avalon791]

Thanks for this honest review. Specifically the plex info. I think the plex requirements are far too resource hungry. Plex seems happy for customers to splash out far too much money than necessary on overpowered tech to do a relatively simple job of transcoding. They should work harder on the development of their media server. Great review.

[@GlenReed]

Thanks! I appreciate the encouragement 😊

[@AndrewLupin86]

I do not agree. I run my media server on an old MacBook Pro 2010. and my library doesn't need transcoding. h264 and h265 runs just fine. 4k as well. I'm just wondering if this WD could still work. thanks

[@GeedsGarage]

I bought my 12 TB one (dual 6 TB drives) back in 16/17. and one drive finally failed on me. So going to replace the one and see how it goes, though I may order a 2nd drive, since I have had this for awhile.

[@GlenReed]

Probably would be wise to replace the second drive. Since prices have dropped a lot on HDDs going with 7200 rpm drives might gain you a little performance as well. Thanks for sharing!

[@GeedsGarage]

@@GlenReed I ended up ordering a WD60EFPX, its the same speed at 5400, but has 256mb cache instead of the 64 of the WD60EFRX. The pro drive was about $60 more than the one I got, so I guess we will see.

[@GlenReed]

@@GeedsGarage I'm sure it will give you some improvement.

[@JayZx777]

Tare Bytes not Tera Bits (8 Bits is a Byte so huge difference)! Thanks for sharing your video and your experience with the WD EX2.

[@GlenReed]

Yeah it’s been said, that was a bad habit I had 😏. Thanks for watching!

[@d3wu11]

Nice review! I just want to be able to access my hundreds of videos (taken with an iPhone) from a NAS using my iPhone when I’m at home. I have like hundreds of gigs worth of videos at least. My internet connection is really fast and I live alone (so no others would be accessing files at the same time). Do you think this is powerful enough to access and view photos (ie would it be as quick as viewing videos that are stored on my iPhone?) or would I need the PR2100? Thanks so much and great review again!

[@GlenReed]

It would depend a lot on the resolution of the videos. If they are 1080p or less it would probably do ok, but 4K definitely not. Also the EX2 has no internal transcoding so it can’t adjust some videos down to the size of your iPhone screen. As far as photos neither the pr2100 or the EX2 can pull them up as fast as the internal memory on your phone, but the pr2100 will still do it faster and especially if either has any background tasks running. Hope this helps 😎

[@kimsonvu]

Glen Reed Thanks

[@GlenReed]

Your very welcome 🙂

[@christosioannidis5774]

Thank you, you saved me money with your review.

[@GlenReed]

You’re very welcome! Glad I could help! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@scottlowell493]

I just got one, $50 off shipped. Mirror mode. I hope it works long term as well as others. Anyone who has lost important data will not view this as costly. Sharing and dual drives are a BIG plus.

[@GlenReed]

That’s awesome! The cool thing is you can plug an external drive to it and use that a backup for the mirror also. The price of large external drives have come down a lot so that’s much more realistic than it use to be. Thanks for watching 😊.

[@NeoKurow]

I just lost almost 20 years of videos... I feel really bad because the hard drive got corrupted when windows 10 randomly disconnected the hard drive from the usb port. I'm looking for NAS options now

[@GlenReed]

That’s horrible!! Sorry to hear that. Have you tried to use recovery software on the hard drive?

[@sewlady33]

Thank you for your review. You helped me decide to go ahead & get this NAS.

[@GlenReed]

Your very welcome! Thank you for taking the time to let me know the video helped!

[@RC-YTvideos]

Thank you for a very good presentation. My needs are fairly basic and I think this unit will work out fine.

[@GlenReed]

Your very welcome! Thanks for the encouragement. For basic needs this unit will probably be just fine 🙂

[@snvideophoto]

Can I get your input please Glen? My old WD My Book Live Duo recently 'died' lately due to power trip (just replaced one of the HDDs too). Do you think my 2 HDDs from the old My Book Live Duo would work seamlessly (assuming no damage from power outage) if I plug them into this model WD My Could EX2 Ultra?

[@GlenReed]

Hey! Sorry to hear that happened, I lost a couple computers like that once. I would think they should work. However if you want to be 100% sure you can check the list of compatible drives for the EX2 Ultra. Here is the link support-en.wd.com/app/products/product-detail/p/129#WD_compatibility . If they are not on the list it doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t work. You can always give it a try and if it doesn’t work out you can return it. Hope this helps, thanks for watching!

[@snvideophoto]

Thanks a lot Glen

[@wildwestunlimited]

I have one of these (2X 8 TB Drives) and it handles my Plex Server movies excellent! Works GREAT!

[@GlenReed]

That’s awesome! For me it’s just hard to spend the money on something that the company says they will no longer support. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@jumpinghighest]

Great video. Question: can you put one drive into it? Thank you.

[@GlenReed]

Yes you can, it is a little tricky to get it to copy to the second drive once you add it though.

[@AndreyPerepelitsa]

Hello I have a question for you, does this WD enclosure have fans to cool down hard drives? If yes how quite or loud is it?

[@GlenReed]

Hey! Yes it does have a fan and it is noisy. Some have reported with the new OS it runs all the time now but previously it would only run at really high temps. My PR2100 also has fans that are noisy but they only run when I’m pushing it hard. Hope this helps, thanks for watching 🙂

[@NithinJacob]

Great presentation, can you suggest good model in synology with transcoding in the same range as this WD NAS.

[@GlenReed]

Although I haven’t had any experience with either both of these are close in price range but can transcode and also have expandable memory. Hope this helps amzn.to/2WKD5No amzn.to/2CvDPPI

[@NithinJacob]

@@GlenReed thanks will check it out.

[@steveprescott4025]

Thanks for the thorough review. I'm looking for a RAID setup for streaming movies through an ethernet LAN to a DLNA capable TV. Two questions: 1.) My movies are all in mp4 format and do not require trancoding in the current configuration (external HD connected to computer which serves over the LAN). Would I run into the same problems you have with this setup or am I lean enough to make it? 2.) If I run into poor performance problems like you, can I connect the EX2 to my computer through USB, and use it as a straight external drive? In that case, I would be investing the extra money I'm paying for RAID-1 which, I think, would be worth it. Thanks.

[@GlenReed]

I wish I could say you wouldn’t run into any problems but unfortunately I think you would. Especially if your making the investment it’s better to have something that will still hold up as media becomes more demanding (I just upgraded my MacBook for that very reason). I’m not sure if you can go direct to a computer since I purchased it mainly to be a network drive I never tried it that way. Hope this was helpful 🙂

[@Michael-xv4rb]

@@GlenReed Hi Glen. Could you please check it? I am also not planning to view my photos and videos outside of the LAN, however I will do it inside. Will it be capable? TV box has VLC player - if it find this device as a storage - VLC will do decoding, but will NAS give away data fast enough? If I connect form laptop from the other foom with it's Laight Alloy player and start playing .avi or .mkv or .mp4 - will it work?

[@Michael-xv4rb]

I have seen in the other reivew, it doesn't work as a USB storage. Only another drive can be attached to it. Not a computer. Again - it is based on someone else youtube video review.

[@GlenReed]

Michael Moxnach over the LAN via a wired connection it should be fast enough to play if you are doing external transcoding. However I don’t believe it will work well via a wireless connection with a laptop. Hope this helps.

[@GlenReed]

Michael Moxnach I believe you are correct.

[@peerpaulin8486]

Very helpful for my decision making. The WDMyCloud 1 Disk 3 TB ist dead slow in everything, I thought the EX2 Ultra would be significant faster so that I could live with it. Looks to me that I need some more time to spare money for the better solution. I'd still like to know if the PR2100 has the same features like AES encryption and Camera Surveillance options - will find it out by myself. Mirroring is now mandatory to me - since I just dropped my 4 TB disk (due to my on stupidity) leaving it beyond recovery as the drive axle bearing the discs became bent or stuck. Anyway, one of the videos with true consultants value and not just an advertising. Appreciated!

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave such a great comment! Sorry to hear about your 4TB disk failure, I’ve also had similar situations that helped me realize the importance of mirroring my backups. When you get the PR2100 let me know your how you like it. Thanks again 🙂

[@twoguns2]

Hi. nice video. Will the EX2 Ultra work with Mac OS Catalina?

[@GlenReed]

Yes Catalina will recognize it as a network drive.

[@jamesbrunt2083]

Thanks very much for the review, super informative. Did you consider the SYNOLOGY DS218+? It says it is capable of internal transcoding, but specs do look weaker than the WD PR2100, however price is also more economical.

[@GlenReed]

Thank you 🙂! I did consider the Synology but I wanted something that I would be able to grow with rather than something I would need to replace if I out grew it. So far I still like it, often use it to send clients very large video files and it works great. It’s is definitely tempting to save money though.

[@dublux9878]

used this one for several years and never had any performance issues. I am confused.

[@SootheSound]

I’m after something to transfer video from an android phone, to a NAS for editing on my iPad. I don’t want to spend hundreds of £. Is this suitable, it seems not from your review.

[@GlenReed]

I would not use this for any type of video work. You would almost be better off buying an iPhone and using air drop to transfer your video files. Thanks for watching.

[@trdi]

Not sure why some people complaining, I thought the video was fine, learned quite a bit.

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for the great encouragement, I appreciate the support 🙂

[@hacker6695]

even i have seen negative review regarding this device... but its different in video.

[@GlenReed]

@@hacker6695 thanks for watching!

[@brotha1984]

Can you download movies and videos remotely away from home like on your phone or tablet and upload it to this NaS drive

[@GlenReed]

Yes you can! Although keep in mind large video files will take a LOONNNGGG time to upload. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@paolo985]

Which is the real difference between My Cloud HOme Duo and the EX2 Ultra ? Cannot find so big differences, tell me please............ Do you think is better to buy a discless unit more 2 WD Red separate or better to buy the complete unit (included WD Reds) ?

[@GlenReed]

Hello, the home duo is a more stripped down version of what the EX2 can do. For instance if you plug an external backup drive into the EX2 you can access it from the cloud. The home duo does not do that. And as for buying it with or without drives it depends on current pricing and which is the best deal. Hope this helps, thanks for watching 🙂

[@c86286]

I wanted to buy WD My Cloud Home Duo and found My Cloud EX2 Ultra too when searched information. Is My Cloud Home Duo being better than EX2 Ultra? What is the different between them? Thx.

[@GlenReed]

Hello and thanks for watching. To answer your question the EX2 ultra is a much better machine (although I do not recommend it for the price) compared to the Home Duo. The Home Duo has less RAM and CPU power compared to the EX2 and also is much more limited on the software side. A great alternative to either of those is the WD PR2100 which is what I returned the EX2 ultra to get. Here is the Amazon link for the PR2100 amzn.to/30aYNcH

[@AlexandreRossLive]

Excellent review, very detailed and useful advice. Was very curious about how plex would work on this, not surprised 4k video didn't work ,but, did HD video work at all?

[@GlenReed]

Plex was very spotty on the ex2, it could play HD on a single device but would still struggle to do that at times and if any other request was made it would become non responsive. It mainly works only as a central file storage system will little data demands. Hope this helps 🙂

[@793rd]

Been wanting this for a while and finally got it. If streaming media, try VLC app via a download on certain smart TVs like Sony. Samsungs have no probs unless they rarely dont like a file as one tv has no probs while another does. Had a 3TB for too long for over7 yrs until it bricked so will up upgrade every few to avoid that or swap drives.

[@GlenReed]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@793rd]

@@GlenReed No prob & using it now 😎

[@SaSa-wu5oj]

Now after 2 years what are your lessons learned? Did the upgrade to the new NAS work better? Did you end up upgrading to a 3rd device?

[@GlenReed]

Great question! I still use the upgraded WD PR2100 as my main and only NAS and it still fits my needs well. The main lesson I learned is I should have bought bigger drives initially because it is wasted money to upgrade the drives now. Thanks for watching!

[@razvastianb6549]

Very good point ....I think you dhoud emphasize this somrhow at the beggining .... The poor performance whith 2 users is crucial .....

[@GlenReed]

Thanks

[@digitalimpulse]

So whats a good alternative product to all the negative points here?

[@GlenReed]

I purchased the WD PR2100, it’s a much better NAS and has internal transcoding. I also did a review on the PR2100 you can watch it here - WD My Cloud PR2100 Plex Server Unboxing / Review kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnSol4aFqZh9gdE

[@lotust251]

I owned a few single bay. Both got bricked by there firmware push. I will never but y WD again.

[@GlenReed]

Yeah those firmware updates can be brutal. On my pr2100 I almost lost everything.

[@andyfran]

Terabytes!!! There are no bits in there!

[@GlenReed]

Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to point that out, have an awesome Easter weekend 🙂

[@cygooseitllc9533]

I mean... there are bits just way more than bytes. His usage of Terabit was wrong but it takes 8 bits to have 1 byte... so yes... there are 'bits' in there. :D

[@AntonioHenrike]

only works with wd hdd? i have 2 Hitachi hdds will work?

[@GlenReed]

Unfortunately unless they are on the list of compatible drives the only way to find out is to try.

[@rlklgFPS]

Hi, this WD MY CLOUD EX2 ULTRA can add how many users ..... ?

[@jdw715]

Plex doesn't support the EX2 not the EX2 Ultra. EX2 Ultra is Marvel ARMADA 385 - ARMv7 Also, it's gigabyte and terabyte.

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for watching the video, I also appreciate you taking the time to correct me. You are the first to point this out. At the time of producing this video the little information I could find on the subject was all I had to go off of to explain why the machine performed so poorly. Thanks again. Have a blessed day 🙂

[@ridhishapatil]

Hi I have just purchased a wd cloud ex2 ultra brand new, plugged it in and set it up via the setup software, entered the dashboard for the first time and was told a new firmware update was available so installed it and then wanted to install the squeezecenter/logitech media server app (which was one of the main reasons I bought it). When I go to the apps tab and click to install a new app I get the message “No available Apps”.???????

[@GlenReed]

Unfortunately from what I understand many of the apps on that model are no longer being supported.

[@robcliffe1948]

Thanks for video...very useful! cheers

[@cookingwithglen152]

Rob Cliffe your very welcome, thanks for watching 🙂. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@olufunker.awosogba2654]

I am looking to purchase this but I have not been able to find a video that explains the difference between a diskless and disk NAS. I know that you can purchase the disks separately for the diskless, but can you not purchase additionally disks separately for a NAS with disks already?

[@GlenReed]

Diskless basically comes without disks giving you the option to purchase whatever drives you like. The disk version comes with pre-installed disked usually at a discount. You can always buy additional disks as they are replaceable. Hope this answers your question. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@hbpandya11]

Hello dear, I just bought WD my cloud ex2 ultra Disk less unit. And have purchased 2 x 4TB WD NAS Drives separately, after inserting the drives and booting up the device, Both drive indication lights turned red. And I can’t see drive capacity on my cloud Dashboard,

[@GlenReed]

You likely need to format the drives before the unit will recognize them as having full capacity. Hope this helps 🙂

[@stookie222]

Hi, I would be looking for something like this but I do not need bay for internal 3.5 inch drives. I just need LAN communication technology device which will be plugged in to my router and I will connect 2 or 3 usb attached drives to it. No fan needed, no cooling, nothing. Is anything like that on the market please? Thank you

[@rexsceleratorum1632]

Get a new router with a USB port and add a powered USB hub. I've used a Netgear router this way for network storage without issues. A Raspberry Pi 4 would work too, but you might struggle to set it up and it is not cheaper than a cheap router with USB in my country.

[@stookie222]

@@rexsceleratorum1632 Thank you for sharing your experience. I will try it.

[@rexsceleratorum1632]

@@stookie222 Incidentally I do have a "fanless, no cooling" solution as my home server right now, which is an old netbook. I've put Debian on it and set up Samba for sharing files. It also has Docker and Nextcloud, but that's pushing the 1GB of RAM it has.

[@stookie222]

@@rexsceleratorum1632 thanks, I am also thinking to Turn my old laptop or PC into Synology NAS. kzbin.info?search_query=synology+on+pc

[@helb7644]

Great, useful video. Thanks

[@GlenReed]

Your very welcome! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@josb5884]

Hello, I have a question, my drive is still making a lot of noise after indexing, what can I do ? ex2 ultra 16 tb

[@GlenReed]

The first thing I would do is backup your data, then make sure the firmware is up to date and reboot. If that fails you can either do a factory reset or contact western digital unfortunately. Hope this helps.

[@Primoz.r]

the B in TB with hard drives is Bytes, not Bits. There's a factor of 8 difference between the two.

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for the feedback. Many people have left similar comments. Lesson learned 😉

[@juandiegogonzalez4552]

I am buying this on on 2021, seem pretty decente

[@kashinathpratapm]

Is it suitable for office use like Microsoft office excel files and raw photo storage? With 3 or 4 users at a time?

[@GlenReed]

Great question! I would say if you are mainly working with single files or maybe even a couple at a time (assuming all 3-4 users accessing the unit at the same) you should be fine. You might notice the system start to slow down if all users began transferring large amounts of files though. This unit only has a 1.3 ghz dual core processor and 1 GB of ram so it can’t handle too much at one time. Hope this helps.

[@kashinathpratapm]

@@GlenReed thanks. This is helpful. So I conclude this is good for office work and also should not give problem for just photo editing for 2 or max 3 users. But not good for video editing. Your first hand review is much helpful. Thanks

[@GlenReed]

Your very welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@AnnoyingRash]

the windowblinds are bothering me

[@GlenReed]

lol, your not the first to mention it. Thanks for enduring 🙂

[@googlepixel9pro]

I like the my cloud except for the fact you have to open the app for pictures and videos to be uploaded. It's very annoying as one drive and the rest do it automatically. Is there a way to get this to do it too?

[@GlenReed]

The app does have automatic backup features. Some settings are done through the desktop page as you do need to tell it where to backup to.

[@nelsonway]

I have a first gen My CLoud that I got in the mid 2000's, for media I use the native Twonky driver and can see my media on my PS4 and it works good but even better is with my Amazon Fire Stick and the VLC media player app, works fantastic. I had tried plex years ago and it was just ok. Glen does this still have Twonky support, I am planning to upgrade to the 8TB unit.

[@GlenReed]

Great info on the mid 2000’s model! Honestly I’m not sure. I chose to return this unit and go with the PR2100 instead which has much better performance. I’ve never used Twonky but from what I’ve seen they stopped supporting MyCloud products and I don’t see the option under the app menu. Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.

[@bakerinvllc]

Just a couple observations. First you show the ARMV5 is not supported by Plex in the video, and thats true. Not sure if WD upgraded the CPU after your video review. But its now showing ARMV7 which is still supported by Plex. Whats interesting to me is. On Plex's website they show the ex2 ultra does not support trans-coding. And that the PR2100 has support for software trans-coding up to 720 and some 1080 but nothing higher. And hardware trans-coding for up to 1080 but nothing higher. Wd says trans-coding is built in but gives not specs... With conflicting information on there websites, its hard to make a decision.

[@GlenReed]

I totally agree it’s super hard to make a educated decision with the type of info they provide. I can say my personal experience with the ex2 was horrible and I’ve been pretty happy with the pr2100 so far although I don’t do a ton of transcoding and mainly use it for storing video files I transfer between computers. In situations where I’m unsure on my purchase I will usually by from a source that has a great return policy just in case. Thanks for watching and commenting 🙂

[@bakerinvllc]

@@GlenReed Yeah I do the same when I'm not sure. I bought a My cloud home to replace my old My book world. I like the interface when logging on, it goes to a normal file system that others in the house can use. Does the PR2100 go to a normal file and folder type window when accessed via internet? Or does it go to the admin screen where you have to know what to do to get to the file and folders?

[@GlenReed]

I also bought the pr2100 so others in the house can easily access it. It is a very simple file folder system on both the app and when using as a network drive. When I’m at home I have all my login info saved to my MacBook so it opens just as if it were a regular hard drive attached to my computer. Plus you can set it up so that everyone has their own login and has their own space on the drive so you don’t have to worry about anyone accidentally deleting any of you important files.

[@marshall11feb1988]

Is it possible to use external drive through usb port as nas storage? That is additional nas storage

[@marshall11feb1988]

Do you mean yes!

[@GlenReed]

If I remember correctly the USB port will only allow you to use an external drive as a backup for the NAS and does not allow access to the drive. The drive I chose to go with does allow the use of a external drive as additional storage. Here it is amzn.to/2XE2mcL Hope this helps.

[@GlenReed]

Short answer is no, at least not as additional storage.

[@marshall11feb1988]

@@GlenReed Tnks bro

[@GlenReed]

No problem 😎

[@HStafilo]

Thanks. With ex2 it’s possible to playback a slideshow of photos and videos on an iPad ? Take all my photos folder stored at ex2 and play all of them as a slideshow on an iPad ?

[@GlenReed]

I don’t believe you can without some sort of external app that can play all the photos in a folder. Honestly haven’t tried it though.

[@Brian-os4bt]

yikes, thanks for the review, I was just about to buy this lol. That's a hard no for me with the plex issue

[@GlenReed]

Glad I could help 😊 Thanks for watching!

[@LanceColeman]

what device did you end up getting?

[@GlenReed]

I went with the WD PR2100, it’s MUCH faster and has internal transcoding. Here is the link to the review I did on the PR2100 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnSol4aFqZh9gdE Thanks for watching 😊

[@АмериканськийБлокнот]

Thank you was about to buy ex2 for plex. but now changed my mind

[@GlenReed]

Your very welcome! I would recommend the WD PR2100, I also did a review on it and it handles Plex very well. That’s the NAS I chose to stick with. Hope that helps 🙂

[@thethirdman225]

The biggest worry with this enclosure design is the drive temperatures. Get used to seeing temps over 50 degrees! You will kill drives with it, yet this is intended to be for enterprise use. WD agreed to replace my My Cloud Mirror with an EX2 Ultra and I will be selling the new enclosure to help fund a PR2100.

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for the info!!

[@buhajer2]

Hi what about now 2023 is it worth

[@GlenReed]

I personally would look into something from synology and not this product. Thanks for watching.

[@ChiragChaudhari]

Can comment on Milestone Arcus Surveillance software that comes with this? Can you still get unlimited camera licence for it?

[@GlenReed]

Unfortunately I never used that app 🙁

[@DCBIGOSO]

I know you can use this NAS as a Plex server. But can it transcode up to 4K?

[@GlenReed]

Hey thanks for watching! Unfortunately this NAS does not do any internal transcoding which is one of the main reasons I did not keep it. It also can not be used as a Plex server as it is no longer supported by Plex. I returned this NAS and went with the WD PR2100 (link in the description). Thanks again for watching 🙂

[@DCBIGOSO]

@@GlenReed Thanks for replying back to me. And thanks for the update and full information.

[@GlenReed]

No problem, your very welcome!

[@fabiofieri854]

@@GlenReed no longer Plex,really? i search anything else.with these specifics and Price

[@trev4]

fabio fieri I’m using mine to watch 4K using the latest Plex media server. You have to download the Plex server as a separate bin file on your Mac or pc then on the WD app page install it manually and Viola. Admittedly the version of Plex that came factory installed was awful. I presume this is how this units being reviewed

[@JM-zw8cq]

So to clarify will it NOT work then with WD PURPLE drives?

[@GlenReed]

Hey thanks for watching! To answer your question yes WD Purple drives will work with the EX2 Ultra. Here is a list of compatible drives: support-en.wd.com/app/products/product-detail/p/129#WD_compatibility

[@JM-zw8cq]

@@GlenReed and I’m in the process of looking at the pr2100 also as I need the media server functionality.... have to see if ur review is up already or not. But do they do the purple as well?

[@GlenReed]

I have the PR2100 and its a much better NAS than the EX2 Ultra by far. Here is my review kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnSol4aFqZh9gdE Hope this helps! 🙂

[@BryanMiraflor]

great video, thanks for the review. however, hope you got a new microphone! lot of echo in the audio haha

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for the comment and yes I bought several mics since this video 😊

[@vinylmonster4907]

for the cost of the device today with decent storage you can purchase faster better NAS Devices that have link aggregation and 10GbE port (s)

[@GlenReed]

I agree! There are a lot better options than this unit available these day. Thanks for watching!

[@vinylmonster4907]

@@GlenReed well there you go - instead of leaving that outdated video up why not do an update - a then and now comparison how things have changed - talk about 10GbE products like asus Nic and switch...

[@GlenReed]

That’s a great idea! I’ll put that on my list of video ideas. Plus I’ve learned a lot about video production since this video 🙂. Thanks!

[@yahyabarmo6615]

hi , can i but my sql database on it for sharing as a remote server thanks.

[@GlenReed]

Hey! Yes you can although depending on the size of your database and how many users will be accessing it at the same time it might not have the greatest performance. Hope this helps 🙂

[@Bmad185]

Thanks very useful looking into my first one an I love WD but was stuck between the 2 so I am getting the PR 2100 thanks

[@GlenReed]

Your very welcome, thanks for watching!

[@atmofmn]

There is a difference between bits and bytes. I would rather have a Terabyte than a Terabit.

[@chanphilip2257]

No repairing services around the world, it means it become rubbish if your case is damaged after warrant time.

[@manxusa]

I bought the twin drive My Cloud EX version only a couple of weeks ago... utter crap. Keeps falling off the network and is unreachable. It was all set up correctly and can only be accessed by internet. Avoid these devices at all costs and buy something else.

[@GlenReed]

Couldn’t agree more. Basically the same experience I had. Thanks for watching!

[@tc1uscg65]

I have 2 4tb myclouds and one 16tb Ultra EX2. the EX2 has been loosing external network ability. I can connect to both the 4tb devices but the Ultra, though set up the same way as the other two, won't let me connect. It even says there is no INTERNET connection. Rebooted, updated, etc.. Anyone notice this issue with the Ex2?

[@Gatomex]

Dude...your review is as pleasent as a visit to a dentist. Focus your reviews to the facts,specs,real events,pros and cons.

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for watching even though it seems you felt it was a waste of time. I appreciate the feedback, have a blessed weekend 🙂

[@jayrussell92]

Does this have password protection?

[@GlenReed]

Yes it does. It also gives the option to have passwords for each user. Thanks for watching.

[@jayrussell92]

Thank you Great Review.

[@dr.electronics]

Tera bits or bytes?

[@GlenReed]

Lol, I know, I say it wrong often! It’s Terabytes 😎 thanks for watching.

[@GlenReed]

Lol, that’s funny 😆 thanks for watching

[@robertmccall3812]

What is the meaning of diskless??

[@GlenReed]

Diskless means that it does not come with the hard drives. Depending on your storage needs sometimes it is cheaper to buy the hard drives separately. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@abevilla4710]

I have 2 and they run Plex perfectly fine with 2 transcoding streams of 4K on my Apple TV 4K. It’s runs even better when streaming 1080p! You sir are not properly using the machine to it’s proper limits. And far as for a audio file guy.... get a better mic.

[@GlenReed]

That’s very interesting being that the EX2 has no internal transcoding (as per WD). So not sure how you are able to get 2 transcoded streams. It is possible that I may have got a bad unit, however I didn’t want to the chance and just went for the better version. As far as the mic goes, thanks for the feedback I have purchased a complete new audio system. Your welcome to see how I use it on my other channel (cooking with Glen) as well as all the 4K video I shoot and store on my PR2100.

[@ahsanlucky169]

What difference WB mirror and WD EX2 Ultra

[@GlenReed]

Hello, thanks for watching 😊! The main difference between the two is the WD mirror has half the ram that the ex2 comes with and is less configurable. Simple put it will be slower when put under load. If all you are doing is backing up data and not trying to access that data often it would work fine. However, if you plan to access the data often or if multiple people will be accessing it at the time it will be REALLY slow. Hope this helps😊. Let me know if you have further questions and don’t forget to subscribe. Happy New Year 🎊🎆

[@keezyfbaby5035]

jdownloader works on it?

[@GlenReed]

I have not personally used it with jdownloader bettors. However I have found info that some people have been successful at installing in on WD NAS systems. Here is a forum thread that might help get you in the right direction community.wd.com/t/jdownloader-pr4100-newbie/243287

[@jasonbaldock3398]

can you stream media to the apple tv 4 or iPhone iPad

[@GlenReed]

Sorry for the delayed response, this one slipped through some how 🙃. The ex2 can’t really do any streaming. The only thing it can do well is store and slowly transfer single files. Hope this helps and thanks for watching. Have a safe new year!

[@GlenReed]

👉🏻 Here is a link to the review of the NAS I chose over this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnSol4aFqZh9gdE 🔥

[@GothicKittyMadness]

Omg now he's getting terabit mixed up with terabyte. They are completely different!

[@GlenReed]

Yes you are correct as many people have pointed out already. But hey thanks for taking the time to leave your criticism. Have a blessed day 🙂

[@mobias7623]

Have this, its been a pos. Have top of the line Asus ac3200 router [ARRIS SB8200 modem and Comcast '1gb' speed (480MB/s)] and because my pc only has one Ethernet port i have to plug this EX2ultra into the router (My pc also then goes to the router). That apparently chokes the already slow speed and makes it 10% functional. Takes forever to load the folder structures, if viewing pictures the thumbnails will only load 10% and then stop, unless you make them 'small' then they're too tiny to see, clicking a file to open it and view it takes forever or gets stuck, and if you want to cut,copy,move, paste to or from the EX2, frequent file transfer errors every few seconds. If you 'retry' several times you 'may' get the whole file moved or copied after 10 mins. WD Tech had me plug it directly to my pc and connect to its ip address, it did seem vastly improved but still not as fast as a normal drive. But, the functionality should be allowed through a 1ghz newer router and its not, so without switching cables directly to my pc [which means my wife can't wi-fi into it any longer] its basically useless. Regret wasting a lot of money on this NAS.

[@GlenReed]

Basically what I experienced with the EX2 Ultra. Hopefully your comment helps people realize it’s not just my opinion and they save themselves the headache and money. WD is also in the middle of a class action right now for putting SMR drives into some of their NAS units. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@mobias7623]

@@GlenReed sure, thank you for the video. I'm not familiar with the SMR drives, what's the deal with this?

[@GlenReed]

Western Digital sells a variety of drives and is accused of pulling a bait and switch on customers by selling SMR (shingled magnetic recording) products without informing customers of that fact. According to Western Digital, the 8-14TB drives they sell are all based on PMR, while the 2TB-6TB parts are all SMR drives. The performance difference between the two is significant, with the 2TB -6TB drives in the 150MB/s to 180MB/s range, while the 8TB-14TB drives run at 198MB/s to 215MB/s. They have only recently begun reporting this information because they were caught “RED” handed changing these drives to this cheaper technology and it has caused people a lot of problems when used in certain RAID configurations. Very shady stuff.

[@yourdigitalchrist]

saying terabit all the time angers me.

[@GothicKittyMadness]

APELLING? does he mean Appealing?

[@GlenReed]

Not sure what you are referring to. Maybe you could include a time stamp for reference?

It's kind of a good review, but stick to the subject, you kept taking a long time explaining a lot things that we don't need to know.

[@GlenReed]

Thanks for the advice. I totally agree with you, this was an unplanned last minute video I decided to do before boxing it back up to return it.

[@FarukCaliskan1984]

Use direct play...

[@noeljenkins6005]

why talk about it when your sending it back

[@GlenReed]

Basically to let people know my experience with this device. Thanks for watching!

[@davidhansen8910]

Bad sound

[@GlenReed]

I totally agree! Sorry for the bad audio, I have definitely increased my production quality since this video. Thanks for watching 🙂

[@ironmantooltime]

teraBYTE

[@GlenReed]

Trust me I have definitely learned that by now, I have a whole “teraBYTE” of comments correcting me lol. Thanks for watching 🙂