Advice needed: can WD do what I need it to do?

Hi there,

I need advice prior to buying a new NAS whether WD offers a NAS solution that allows me to achieve the following 2 critical things:

#1: I want to give users access to files on a dedicated share (folders & subfolders) over the internet so that they connect to the NAS share as if it was a regular drive (e.g.: assign a drive letter and use file explorer). This needs to work on WIN7 and WIN10 computers (PC/Laptop).

#2: Whenever a user works on a file located in the share described above this file needs to be blocked for all other users so that the other users may not overwrite any changes made by the first user. The users trying to open a “locked” file should get a notice telling them the file is locked. Ideally, the would still be allowed “read-only” access. This functionality should work the same for users inside the LAN and those accessing from the outside via the internet (as described under #1).
What I DON’T want is that users work on file copies and then upload/sync them later (the way dropbox or GoogleDrive works). These are exactly the situations I need to avoid, because they bear the risk of changes being overwritten and lost.

I learned that Synology (my current NAS) doesn’t support this functionality. Please let me know if this can be achieved which Western Digital products and what hardware (features/product lines) & software I need (especially, if any third party software like NetDrive2 etc. is required).

That would be a great help!

Thanks in advance,
Greyzy

The single bay My Cloud units, which are different than the My Cloud Home units, do not officially support mapping a remote My Cloud drive. WD removed that capability several years ago from the MyCloud.com web portal. Various retailers have apparently removed the single bay My Cloud units from the market.

It is possible the multi bay My Cloud models may possibility support WebDAV or similar access that may facilitate remote access. See the dedicated subforums for the multi bay My Cloud models. Also see the WD Support section for the multi bay models and read the User Manuals for them to get a better understanding of their features/capabilities.

It might be possible to use the insecure FTP option to setup remote mapping or similar type of remote access in Windows File Explorer.

The My Cloud is a network attached storage device. The single bay units have limited features. It does not contain a document management system.

Generally to accomplish what you seek would require a document management system or an app/software that supports locking a file that is in use to prevent other users from modifying the file.

@Greyzy

I suggest you look at the following.

Differences between WD devices.
https://support.wdc.com/knowledgebase/answer.aspx?ID=11425

Visit the Learning Center to see different products and more information.
http://learn.mycloud.com/