I kindly ask some feedback in what kind of OS5 supported WD Device I should buy, now that my old GEN1 device no longer will be supported.
I’m using it as an external drive, saving documents and pictures/videos on it.
Using the App and online function a lot to have acces to my saved files and pictures, without being at home.
All data have been saved as backup on a offline Elements drive as well.
Looking at the WD devices, I don’t know if I should go for a EX2 Ultra or WD My Cloud home.
Look at devices OTHER than those from WD. More than a few have moved on to using other manufacturer’s devices due to better hardware and better firmware support. Yes those other manufacturers may be more expensive but one typically gets a more capable and better supported device with that extra cost.
DO NOT go with the My cloud Home line of devices if you think that’s a replacement for your first gen single bay My Cloud. The My Cloud Home is not really a network attached storage device. It has different firmware, features and hardware than the My Cloud line.
Your first gen single bay My Cloud will continue to operate as it does now for local network access once WD cuts off remote access next April. One can look into other methods of remote access like VPN to access their OS3 My Cloud devices.
A lot of the other brands sell the bays, empty so there’s an additional cost to purchase the drives to slot into the bays.
That said, I’m curious as well bc I too have an OS3 and am confused as to which devices are OS5 compatible. It seems that the lower TB of EX2 Ultra are not OS5? I’ve been browsing the product forums here and reading conflicting information.
I’m looking to move away from the Home line and more looking into the EX2 Ultra, PR2100 and EX4100 but unsure if the TB size impacts OS5 compatibility. Example - is the EX2 Ultra 4TB OS5 compatible or is it only the 16TB and above?
The list of Affected Devices page is confusing. It lists upgrade options but at the same time also lists the same upgrade option as an Affected Device. That’s why it seems to appear that the amount of TB also affects whether it’s OS5 compatible or not.
The following WD Knowledge Base article lists the OS5 supported devices. Look for the entries that have “How to Update” in the OS5 Firmware Availability column.
There isn’t a limitation on the capacity. Either the device and model, regardless of storage capacity, supports OS5 or it doesn’t.
The reason for diskless NAS boxes is to cut down the cost and allow users to install their own hard drives in them. In some cases people already have existing hard drives they wan to use so a diskless enclosure makes sense for them. In other cases its cheaper to buy a diskless enclosure and buy the hard drives separately. One common thing folks do is buy external hard drives when they’re on sale (WD EasyStore for example) then shuck the hard drive from it’s USB enclosure, then put that hard drive into a diskless NAS box. Otherwise, in most cases, one can buy the same NAS box with hard drives.
