Connecting 2 My Cloud devices

Hi - I have a 4 TB My Cloud that has just run out of space. Now i know you can expand the storage by connecting an addition drive to the USB 3.0 slot at the back of My Cloud. But I want to buy another My Cloud, a 3 or maybe another 4 TB device which i want to use to expand my storage (this is not going to be used as a mirror, mind you). Any suggestions on how i can do it? Should I connect the 2nd My Cloud to my router just the way the first one has been connected?

Thanks!

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If you need to expand the storage of a single My Cloud then connect a USB hard drive to it and that USB hard drive will show up as a Share within the My Cloud.

If you add a second My Cloud device to the local network it will be seen and treated as a second My Cloud. With two My Clouds on the local network each will be seen as a separate 4TB device (if the second My Cloud is a 4TB unit). A second My Cloud will not "expand "the storage space of the first My Cloud. You cannot connect the second My Cloud to the first via their USB ports.

What you can do with two My Clouds on the same local network is to use Safepoint / Backup to backup the contents of one My Cloud to another over the local network.

On a side note the Twonky Media Server can supposedly be configured to “aggregate” the media on multiple My Clouds so when accessed by a DLNA client multiple My Cloud media servers appear as one catalog.

Edit to add: It should be noted that when using an attached USB hard drive the My Cloud Dashboard will include that drive’s free storage space and file information in the Dashboard Capacity total if one enables USB Content Availability under the Dashboard Settings

Hi Bennor - Thanks for explaining. However can we connect 2 My Cloud devices via the USB slot in the back of the devices? If not i think i will go for a regular 4 TB USB WD drive.

Already answered:

As cpt_paranoia indicated that question was already answered in my previous post. The answer is NO you cannot connect a My Cloud to another My Cloud or to a computer using the USB port. Its not the first time someone has made the incorrect assumption the My Cloud USB port would be like that on an external USB hard drive. The USB port on the back of the My Cloud is for attached external USB drives to the My Cloud to expand the available storage of the My Cloud and to allow for local backup to the USB hard drive of the My Cloud contents.

I know this is a little late, but what I would recommend is buying a HD Docking Station that you would connect via the USB. This way you can perform a few different tasks to include creating an archive/backup up, as well as expanding your capacity going through the same interface. It also offers you the greatest amount of flexibility. Just a possible solution/suggestion though. I too was considering getting the latest generation WD Cloud device, but it is probably cheaper just to purchase additional HDs for the docking stations I already have.

So I want to setup two mycloud devices but the second one doesn’t show up? I have one in my houses in Seattle and the one I’m trying to add in in my home in Salt Lake? and that second one is not showing up on the network?

What network?

Currently one cannot “map” or see a remote My Cloud using Windows File Explorer/Mac Finder. WD removed the capability to remote map a My Cloud through the MyCloud.com web portal a couple of years ago.

Currently the official methods of remote access are using the MyCloud.com web portal, the WD Desktop app for Mac/Windows, the WD mobile apps for iOS/Android, WD Sync, and the insecure FTP. See the My Cloud Learning Center for more information on how to access a remote My Cloud device.

http://learn.mycloud.com/

There are a number of unofficial methods that might possibly allow for remote mapping of a My Cloud device but they generally involve using SSH to modify the My Cloud firmware (single bay first gen v4.x My Cloud) or using the insecure FTP method.

no I’m not sure you understand what I mean. I have a house in seattle. I have a my cloud and access it through the web site and the app just finej in salt lake. I got a new one and installed it here in salt lake but it doesn’t show up in the app or on the web site and there is no way to add it to the app that I can tell.

Your previous post wasn’t clear, it appeared you were indicating the remote My Cloud was not showing up “on the network”.

Only local network My Cloud devices will show up on the local network when using Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder. Because of a recent change in Windows 10, a local network My Cloud device may not show up in Windows File Explorer. This WD Knowledgebase article explains how to tun SMB1.0 support back on in Windows 10.

To access a remote My Cloud one has to first enable Cloud Access/Remote Access through that My Cloud device’s Dashboard. It is not official possible to access the Dashboard remotely without using some form of VPN or similar access to the remote network…

Wondering if there has been any progress over the last few years…

I have a My Cloud 6TB and recently purchased a PR4100 8TB.

Is it possible to slave or daisy chain the MyCloud off/to the PR4100

Slave or daisy chain… how? Both devices are network attached storage devices. You cannot connect to the single bay My Cloud to a computer or other NAS and transfer data. The single bay My Cloud USB port is basically for attaching external USB hard drives for additional storage space or to backup the single bay My Cloud.

What are you seeking to do? Backup one device to another?

It would seem that with the computing power of the PR4100 and the second ethernet port that it could allow for a slave or daisy chain of other mycloud devices.

…

The only ways I can conceive of that this could be attempted:

Custom script mounts the NFS exports of the slaved MyCloud, using a direct crossover cable on the second ethernet port.

iSCSI LUN is mounted by the PR4100, then made use of. (Again, direct crossover cable on second port)

Either will have issues. I would not encourage either. I would be more apt to suggest a port multiplying esata rig. (The unit clearly supports it, as that is how that many SATA disks are in the unit to begin with. I would get a breakout device that goes in one of the disk bays, like this guy.

http://www.addonics.com/products/aaesp35mk.php

Then you could put one of these on that, and add more disks.

It would look really ghetto, since the front of the PR4100 is not meant to be used with breakout expanders like that— but I dont see why it would not work.

The other option is to use USB3 drives on the port on the back like a normal person. :stuck_out_tongue: Most people here would suggest you go that route.

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Thanks for the info… Im always trying to do things the hard way been like that since birth haha