How to get old my cloud (OS3) accessible from web after April 22?

As we know after Apr 22 the OS3 my cloud devices will lose its web remote access and remain a pure local NAS.

Is there any way to get it working via alternative means, even if it means flashing with a 3rd party firmware + tweaking router settings?

Thanks

Donald

You have options for remote access when WD terminates OS3 support.

Use the insecure FTP option in the My Cloud Dashboard > Settings section. One would also likely have to setup port forwarding of port 21 in the router firewall to route port 21 to their My Cloud. Then use FTP (example FileZilla, or mobile FTP apps) to remotely access one’s My Cloud.

Or better setup your own VPN server on the same local network as the My Cloud and use a VPN client to remotely access that network and My Cloud. Some consumer routers offer VPN server capability or there are options like OpenVPN and WireGuard, that can be run on computers and on some SoC devices like Raspberry Pi’s.

Or best, buy a new NAS (Synology, Qnap, WD) that has the remote access features/apps you need and copy the data from the old My Cloud to the new NAS.

Bennor’s suggestions are fine.

I have used VPN connections into these units - - - works just fine.

Just a note: OS/3 is fundamentally old software. It has a number of security flaws; such that I advise people to BLOCK these devices from the internet at the Router level. Unfortunately, at least on my router; blocking access to the router ALSO blocks access from different subnets within my own network. . . which is where a VPN’d computer sits on your network

(in other works. . .all my home network devices are on 192.168.0.x. . .and can access the NAS just fine. However, Open VPN assigned remote PC’s IP addresses in the 10.10.0.x range. . . and the router blocks access to the NAS.)

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Thanks Bennor

Looks like QNAP and Synology offer better NAS solutions nowadays than WD. I recall the WD NAS can be “cascaded” to expand storage by way of the USB 3.0 port? Or am I wrong? Just want to see if I should buy another WD if this can be done. If not, seems like the other 2 brands are better considerations

If not, it’d appear as a standalone local only NAS for “back up” purposes?

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The WD MyClouds can be configured with additional USB storage (OS3 or OS5) and both the NAS and the USB drive can be accessed over you local network (only). This would work still as a media server, local network storage and/or backup after April 2022. You just won’t be able to access anything remotely. If you are going to get a new NAS, get a Synology.

Being objective, yes. Other manufacturers like Synology and QNAP may offer better solutions. Generally the advantage (if you can call it that) of the My Cloud line is their cost is often less than a similar capacity/drive NAS from Synology and QNAP. The WD My Cloud line appears in many cases to be targeted at the lower end of the market where people don’t need a lot of extra capability and features. For some cost and not thinking one needs extra features beyond local and remote access is a driving factor so the WD My Cloud (or shudders the My Cloud Home) line of devices is what they buy.

You cannot connect the My Cloud to a computer (or other NAS) by way of the USB port on the back of the My Cloud. The My Cloud USB port is for expanding the storage of the device using external USB hard drives.

Generally one can have up to seven external USB hard drives (will likely have to use a powered USB hub) connected to and daisy chained off of the My Cloud USB port. But in reality some have discovered using more than five external USB hard drives sometimes is problematic. See this thread discussion. When connecting a external USB hard drive to the My Cloud the Dashboard will typically mount the entire USB hard drive as a single Share. It may or may not include the USB hard drive in the capacity total for the My Cloud depending if one enables the USB option under the My Cloud Dashboard > Settings > Cloud Access section.

For kicks and giggles see my post here where I temporarily put a 12TB drive in a first gen single bay My Cloud, then attached a second 12TB external USB hard drive for a total of 22TB. :laughing:

The WD systems do not do that.

One of the competitors offers an “expansion unit” with which you can add 5 bays (in some cases 2 x 5 bays) with an special expansion unit. (Note: You can’t do this with their “base” models; but apparently you can do this with some of their higher end stuff) (Of course. . .if you need more than 4 drives in a single NAS. . . .begs the question if you need more of a dedicated server than a consumer NAS box.