I do not want to get into a discussion of the features of the My Cloud Home or Home Duo. They are not solutions to any problem I have. I need to place almost all of my files somewhere that I can access from anywhere and that I can give access to anyone from anywhere. That sounds like the definition of “the cloud”. I was always concerned about putting everything on “someone’s” server somewhere and having no control over its maintenance or security so - - - I bought the WD My Cloud. It was and is perfect! When I want to know where my stuff is I look up from my desk. I have a team of people working on security issues and we all have access to the same files from anywhere, anytime. And now WD is dropping support of that device and that entire device line. I don’t know if I’m looking for help or just crying out in pain. It is clear I must now signup for a commercial cloud service because there appears to be no other solution for a small organization that needs cloud storage. Perhaps I can somehow convert my existing My Cloud into some form of local storage. Or a paperweight.
There are plenty of other network attached storage devices that offer various forms of remote access (or “cloud storage” as you call it). WD has a number of devices that are supported by OS5 and which are still accessable remotely using WD’s MyCloud.com and OS5 mobile apps. If one’s My Cloud is no longer supported (by OS5) and will have it’s remote access terminated in April then they can roll their own form of remote access; for example by using VPN or insecure FTP. There are other network attached storage manufacturers out there, for example Synology and QNAP are to of the most popular ones.
The reality is that for a business one should seriously consider investing in a business grade NAS device and not a low end consumer grade NAS like the single bay/single drive My Cloud was.
The WD apps are not suitable for business applications. . . .but the basic hardware is sound.
Option 1) Put on your big boy pants, cut losses, and try a different vendor. (I have been eyeing synology)
Option 2) VPN Connection directly into the NAS. This has a number of steps, but the basic concept is have remote PC’s dial into the network the NAS sits on (using a VPN); at which point you access the device the same way you access from within your network. There are FTP and such type of connections. . .but fundamentally, the VPN option is best in my limited experience.
