Newbie with NAS Devices

My Cloud OS 3 Personal & Network Attached Storage My Cloud EX2
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I’m learning more and more each day about NAS  devices and I am about to purchase the my first My Cloud EX2 without any hard drives.

As of now, I have basically a “server computer” that handles all of the files BUT the windows homegroup is extremely slow and doesnt work when you need it. I have 2x 1TB WD Blue 7200 SATA drives in this computer. 

1). Can I just simply pull out one HD with files on it and insert it into the My Cloud EX2? Or will I have to format it.

2). Everyone in my company is running Windows 8.1. I heard the Ex2 is running Linux? is there a way to change that?

3). How will accessing files on the Cloud Ex2 work? Will it appear as one of the windows explorer tabs? Like the homegroup?

Thanks for the help.

Sean

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Hi redcore44 and welcome.

Just a quick reply:

  1. NO, HD will be re-formatted by EX2 on first boot. NAS (not only the WD one) don’t use FAT/NTFS or similar, also because …

  2. Yes, they use a Linux ported OS to work and there is no way to change that

  3. You will see EX2 as a “network” disk in your explorer window, just under your local HD, without any configuration. If you have any problem on this I suggest you to use the “WD Discovery” app to map the EX2 on your WinPC. You can find this program on WD/EX2 support site.

Ciao

1 Like
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Thanks a bunch for the quick straight forward answers!

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Another question, will the device be fine if I put in a single drive and later on put another drive in when I need it?

As of now I’m only using about 50GB only for the business. Will it reformat when I add a second drive?

It has to be the same exact one correct? Blue + blue/ Red+red etc.

Also is there a HUGE difference from using WD RED vs Blue?

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Mmmhhh, tough question !

First of all, if you are going to insert only one disk (just to start) you can only use the JBOD setup, not RAID (need 2 similar disks).

JBOD can work with only one HD (or two) and this will see from NAS (and WIndows) as one (or two separate) disk. (see on ED EX2 manual)

Honestly I don’t know if starting with only one HD and adding later the second one will have impact on data on your first disk.

For sure if you will enable RAID (0 or 1) when you will add the second HD this will destroy the data on first HD.

You can always do a backup of data on first HD on “external” HD, before to start with RAID (and/or adding JBOD 2nd disk) and this is strongly suggested, but, of course, this will takes a very long time.

For RAID two “identical” HDu (model and capacity) are required.

About HDs you can use everything, but again the best choice is RED (or green) one, because they are built to be used on NAS (power consumption, temperature, sleep functions, etc), But you can use also others. Do not use “black” or very high speed HDs. They are not done for NAS and, by the way, you will not see very huge variations, in term of data transfer (limited by LAN interface).

Good luck :wink:

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Thanks Paulus!

You’re a great help!