Stay on OS3 or update to OS5 Need help

My Cloud OS 3 Personal & Network Attached Storage My Cloud EX2
1

Hello, I am a regular user, not an advanced user Use the EX2 Ultra for storage and sharing my files locally and use DLNA media server to access my media on apps

Will the update OS5 make a difference to me?
Is there a real difference in performance or something else?

Are there any advantages in OS3 It is not present in OS5?

Any help I would be grateful.

2

OS/3 has not been updated for several years - - - and the “security” of these devices wasn’t all that good to begin with. The WD OS/3 servers are no longer in service.

OS/5 supposedly patched a bunch of security holes; and added a shiny new web interface.
OS/3 also had two annoyances;

  • Did not always show up as a network device in Windows explorer (but was still accessible)
  • Automatically indexed USB drives (and you couldn’t stop it easily - → Quite annoying with 4TB USB drives)

Both of those annoyances were fixed.

Given the security landscape; I would be hesitant in recommending OS/3 devices on any network.
The WD cloud services of OS/5 are a bit questionable. . . and OS/5 seems to communicate an awful lot to remote servers for a “private” device. My advice would be

  • Update to OS/5
  • Turn off “Cloud services” and ignore the OS/5 web interfaces/mobile app.
  • Block internet access to the OS/5 device at the router level (Turning off cloud services ONLY stops indexing and WD Cloud services. . . .it does not prevent all manners of web communication from the unit)
3

A 2ng gen MyCloud running OS3 is basically just a glorified USB storage drive (OK, connected over your local LAN). If you want a NAS with external access, you really have no choice but to upgrade to OS5, warts and all.