WD backup runs all data via external internet !?

I have a WD MyCloud Home 4TB connected directly to a FritzBox Gigabit router. My Mac is also directly connected to the same router. Both connections are via Ethernet cable. Time Machine backup has been successfully set up.

Two observations:

  1. The access/backup only works when the network is connected to the internet. It should surely work even without external internet connection!?

  2. The backup speed is very slow (only ca 20GB/hour). This should be much faster on a direct connection via a local Gigabit network !?

Both these issues suggest that the backup may be going via the external internet - not my local network ! Is all data between my Mac and the WD (both next to each other on the same LAN) going via California !!??

Would welcome any comment on how to make WD NAS work locally without internet and at high speed and without sharing data externally.

Thanks

@Salmony Have you visited the Learning Center and read the User Manual? See page three of the User Manual, Internet Connectivity.

You may want to look at this too.

WD Backup cannot be used with a My Cloud Home.
In fact, WD Backup can ONLY be used to USB DAS products like a My Passport or My Book

Yes of course I’ve read the documention.

I know that the backup requires Internet connectivty.

My question was WHY ! (and can WD please stop this)

In some geographies Internet connectivity is not always assured and in the case of a disaster it is very bad to also not have have the backup available when the Internet is down.

There also seems to be no real technical reason for this need (one can transfer data directly between the Mac and local network devices - no Internet needed).

Also data integrity/privacy is enhanced by not having any connection to the Internet (no possibility of data leaking out).

Can someone please say why MyCould needs Internet connectivity for backup (and I assume restore) and whether WD might actually remove this constraint in future (with better privacy, better availablity)?

Best regards
Michael

You’re quite right