Wd Mycloud + attached storage question

Hello,
I have a mycloud 6tb and a 6tb mybook. The goal is to backup all files in 2 locations, 1 being native. However, I did just notice that I can plug my book into the cloud and get the same info. Could I just…get a 1tb cloud and plug a 6tb book into it for the same result? What is the advantage of me getting a large cloud? It seems much harder to transfer large files to the cloud as I can’t plug directly in. I have to do this…

Old laptop with ethernet port + to router + to cloud, otherwise, I have to plug directly in and the cloud transfers over the wifi anyway. My current laptop has no ethernet port. It seems nonsensical to even have a big cloud if I can plug in a much simpler book. Ideas?

That is a nice comination and the one that I would upgrade into if I had the money. I currently have the Cloud 4TB and the 4TB My Book.

Although the idea of having only a 1TB cloud and then attach a larger USB My Book behind it is a good idea as you will have access to the USB My book via the Cloud app anyways, the problem is that you really want a minimal of one backup of your data. 

Your Cloud should be the primary copy of your data as you will be accessing via wifi (wandering around your house) and remotrely (wandering amongst star bucks). You can throw all your music, movies and photos into the cloud.

  1. If you search this forum, there is a good rsync setup that you can run within your cloud that will copy on a daily or weekly basis to your attached USB My Book.

  2. Alternatively you can use the safepoint backup to backup your cloud into the USB Drive.

  3. and lastly, you can manually sync, copy and deleted using “Beyond Compare” which is a 3rd party program for comparing two directories and copying or deleting the mismatched data. I’m using this method because the USB My Book contains more data than just the Cloud Drive.

This mirroring is the best of all worlds as…

  1. if the Cloud device fails, you have a complete copy on your USB My Book

  2. if the USB My Book fails, you have a complete copy on your Cloud

  3. you can leave the My Book attached to the USB connection and if it is not accessed it will sleep.

Later on when you have acquired more data than 6TB, you can probably buy the duo USB 6TB which will give you two more 6TB storage and two USB 3 port which you can plug in your current 6TB USB My book. Alternatively, you can plug in a powered USB 3 strip and add up to 6 total USB devices and you can access any of those USB drives via your Cloud.

Remember though, access to the USB drives through the cloud is slightly slower (My Book access 35MB/s writes/75MB/s reads versus Cloud Access 40MB/s writes/80MB/s reads) 

Thanks for the reply!  Up until last week, I had a 4TB cloud and 2x 2TB passports (because they were easy to move around). 

My current setup is 
6tb Cloud attached to Modem.
6tb Book attached to a computer.

They don’t normally go anywhere near each other except to copy a lot of data. My thought is, WHY have a 6TB mycloud, when a 1TB & a 6TB Book (always connected) does the same thing ( AND another 6TB backup somewhere else). The cost is the same, I get more space, and the book is still available via wifi. Not only that, to upload all my 6TB to the cloud, I have to plug both into the modem instead of direct connect (which still takes forever), whereas I can plug my book right into a pc and copy right there. 

If my modem goes down, I can’t access anything on the MyCloud. Whereas the book, I can.

I don’t really understand the need to have all of my stuff on the cloud at all. If I could just plug anything into the mybook to make it network ready, that would have been fine. Ideas?

McButton wrote:

I don’t really understand the need to have all of my stuff on the cloud at all. If I could just plug anything into the mybook to make it network ready, that would have been fine. Ideas?

Everyone has their own needs. What works for you may not work for someone else. An NAS drive like the WD My Cloud typically performs a different function then that of an external USB drive.

For quite a few people a network attached storage device like the WD My Cloud allows them to do a number of things cheaply and easily that a single USB external hard drive generally does not do. It allows them to have one device to backup multiple computers too rather than moving a USB drive between each PC when performing the backup. It allows one a central repository for their media files for playback to stream, via the WD My Cloud’s built in Twonky server, to their home devices that support media streaming. It allows them to setup private and public folders and and restrict access to those private folders. Mobile devices that do not support USB external media can access the WD My Cloud for file storage and streaming. The WD My Cloud allows one remote (outside of their home) access to content stored on the WD My Cloud anywhere one can obtain an internet connection. Having the remote access alleviates the need to cart around a USB hard drive.

The USB port on the back of the WD My Cloud is primarily used by many for making single or automated “SafePoint” backups from the WD My Cloud to the attached USB hard drive. That USB port has the added benefit of being able to expand the storage of the WD My Cloud. The downside of that USB port is, despite it being labled as USB 3, the slow transfer speed between the WD My Cloud and the external USB drive.

 I don’t really understand the need to have all of my stuff on the cloud at all

If you only ever access your data from your computer, you don’t need a NAS, or a USB drive; you need a big SATA drive or two; cheaper and faster.

If you want a data store that is available to any device on your network (be that computer, tablet, phone, TV, media player, etc), or you need access to your data when away from home, without needing your computer to be on all the time, then you need a NAS.

Thanks for all the input. It sounds like I have the best for what I need.

My setup functions like this…

MYBOOK = always attached to a chromebook for XBMC
– only video files on it

MYCLOUD = always attached to my modem. Backup only.
– copy of MYBOOK vids/home movies/etc
– 2x smartphones connect to backup content over the network daily
++CAN access data from any device. Never do it.

Works nifty. Im always just trying to find the easiest/fastest solution. I actually found that my Zoom modem has a usb port for my mybook…but it **bleep**…so that’s out. 

**Tip for upgrading to the 6TB on a budget… Buy new ones on eBay. New, not refurb. Just watchlist them until they hit your budget, then sell your old ones. Sometimes WD runs deals on their site too. Still, sell those old ones. Clear, clear…clear…wipe…clear…sell.

I hope I never have to upgrade again. It took me 10 years to hit the 4TB mark.  It just takes DAYS to get 4TB over. 

  1. 1GB file = Plug in drive to cloud = 30 mins
  2. Transfer over wifi instead = 5 mins
  3. Plug into modem = 45 seconds ← winner :\
    Then, you have to check to make sure nothing fell off in the process. Maybe I can find a resume function or something.
             

Kodi (XBMC) can also be configured to access supported content on the WD My Cloud as well.

I’m sure someone will be along to comment how they run Kodi from a Amazon Fire Stick or similar low power low cost device other than a computer/laptop and serve content from the WD My Cloud.

Yeah. I thought about getting a stick for my 2nd tv…
I just like having a native stream for my wife. 0 buffer and direct access. Also, I can access it through the chromebox on my network. It’s kinda just like i do with the wdcloud. 

I have 25mb download, and the cloud is just fine, but…things happen.

I also thought I’d be clever and link my 2nd (ethernet based) pc to my network…and issue the transfer command from my main laptop to move all of my junk from the mybook to the mycloud. For some reason, it still takes 30 mins. Why does that happen?

PC + Book attached to MODEM with mycloud attached = 1 minute for 1gb file. If the command is placed by a source other than the PC = 30 mins.