Web Access using browser only

My Cloud OS 3 Personal & Network Attached Storage My Cloud EX2
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I found the SOLUTION to consistently, easily, and securely transfer files between my MyCloud EX2 and my desktop computer’s browser WITHOUT having to install an app onto my desktop computer.   This allows access from a computer which you do not have install permission such as at work.  I did it for a Windows PC browser but I expect it to work and any browser such as on a Mac.  I also did this on an EX2 but I think it would work on an EX4 any maybe even on a plain MyCloud.

I will outline the setup procedure here.  Once you do that it is easy as just click a web link.  This works even when the WAN IP address changes, say by your ISP.  I change the location from my home to by girlfriend’s home with a different ISP and it still worked without changing anything or using a dymanic DNS.

Setup one time only:
1.  Add user(s) with password using the dashboard’s “Users” icon according to the manual.
2. Enable cloud access using the dashboard’s “Cloud Access” icon according to the manual.
3. Enable Dashboard Cloud Access by Settings->General-> Dashboard Cloud Access->On.  Thanks to nicopizza in this thread for that suggestion.
4. Enable HTTPS Port Fording on you my cloud by Settings->Network->Add.  It worked when I change the external port to a high number to make it harder for a hacker to port scan.  However the “Wd My Cloud” and “WD Photos” apps on my mobile devices no longer worked so I left then with the default values of 443.  I hope these mobile apps will be update to allow them to be configured to use non standard https ports.
5. Install the “WD Photo” app on a mobile device.
6. Go throw the motions of email a link to a photo.  Copy the link up to and including the wd2go.com.  The link will look something like:

https://NAME.deviceXXXXXXX.wd2go.com

Where NAME is the name you gave your device.  It defaults to WDMyClouldEX2.  XXXXXX is a device number for your unit.

Procedure to transfer files between your MyClouldEX and a desktop web browser without installing any apps of the desktop computer:

  1. Click on the link found in step 6 above.
  2. Disregard the security certificate warning.  I think you get this warning because the SSL certificate on your MyClould is just made up by WD.  But it will still be used to encrypted the data transfer.  I don’t know if this is a security problem or not.
  3. Logon with your user name and PW onto the MyCloud dashboard.
  4. Use the “Web File Viewer” App to up/down load file(s).