Hello,
I reach to access to my EX2 from work (where admin network secure connexion) :
- I can’t install MyCloud software
- I try FTP but it seems to be blocked too
- I think about WebDAV, but How could I connect by this way ?
Regards,
Hi Flo, if you have already activated FTP service from Settings → Network, please check your router for port forwarding or uPnP support.
Consider you can also activate and use SSH to access via a terminal emulator like Putty. Regarding WebDAV or NFS services I never tried them, sorry. 
Some ISPs block the standard ftp port 21 (like my ISP Verizon for the FioS service). To get around that you need to use some other port.
Couple days ago when I installed and started using my EX2, I realized you cannot configure it to just any port you like as I could previously with my filezilla ftp server. The only 3 allowed ports in the configure screen are 21, 2121 and 9921. Any other port entered in the configure screen gives invalid port number error. For me both 2121 or 9921 works as a workaround. Remember, you also have to set up the same port to be forwarded from your routers to the EX2’s IP.
But I found a critical bug in saving the external IP address on the FTP configure screen #2 - it keeps resetting to 0.0.0.0. You need to be able to save that value in order for people from outside to be able to ftp in. So the ftp functionality from outside your local network is broken for the time being.
I have an open trouble ticket on this issue with WD tech support. I troubleshot with them on this today and they are looking into it. Hopefully it will be resolved soon.
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FTP seems to be blocked from my work place : it works in 3G with my iPhone but not on my work desktop.
So I have to fond another way :
-
Webdav : but how should I access to this ? Specific adress ?
-
SSH : but I don’t know anything about this…
Thanks,
I understand sftp is for advanced users willing to use command line shell access and should not be available from the web interface…but currently sftp is not possible AT ALL. I have spent a good amount of time looking at the shell and the startup scripts and unfortunately there is no way to create additional shell users besides sshd. It is hardcoded in their compiled programs. Without the ability to create additional shell users, I cannot setup shell access for other users…and without shell access I cannot have them access the box via scp AND therefore sftp.
We demand a way to sftp into the box. Please don’t lock down addition of shell access users. Lock it down so that it can only be done via shell but don’t lock it down completely.
Flo51 wrote:
FTP seems to be blocked from my work place : it works in 3G with my iPhone but not on my work desktop.
So I have to fond another way :
- Webdav : but how should I access to this ? Specific adress ?
- SSH : but I don’t know anything about this…
Thanks,
FTP access is completely broken at this point. I have no idea what you are talking about ftp working from your iphone. Did you mean via the iOS app for cloud access? Well, that’s NOT using ftp. That’s their proprietary vpn-like access. FTP is a standard protocol…which is currently not working with the configuration allowed via the dashboard.
You’re right, FTP works with MyCloud EX1 (I have both).
Regards,
I don’t know about FTP being completely broken, but we are investigating your issue you reported to our tech support team.
One other way to access your content outside is to use the Dashboard cloud access. This will allow you to access the EX2 dashboard outside of your local lan. You can then use the Web File Viewer under the Apps section to access your files and manage them.
Thank you Tony for the update that it is being investigated.
Well, the reason I say it is completely broken is because without fixing the bug that currently prevents one from setting the external IP in the passive ftp configuration’s 2nd page/screen, you cannot come into the NAS server from outside the network. Passive ftp relies on the ftp server doing the network address translation and requires the ftp server to tell the client what address to come in for the data transfer connection. Without getting this external IP address back from the server, the client will be unable to connect properly. Therefore ftp from outside the network is broken…unless you manually workaround this issue by configuring a file from shell but that wouldn’t be the right solution.
I do like this product as a whole…it’s really well done for prosumers…I just wish a couple things weren’t as locked down as they are. Especially ssh access being limited only to sshd user. I understand the security reason behind but for advanced users I just wish there was some way to override that so that I could manually setup sftp access for users. I have voted for the feature request sftp but I don’t know when, if at all, that feature will be implemented. If the shell access wasn’t locked down (sshd_config being generated by ssh_daemon during daemon startup with no way to let the daemon read a modified ssh_config, there is no workaround for that for advanced users…I just wish there was, because only tech-savvy folks would be able to workaround the lack of sftp by implementing it themselves). And I know, I digressed from discussing ftp to sftp…but it’s only because I strongly prefer sftp over ftp.
If anyone from WD tech support team or product development team would like to discuss with me my simple request (to manually get sftp to work) I will be happy to talk to them about it. I have not raised the sftp issue with WD except on the forum.
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Sad reality is, nearly 4 months after this thread was last updated, I am still getting the runaround from WD that the FTP issue is still being investigated. Mind you, 4 MONTHS AFTER I detailed to their Level 2 tech support exactly what is broken. And when I brought it up a month ago, their tech support contacted me and told me they will confirm if the problem still is present in their latest firmware, as I reported here it was…and assured me they would get back within a “few” days…definitely within a week. Well, no word since then. I just came across this old thread where I had posted about this and thought I’d add my comment here. I do have one other thread on this open → http://community.wd.com/t5/WD-My-Cloud-EX2/FTP-on-EX2-still-broken-in-firmware-1-03-41-3-months-after/td-p/750862
And there are at least couple other threads also on this topic…one in which I have detailed a workaround for this FTP bug → http://community.wd.com/t5/WD-My-Cloud-EX2/FTP-Functionality/m-p/756210#M725 (workaround)
AND
http://community.wd.com/t5/WD-My-Cloud-EX2/FTP-STILL-BROKEN-When-will-WD-Fix/td-p/762182
No user should have to do this workaround to get their FTP working from outside. The other thing I never understood was why WD limited the ftp port numbers to only 21, 2121 and 9921…yes, 21 is the standard ftp port but if you are giving somebody the option to use another port then do it for a broader range of ports. I prefer to use port 44, an unused port for other standard Internet purposes…and using the file I mentioned in the workaround post I can get ftp running on port 44.
BTW, I was able to solve the issue about ssh access being limited only to sshd user that I mentioned in my post above from 4 months ago.
What was the technique to change user names?
Also, I am not familiar with SSH, but when I connect to my drive via SSH, I can create directories and store files in them, but I cannot see any of the existing files or directories already on the drive. If I view the WD drive locally, I can see the conventional directories, but not the ones created via SSH. Is this some sort of altnerate volume or format?
If you create files and directories on your drive via ssh, to be able to see them they’d need to be in a certain location and with certain owner and group permissions. That’s my guess though I haven’t exactly tried it. I mean, I have created certain directories in certain locations but not in that location and so they of course don’t show up either. The location where your NAS shares are created is /mnt/HD/HD_a2 (might be another location in addition to that as well if you have 2 drives - I only have one drive in my EX2 so that’s the only location I know of). But I wouldn’t advise creating your own share directories via ssh anyway - because when you do it through the Dashboard, there are several scripts that run that not only creates the directories and sets permissions on those folders but also makes necessary changes to various other settings files like SMB config file, etc. that you normally would have to manually do.
As for the technique to add other usernames - well, it requires making changes to firmware code 
WD–by allowing your customers to open up a server on the web without any encryption support is irresponsible. I thought this device looked ok from the specs, so I bought it for my kid to use as a remote shared media server via sftp. It said SUPPORTS SSH. I’m going back to Seagate and Lacie next I buy drives as they are still the devil I know. Currently own this EX2 and 3 4tb My books. Please get your act together.
Thanks.
I think it’s really silly to only allow three possible ports. By doing that, if you know the target device, you now know three distinct attack vectors into it.
Why not do it like every other rational human being and default at 21 but still allow the admin to set the port?
