Hi all,
I have Ex2 Ultra, and I am looking at the benefits of the upgrade. Of course, possibly the ongoing support and security updates, but it does look like, by the matrix that WD is sharing, that I will be losing a lot more functionality than what I am gaining. Do you disagree?
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**Disclaimers:
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I do not work for WD.
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I don’t know anything beyond what is publicly stated in this forum and WD websites
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I have two EX2 Ultras at present, one on OS3 and one on OS5.
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My OS3 machine: Cloud services are disabled, but internet access at the router level is permitted. I access this drive routinely using a VPN connection to my network
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My OS5 machine: I have not powered it up this year. I want to see how the new WD Edgerover software plays out before making firm plans for this machine
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If you call me a troll. . . .I will tell you I have been called worse in the last day.
End of disclaimers **
So your question regarding OS5 upgrade is not a straight forward question.
If you are “internet facing” you need the security improvements OS/5 offers.
If you intend to use WD cloud functionality in the future. . . .I think the writing is on the wall that the OS/3 app will eventually disappear.
There are also some notable bug fixes in OS/5 that will never be rolled out to OS/3.
Having said that. . . . .
. . . .WD is clearly making a push to have these units be “more” than a drive on a network. They are striving to deploy a full blown cross-platform media cataloging app. . . that maintains your entire media library, across ALL devices.
. . . . I suspect there will be a small monthly fee involved for “all” the features. (this is the driver)
to make this happen. . . .and to support the OS/5 web apps in their current form. . .the OS/5 software will index your entire drive (rather: The shares you enable for cloud access) and create thumbnails that are more easily uploadable to the various apps.
The indexing process. . . .is HORRIBLE. If you have more than a 1tb of data, it will positively Lobotomize your drive for days. One almost cannot fathom how inefficient this software is. The EX2 is a sweet spot. The older MyClouds have a fair chance of being bricked by the indexing process. The MyCloudMirror devices reported take weeks rather than days to index. The “Pro” series attempted to not only “index” but “transcode” your entire media library. That process (which after much complaining they made optional) meant indexing took weeks rather days to execute. I have not heard discussion on indexing time on these units with transcoding disabled.
Then there is the entire privacy issue. OS/5 by all accounts is very noisy and seems to contact various outside entities more often than many would like. Further, by default OS/5 web dashboard will do a HTTPS redirect. This involves a DDNS lookup. . . .that raises a number of privacy questions. It took a long time for WD to finally make this redirect optional. . . and in this time period (the time between complaints from users and a firmware update making this feature optional) I decided to first RouterBlock, then shutdown my OS/5 NAS.
Finally. . . I have been advised not to read the EULA. I hear there are some truly some noxious provisions in there. I admit this is an unsubstantiated rumor.
I would be interested in other counterpoints. Most of the other critics of the current OS/5 direction have by this point moved on to other options.
DO NOT DO IT!
At least until WD have sorted out the truly dreadful Alpha firmware they have released.
Say five years at present rate! (will take almost as long just to index a large dive array), so i’d wait.
