WD My Cloud EX2100 NAS Review

We reviewed the WD My Cloud Mirror Gen 2 before and was mightily impressed. It was a secure and convenient way to manage backups and storage of personal files. Now, we take a look at the WD My Cloud EX2100 and see if it holds up as a better NAS option.

WD My Cloud EX2100

The WD My Cloud EX2100 is NAS drive (network attached storage) that provides a personal cloud storage for home power users or small offices and businesses. It comes with two 4GB WD Red NAS Hard Drives (WD40EFRX) which features SATA 6 GB/s interface and transfer speeds of up to 150 MB/s.

Here’s a quick rundown of the My Cloud EX2100’s key specifications. The My Cloud EX2100 is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core Marvell ARMADA 385 processor and 1GB of RAM. It can support two 3.5 inch hard drives with hot swap capacity. For expansion and easy transfer of files, the NAS has two USB 3.0 ports; one in front and the other at the back.

PC users can use the WD SmartWare Pro automatic backup software. It works quietly in the background to help protect data.

WD My Cloud EX2100 Key Specs:

• Gigabit Ethernet x2
• USB 3.0 Expansion Port x1 rear
• USB 3.0 Port with Direct Copy x1 front
• Marvell ARMADA 385 1.3GHz Dual Core CPU
• 1GB DDR3 RAM
• 2 x 3.5 inch Hard Drive Bays; hot swap capable; trayless design
• 2 x WD Red NAS Hard Drives
• Dimensions: 4.28 x 8.51 x 5.82 inches

System Requirements:

• Windows 8.1, Windows 7, or Windows Vista, operating system
• Mac OS X Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or Lion operating systems
• DLNA/UPnP devices for streaming
• Router with Internet connection

Design

Unlike the My Cloud Mirror whose sleek white design is ideal for home use (you can check our review here), the WD My Cloud EX2100 features a more industrial look. It has two easy-access front HDD bays that allows for hot swapping. And it comes with a trayless design that lets users remove and replace the drives with little resistance. Also in front is a power button (which the Mirror lacked), and a USB 3.0 port which can accommodate thumb drives and portable HDDs for easy transfer of files.

The back panel has the Kensington lock slot, a reset button, another USB 3.0 port, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, and the power connector. The fan is also there to ensure the drives stay cool. It’s mostly silent, but it does get a little loud during intense operations.

Setup

Setting up the My Cloud EX2100 is straightforward. Once it’s plugged into the network, the NAS needs a few minutes to complete booting up from power up. As soon as it’s running, just go to http://wdmycloudex2100/ using your browser and complete the setup from there.

By default, the EX2100 is set up in a RAID 1 format. This allows for better data protection because data will be replicated by both drives to ensure redundancy. That also means less than 4TB of data, rather than the combined 8TB, is available to you for storage/backup. But if you’d like to get more storage you can opt for a less secure RAID 0 format, allowing you to use the combined storage capacity of the two drives.

Performance

For the WD My Cloud EX2100, I used my Macbook Air, an iPad Mini 3, an ASUS ZenFone 3 and a Samsung Galaxy S7 to transfer files. The WD My Cloud app, which lets you access the file from anywhere, is installed in all the devices.

In terms of performance, the My Cloud EX2100 does not disappoint. File transfers are fast. I get an average of 1 minute 44 seconds when transferring over 1GB of data between devices. And accessing files and streaming videos with my Macbook, iPad and Android smartphones were fast and seamless. You have to make sure your device supports the format though.

Conclusion

The WD My Cloud EX2100 is great for home and small business looking for a reliable and convenient cloud storage solution. It is a solid NAS which performs well, and can rapidly transfer files between devices. Setup is easy, and with the WD My Cloud app, you can access your files remotely.

The WD My Cloud EX2100 retails for P24,099 for the 4TB model, P32,999 for 8TB, and P41,699 for 12TB. A diskless version is also available for P13,999.

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