set up wd my cloud

Beginners Guide On How to Set Up WD My Cloud, Benefits And More

Cloud computing gives you the capability of saving data wherever you are in the world as long as you have an Internet connection and are sending it to an off-site storage unit. This makes it possible to free up valuable hard drive space on your portable device. With the technology in hand, you can download the saved data to another device after logging onto the cloud service. Most of the time, you’ll likely take advantage of a provided cloud service through a company like Apple or Google. But, there is now the ability to create personal clouds using a WD My Cloud and simply following the WD My Cloud setup and procedures.

 

If you’re interested in maintaining more control over your data and having more storage space than what you receive for free from the other service providers, you need to consider creating your own cloud service. This is possible with the aid of a Wi-Fi router and a connected hard drive, just like the Western Digital WD My Cloud. If you’re interested in taking advantage of the cloud-based hard drive and want to implement it into your own personal cloud storage device, this is the WD My Cloud setup for you.  

What Is the WD My Cloud?

WD My Cloud

Western Digital has long been one of the most prolific companies in the world of home computer storage. The company produces and sells several stand-alone hard drives. These hard drives can be used for portable storage. Other drives are made for upgrading your current computer. You can plug the hard drive into the USB port on your laptop or desktop. There are other options that allow you to open the computer up and install the new drive as well.

If you’re interested in the WD My Cloud setup than you are considering the purchase of a WD My Cloud hard drive, which works differently from other hard drives sold by both the company and its competition.

Some hard drives allow you to connect the drive to a local router or modem through the aid of a USB port. This method is fine, but it does not create a cloud network. Instead, it becomes a localized network. This network allows access to the saved files and uploads new content as long as you’re connected to the given Wi-Fi network. However, if you are out of the network’s range, you will not be able to access the files.

This is where a WD My Cloud setup and configuration comes in. The My Cloud line of hard drives from Western Digital allows for the creation of an actual cloud network. When connected to a Wi-Fi router, the hard drive becomes integrated with an Internet connection. It then needs to be set up and turned into an actual cloud storage option. Once the cloud service goes live, you can log onto your newly minted cloud storage system, access files, and upload files from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an Internet connection, and it’s working properly.

Benefits

There are several critical benefits associated with the WD My Cloud setup and using the home-based cloud service. For starters, it’s your own cloud service. You don’t need to rely on other service providers or configure yourself into what the service provider is offering. Chances are if you’ve used a cloud service before you took advantage of the free option, which limited the amount of storage space you had access to.

The free services might present you with a few gigabytes, which unless you’re only storing word processor documents, becomes full extremely quickly (especially if you have your mobile device uploading pictures to the cloud). If you were to upgrade your account to include several terabytes worth of storage (which is what you have access to with the WD My Cloud), you would likely pay hundreds of dollars annually, if not more.

When you take advantage of a WD My Cloud setup, you pay the onetime purchase fee, and that’s it. It’s your own cloud option, and you’ll never again need to worry about paying maintenance fees. Plus, you are not limited to the number of accounts you can create and connect to it. You can use the cloud service from a computer, tablet, phone or other devices. You can grant access to family members and anyone else. If you run a small business, this is an excellent option. With the help of a WD My Cloud setup, you’ll save money and increase the amount of storage space you have access to.

WD My Cloud Setup Instructions

WB logo with blue background

The beauty of the WD My Cloud setup is its simplicity. When you purchase the cloud storage unit and remove it from the packaging, it will come with setup instructions. However, just in case you cannot locate the instructions or you have misplaced the printed material, the WD My Cloud setup is right here. Should you ever need additional insights into the My Cloud, head over to the Western Digital website and search your product. Here you’ll find updated plug-ins, the latest installation information and other beneficial information and downloads associated with your device.

Connecting the WD My Cloud

With everything out of the packaging, insert the power cable into the rear of the WD My Cloud, then plug it into a local power outlet. It is highly recommended to use a new surge protector. Surge protectors lose the ability to absorb surges if it has absorbed any surges prior, thus the recommendation of replacing it.

Once connected, take out the Ethernet cable (it looks like a phone cable with a slightly larger connector) and push it into the open Ethernet port on the rear of your hard drive. The plastic cap on the top of the cable will snap into position. Now, plug the opposite side into one of the available Ethernet ports on your Wi-Fi router. Your router will probably have three or four available ports for you to take advantage of.

Power On Your WD My Cloud

The next step in the WD My Cloud setup is to power on the device. Turn on the hard drive. You’ll see the power light blink on as it runs through its internal startup. After a few moments, the light will stop blinking and remain constantly on. This means you’re ready to continue with the setup.

Creating the Cloud Network

Once everything is up and running, you’re now ready to create the cloud network running off of your WD My Cloud hard drive. To do this, head over to the following URL: www.Mycloud.com/setup

This opens a welcome page. In the middle of the page, you’ll find a “Get started” button. Click this button. The website will now scan over the Wi-Fi connection your computer or other device is connected to. If you’re accessing the website off of a mobile phone or tablet, connect it to your home Wi-Fi and access the site from here. The website will scan the network and, once detected, show the found WD My Cloud hard drive.

If your hard drive is not powered on, not connected to the Wi-Fi router, or your computer is not connected to the same wireless Internet network, the website will state it could not find the device. Check these areas of your WD My Cloud and then click the “Try again” option.

When the website detects the hard drive, it will show it on the screen. Select the hard drive and continue on.

On the next page, you’ll include basic information about the hard drive. You’ll be able to name your network and create a password for it. You’ll use this to log onto your cloud drive when accessing the Internet anywhere in the world. With WD, you can download an application directly to your computer, so you don’t need to open your Internet browser every single time. There is also an available application for your mobile device.

When you have personalized the information, you can now save the data and finish with the WD My Cloud setup process. This completes the entire setup, and you can now save data directly to your cloud device. Just make sure it remains connected to your Wi-Fi router. If there’s ever a problem accessing the hard drive, it’s likely because there is a problem with the Internet connection inside the house.

Conclusion

WD My Cloud logo

Having a home cloud storage system is a great way to save files from any computer in your house or in the small business office. This also allows you to access these files anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection. If you have been looking to take advantage of a cloud storage system but don’t like the high prices other cloud service providers charge you, this is the best way to go about it. You’ll cut down on your expenses while instantly giving yourself a large storage option, as the WD My Cloud hard drives are a few terabytes in size.

And remember, if you ever have any additional concerns or need to update the application running on your computer, head on over to the Western Digital website.


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