|
Compare prices :
Computer Systems :
Storage :
Hard Drives :
External Hard Drives :
Where to buy Western Digital MyBook World Edition NAS server
 *Taxes and Shipping costs are estimates and may vary slightly from stores' exact taxes and shipping costs.
CNET Editors' review - Western Digital MyBook World Edition NAS server
 Hide
CNET Editor's rating: 7.5 out of 10
Reviewed by Felisa Yang Review date: 05/14/07 The good: Dead-simple to set up remote access and file sharing; includes support for Gigabit Ethernet; bundled backup software lets you restore as well; generous warranty period. The bad: Slow read/write speeds; no print server or media server; some file types not supported by MioNet for sharing. The bottom line: The Western Digital MyBook World Edition is a simple-to-use NAS drive that makes remote access and file sharing easy for even beginners. Only its slow data transfer speed gives us pause. The Western Digital MyBook World Edition NAS drive makes remote access and file sharing a breeze. The 500GB single-drive version costs $380, making it a cost-effective solution for network backup and sharing. Unfortunately, it's one of the slower drives we've tested and doesn't include a print server or a media server. Still, we like how the included software bridges the gap between highly technical file sharing and the kludgey workarounds we've seen. If the slow transfer speeds don't deter you, this is a good option for anytime-anywhere access.
Design The back edge houses a Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting to your router, a USB port for attaching an external hard drive, a power port, a pinhole reset button, and a Kensington lock. Setting up the drive is simple: just connect the drive to a LAN port on your router using an Ethernet cable, connect the power cable, and plug it in. Once it's fully powered on (which takes about 3 minutes), use the included CD to install the WD Anywhere Access software and the EMC Retrospect Backup software.
Features Once you've installed the included software, the drive should be mapped as a drive letter on your system, and you should be able to access its contents as if it were a local drive. On each PC on which you install the backup software, you can set one-off or regular backups of files and folders. The EMC software will also let you restore your files in case of a system failure. The compelling feature of the MyBook World Edition NAS drive is the Anywhere Access software. Lots of NAS drives currently on the market advertise easy remote access, but implement that feature in a number of ways--some more convenient than others. Most of the true anytime/anywhere products ask you to open ports on your router and configure dynamic DNS services--not for the faint of heart. The Maxtor Fusion Personal Web Server is one such device. Others use a more kludgey workaround that requires you to upload the files you want to access to a "cloud," that is, a designated Web server. While this option is easy to implement, it requires a bit of forethought and planning to make sure the files you want will be accessible. The MyBook World Edition's implementation is dead simple and offers a good compromise of the two above strategies. Western Digital has partnered with a remote-access software company called MioNet. MioNet has a product that allows users to access remote drives and PCs as if those devices were on a local network--similar to GoToMyPC and LogMeIn. MioNet has created a customized version for the MyBook World Edition that works similarly to its own offering. When you first install the drive, you'll use the included CD to install the software on your PC. Then, on each subsequent PC from which you would like to remotely access your MyBook World Edition--your work PC, for example--you'll need to install the software as well (each drive comes with five free installation licenses, available from MioNet's site) and indicate that you're adding the PC to an existing network. On each remote PC, you'll have the MyBook Anywhere Access control pane, where you'll see the available devices on your network. Now, you can access and use the MyBook as if it were installed locally. When it comes to sharing the contents of your MyBook World Edition drive, the process is also simple, but there are limitations. To share, simply click the Share tab and pick the folders or files you want others to access. If the person is a MioNet user, she'll receive an alert of a new share. Non-MioNet users will get an e-mail with a URL. You can set read/write permissions, as well. Unfortunately, you can't share every type of file, and the list of unsupported file types is rather long. A couple of features that the MyBook World Edition is missing are a print server and a media server. These two features are increasingly common on NAS drives and allow users to print across a network or stream media files that are stored centrally. After all, a NAS drive that lets all users store media files (among other file types) should allow for easy playback to a digital media adapter and television.
Performance
Transfer speed tests (min:sec)
(Shorter bars indicate faster performance)
Iomega StorCenter Pro 150d
15:22
13:59
Western Digital NetCenter
21:56
23:27
Notes: *Tested in RAID 0 mode **Tested in RAID 5 mode
Service and support User opinions - Western Digital MyBook World Edition NAS server
Hide
Poor3.7out of 10
Average user rating from 44 users
6 out of 10 - Good 19 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful. 3 out of 10 - Poor 14 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful. 7 out of 10 - Very good 13 out of 16 users found this user opinion helpful. 1 out of 10 - Abysmal 10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful. 9 out of 10 - Spectacular 7 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful. 1 out of 10 - Abysmal 5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful. 5 out of 10 - Average 6 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful. 9 out of 10 - Spectacular 4 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful. 1 out of 10 - Abysmal 3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful. 1 out of 10 - Abysmal 3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful. Full specifications - Western Digital MyBook World Edition NAS server
Hide
Manufacturer:
Western Digital Corp.
Part number: WDG1NC5000N
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Show