TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE
WD My Cloud Mirror
CONCLUSION Pricey for an external HDD, but is easy to setup, works well and offers no-fuss personal cloud storage.
As we have noted in our May issue, cloud storage is getting more popular. To capitalize on this and to offer users an alternative to services like Google Drive and Dropbox, Western Digital has its My Cloud series of personal cloud storage devices. And the latest to join this series of storage devices is the My Cloud Mirror.
As its name might suggest, the My Cloud Mirror is offered with two hard drives and is by default configured for RAID 1, otherwise also known as mirroring. In this mode, one drive is setup to mirror the contents of the other, ensuring that your data is always duplicated and protected. Do note that in this mode, the usable storage capacity is the same as having a single drive. My Cloud Mirror drives are available in 4TB , 6TB and 8TB capacities. If that is not enough, the My Cloud Mirror also features two USB 3.0 ports that can be used to further expand storage or to further backup the drives in the device.
But, if redundancy is not what you seek, the My Cloud Mirror can also be configured in RAID 0 (striping) for additional performance. However, it must be noted that if one drive fails in a RAID 0 setup, all your data will be lost. It can also be configured in JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks), so that the two drives are completely independent of each other.
Unlike other external HDDs, the My Cloud Mirror allows you to replace the hard drives. The process of replacing a drive is straightforward and easy; undoing the latch on the top panel reveals the drives.
Western Digital prides its My Cloud devices on their easy setup and the My Cloud Mirror is no different. Simply download the appropriate installer and it will guide users on setting up the My Cloud Mirror. Thereafter, simply enable remote access via the My Cloud Mirror’s control panel and download the respective WD My Cloud app on your mobile device (iOS and Android) to be able to remotely access content on the drive.
Although quite pricey, the new My Cloud Mirror is certainly a welcomed addition to the My Cloud line of personal cloud storage devices and it gives users who are more cautious, peace of mind since it ensures that data is always safely backed up.