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WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra


smoothmove

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  Picked up one on eBay.

 

  Flashed Firmware to Synology using wd to dsm.bin

 

 

 

  Flash went fine.  Reboots into the Synology Web Assistant and ID's fine.   Installs unto 57% before the corrupt file (13) appears.   

 

  It won't take any other versions.  

 

  Tried to Telnet into it using the root and the Synology password gen by date.

     password doesn't work for 101-0101, todays date calc, -, blank, admin---

 

  nothing.

 

  I can't flash it back unless I can get into it via telnet port 23.  right?

 

 

  I am a noob, so be gentle.  On the flip side, it was cheap.  Now it is worthless. 

 

 

  Please help

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Uart was a no go.  Warning- if you are going to solder the connections on, start at a lower temp or the connections will melt off of the board.  

 

  I got it using Telnet on the IP using port 23.

 

 

  login user: root

 

  password: mycloud

 

 

  you are now root.  

 

  Reinstall Mycloud software.   When reinstalled- do a firmware update manually and it will accept the Synology .bin file.  

 

  Synology  running fine on it.  2- 12 TB Wd's in it and it works like a Synology.

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I downloaded both wdtodsm and the 8451.bin.

 

  First time I did it, I ssh'd into it and deleted the WD OS partition and flashed the new .bin.   That failed.

 

 

  I reinstalled the WD software.  Then did a simple manual update to the wd to dsm .bin file.  

 

  Reboot with the HD's out.  goto find.synology.com. 

 

  Id the unit and the IP.   Put the HDD's in and it will recognize drives and install the DSM.

 

  It went smooth.  I wouldn't try Plex.  Copying from USB and copying over the internet simultaneously had the CPU at 90%.   Normal usage is around 10%.  The Ram amount is fine.

 

 

  I did it for fun, but it actually works well.  I am going to shelve it as I didn't really need it.  I already tortured it- crashed and rebuilt Raid 1, unplugged during transfers, pulled one drive and rebuild , pulling drive 1- then adding 2tb to the remaining drive- reinstating drive one and rebuild.  

 

  It didn't fail.  

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Yes, used the wd-to-dsm.bin.

 

 It recognizes correctly the amount of ram in it.    On the site it says that the EX2 Ultra are the same as the MyCloud something.  

 

 It worked perfectly, just smaller and not as fast as a larger unit.  

 

  Was it worth it?  Yes.  Easy and easily reversible. 

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

hi, first i want say thank you for your support, i have the same NAS, i can install dsm following your guide in post 5.

 

if i make a synology account, can i use quick connect to acces my NAS? or i have to make router reddirection rules manually

 

sorry for my bad english

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No one every had full and complete LONGTERM success.  There was always a myriad of issues with trying to get DSM installed.  In the end, he abandoned his efforts/attempts, citing too many ongoing hurtles.  OMV, is a better option if you want something other than the stock firmware on any of those WD MyCloud devices.  This really isn't the forum for questions regarding this alternative firmware.  Here: https://community.wd.com/t/alternative-firmware-debian-jessie-synology-dsm6/156551

 

Best of Success!

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  • 1 year later...
On 2/20/2020 at 9:52 AM, smoothmove said:

  Picked up one on eBay.

 

  Flashed Firmware to Synology using wd to dsm.bin

 

 

 

  Flash went fine.  Reboots into the Synology Web Assistant and ID's fine.   Installs unto 57% before the corrupt file (13) appears.   

 

  It won't take any other versions.  

 

  Tried to Telnet into it using the root and the Synology password gen by date.

     password doesn't work for 101-0101, todays date calc, -, blank, admin---

 

  nothing.

 

  I can't flash it back unless I can get into it via telnet port 23.  right?

 

 

  I am a noob, so be gentle.  On the flip side, it was cheap.  Now it is worthless. 

 

 

  Please help

 

I had been interested in the same thing as well, and for some time, had been following this 1 and only thread I could ever find of someone actually taking on the challenge.  In the end, he threw in the towel.  He is just one guy, I would imagine with this core of his work being available online and the crew of brainiac's around here, people intimately familiar with the inner workings of the software, they could very likely bridge the gap.

 

Having said that, though a fun and exciting challenge, I would say "WHY?!".  Very likely the market share of these WD MyCloud EX product lines are pretty small and not worth the time and effort.  I have an EX2, EX2 Ultra, but ultimately ditched them for their lackluster performance and application support, but got them for $99 so it was my initial stepping stone on my way to XPenology.  I had tried sooooo many other things, RockStore, Windows Home Server, Open Media Vault, FreeNAS.  Most of those other Linux based OS solutions are excessively over complicated, too many levels of annoying granularity that much be configured just to do the smallest of things.  I'm an IT professional for over 20 years, and just found those solutions to be undesirable.  Just setting up something simple like TimeMachine share, if you didn't know you needed to go into 10+ menu options/levels, only to have it NOT work - frustrating.  Synology software, straight forward, clean, intuitive and "it just works".

 

Still, in case you want to go to town on it, you might like this:

 

https://community.wd.com/t/alternative-firmware-debian-jessie-synology-dsm6/156551

 

Cheers!

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  I got it to work.  The telnet thing was advanced recovery for it.  If you do a simple upgrade from WD it was easy.  

 

The reason -  "a fun and exciting challenge".      Throw in the towel is not accurate.  For me, I needed more from a NAS.   Was it worth it?  It worked better than the WD NAS software.  IF I was to keep using the WD NAS, I would have left DSM on it.    I went to a 920+ (recently) after using a 5 drive home built.  Two drives were to small for my needs.

 

  "We do what we must because we can."      

 

  

Edited by smoothmove
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5 hours ago, smoothmove said:

 

  I got it to work.  The telnet thing was advanced recovery for it.  If you do a simple upgrade from WD it was easy.  

 

The reason -  "a fun and exciting challenge".      Throw in the towel is not accurate.  For me, I needed more from a NAS.   Was it worth it?  It worked better than the WD NAS software.  IF I was to keep using the WD NAS, I would have left DSM on it.    I went to a 920+ (recently) after using a 5 drive home built.  Two drives were to small for my needs.

 

  "We do what we must because we can."      

 

  

A fun and exciting challenge, yes.  Little to no support, bug fixes, etc. afterwards, so diminishing returns.  Front LED lights, cooling fan all seemingly not working well and truth be told, grossly under-powered CPU and subpar ethernet connection. The performance alone was reason to ditch it, even with the official WD software, forget using Plex with MKV files in many cases, transcoding was a bomb.  The XPenology is just by far, all things considered, the best way to go, your own hardware, your own technical specs, greater support, or yes of course, a real Synology.  Even Fox discontinued his work because of all the technical issues, hope just didn't translate into long term viable reality. DSM is definitely the way to go, on real or better hardware. 😎

 

What layout did you choose for your 920+ ?

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