Western Digital MyBook World "White Bar"

[icerabbit]

Thank you for the review.

I briefly owned the previous model, with blue rings, which was just as slow as an ancient Linksys NSLU2 (5MB/s) and hobbled by software limitations. So, it is good to hear the new model is speedier.

This was a while back, but I seem to recall the anywhere access sharing over the internet could only be with a certain number of files and was very restrictive (you couldn't have certain files) and complex, that in a household of multiple users you then you had to get a license per system for the users. Or something along those lines.

I am curious to know if you, or someone else, noted if these file & data restrictions still apply?

The western digital documentation is minimal. I do note that on mionet's website they now say you can include 5 computers in one account, and they list WD as a basic account option. http://www.mionet.com/products/pricing.aspx Maybe that all came about after the initial WD MBWE release. I don't recall that being possible at the time when I had mine.

 

[icerabbit]

Decided to have a look at the WD knowledge base.

Some of the stuff I learned - the hard way after I had bought my old unit - is listed here:

WD MBWE limitations

Share must be <1000 files. All files <1GB.

No media files

So ... I'm guessing those restrictions still apply?

On my next trip to BestBuy I will see if they have one of these and what it now says on the box regarding sharing your files.

Right now, I still have reservations about recommending this drive to someone, due to my past experience with their restrictions.

 

[thiggins]

I have no reason to believe that the Mionet restrictions have changed.

 

[Guest]

Can you install a fan?

In your review you wrote... "Figure 3 shows the opposite side, revealing a spot for a fan that was apparently not needed and the board encased in a metal shield."

Would it be possible to install a fan there do you think? If so, is there some way to power it off the board?

Thanks.

 

[thiggins]

Would it be possible to install a fan there do you think? If so, is there some way to power it off the board?

Sure you could install one. There is no connector to attach it, however. So you would need to be handy with a voltmeter and soldering iron.

 

[Unregistered]

Sure you could install one. There is no connector to attach it, however. So you would need to be handy with a voltmeter and soldering iron.

From what I understand there is not a need for a fan. With the low power "green" harddrive it is supposed to produce less heat. I have spent the last two days moving files to it and it never got hot.

 

[Calathia]

Hi All!

There is some much knowledged users here that I should ask this here:

I have WD my book world edition both "bluering (500GB)" and "whitelight (1TB)". I've had a bluering version for a year, and know its SMB limitations due to its limited processor and only 32M of RAM.

The whitelight however has 128M of RAM and faster processor (I think). I bought one because it should be faster. Well it isn't.

My tests:

Blue ring: SMB 6.2MB/s FTP 9.2MB/s
White light: SMB 6.9MB/s FTP 12MB/s

My computer is 1.8Ghz CPU with 1G of RAM running win XP. I have 100M ethernet router Buffalo Airstation WHR-G54S. I understand that blue ring ftp speed can't be better because of its CPU and white lights FTP speed can't be better because I only have 100M LAN.

But those SMB transfer rates are a joke. I see people reporting 33MB/s SMB speed, as does SmallNetBuilder review.

Please help me to identify what is causing this low performance. I undestand I can't get over 12MB/s because of 100M LAN but 6.9MB is way too slow.

Thank you in advance!

 

[thiggins]

Running XP could be part / most of your problem. Vista SP1 has file copy optimizations that provide a significant improvement in copy speed.