IT Pro Verdict
Not the fastest or best featured NAS appliance but it’s cheap and cloud access is a cinch to configure
Pros
- +
Good value; Easy installation; Simplified cloud access; Quiet
Cons
- -
Short on storage features; Unimpressive backup performance
We've always had mixed feelings about WD's Sentinel business storage family as its bewildering range of Windows Server and Storage Server OSes make it difficult for small businesses to choose the one that suits their needs best. The new My Cloud Business Series of NAS appliances look a better choice as they all run the same OS and offer useful cloud features for remote workers.
The family comprises two models; the 2-bay DL2100 and the 4-bay DL4100 on review here. It uses the same chassis as the My Cloud EX4100 but gets a boost in performance with a 1.7GHz Intel Atom C2338 accompanied by 2GB of DDR3L memory.
You can buy a diskless DL4100 from WD for 333 ex VAT but it's only certified to use its Red NAS drives. You pay a premium for the prepopulated models as the 24TB version we have costs 1,167 but gets an extra year on the warranty.
The web console provides a tidy summary of all the action along with connected users
