You can buy the EX4100 pre-filled, in capacities ranging from 8TB up to 24TB. Power consumption is on the high side, peaking at 36.2W, but the NAS is very efficient at going into a 12W power save mode when not in active use. However, iPad and iPhone users should note that there's no integration with the iOS files app.ĭespite having an underwhelming specification - a Marvell ARM-based dual-core processor and just 2GB of RAM - the EX4100 flies when it comes to transfer speeds, performing particularly well when it comes to mass writes of smaller files, even while streaming 4K video.
The mobile app includes automatic photo and video backup features, which you can set to use Wi-Fi only, plus basic tools to manage users and the NAS.
Users can drag and drop files from any browser directly into the NAS folder or use the app to sync files and folders, doing a convincing impression of Dropbox while it does so. WD also scores by supporting the NAS with matching web services and desktop and mobile apps, all with one coherent look and feel. It even packs a couple of surprises: at this price you might not expect enterprise-friendly features such Active Directory linking or iSCSI and virtualisation support, but the EX4100 crams these in as well. When you're trying to manage and monitor the RAID or folder activity, it's easy to find the tools you need. Because it's not trying to be a home-server-meets-media-centre-meets-Linux-PC, the EX4100 benefits from a clean and simple dashboard interface that looks and feels like a modern cloud-based app. However, the fact that these are hidden away tells you that this isn't really what this NAS is built for. With its gently glowing LCD status display and discrete LED indicators, it's one of the least distracting appliances in our lab.Ĭlick the link to open the admin control panel and you'll find a tab for additional apps, including a tool to sync folders with Dropbox, Joomla and WordPress installations and the Transmission Bittorrent client.
What's more, while the EX4100 is incredibly noisy when it starts up, drowning out the fan noise from our hardly unobtrusive test PC, it's near-silent in general operation. Drives slide effortlessly into four trayless bays, and while this has the disadvantage that there's nothing to grab onto if you need to hot-swap, you can fill all four up in minutes without breaking a sweat. We like the EX4100's unassuming physical design. Plug in a USB memory stick or hard drive and the NAS can mount it automatically as a share. However, there is some smart functionality onboard here. Connectivity is limited to a single USB 3 port at the front for one-touch instant backups, along with two more USB 3 connections at the rear. It works as a simple and flexible media server, but that's about it. Be aware of what you're missing out on: this isn't really a NAS for enthusiasts or home users.
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