Storage Deluxe

The WD My Book Duo is simple NAS system with two equally large internal hard drives (in my case 2x 4TB). The system is pre-formatted for delivery with Raid 0 in NTSF format. Thus, it is recognized under Windows 7/8 immediately and you have access to the complete 8TB. It can, however, easily by means of the - reformat supplied software on Raid 1 - on the plate. Although this is only half of the memory available, but the contents of the first disk is automatically mirrored to the second, so that you have a backup copy. Everyone can decide whether one or more storage data security is important as itself.

The case is about twice as wide as a normal external 4TB hard drive from WD. The housing is made of plastic, which is convenient, but not exudes sophistication in my eyes. Very pleasant I, however, that it can be easily opened to change the internal hard drives as needed. Only as a NAS system also makes perfect sense, was solved by WD with other models but already much worse.

In practical tests the hard drives could also convince. About USB3 directly connected to my computer, the transfer rates fluctuated between the My Book Duo and my internal SSD hard drive, depending on the type and size of copied files between 80 and 150 MB / s. Rare velocity peaks were even briefly before about 200MB / s and even for very long copying the pace never broke below the stated values. It did surprisingly not matter if the hard disk read or wrote. The write speed decreased significantly course Anyway in Raid 0 mode in Raid 1.

In endurance test I copied testweise 2TB another external hard drive (connected via USB 3) on the WD My Book Duo. The whole process took a little more than 5 hours (RAID 0). Not only the temperature remained pleasingly moderate, also noise from the fan and drive could be heard over the entire period barely.

The hard drive is directly connected to the router also easily recognized throughout the network, which is of course adapting the transmission rate to the maximum possible speed within the network. The very good overall impression of the system is also rounded off by the two USB 3.0 expansion ports.

The WD My Book Duo is a well-designed, highly recommended product that leaves one wish as a focal point for data storage and access in the home network barely open, offering more safety and comfort, as it did a normal external hard drive