Info on a My Book World II, blue ring edition, 2 drive version?
The Western Digital My Book World Edition II (Blue Ring Edition, 2-drive version) is an early-generation consumer NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that was part of WD’s “My Book World” product line. It was designed to provide simple home or small-office network storage rather than being a traditional external USB drive.
Here’s a clear breakdown of what it is and how it works:
What the My Book World Edition II Is
The My Book World Edition II is a 2-bay NAS enclosure with two internal hard drives. The “Blue Ring Edition” refers to the front LED ring design used on certain revisions of the device. It was released around the late 2000s as part of WD’s push into easy home cloud-style storage.
Unlike a regular external drive, it connects to your network via Ethernet (Gigabit LAN) instead of USB, allowing multiple computers to access the same storage.
Dual-Drive Design (Key Feature)
The 2-drive version means it contains two internal SATA hard drives. These can be configured in different RAID modes:
RAID 0 (Striping)
Combines both drives into one large fast volume
Higher performance
No redundancy (if one drive fails, data is lost)
RAID 1 (Mirroring)
Same data copied to both drives
Safer option (data survives one drive failure)
Usable capacity is half of total storage
JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks)
Drives operate independently
This flexibility was one of the main selling points of the device.
Hardware Overview
Typical hardware features of the My Book World Edition II include:
Gigabit Ethernet port (for network connection)
USB 2.0 expansion port (for external drive backup)
Internal WD Green drives (varied by capacity model)
Capacity options commonly 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB total
LED “blue ring” front indicator for status
The enclosure is relatively simple and quiet, designed for 24/7 home use.
Software and Features
At the time of release, the device included WD’s early cloud-style software features:
Remote access (WD Anywhere Access / MioNet in older versions)
Automatic backups for Windows and Mac
DLNA media streaming (to TVs, PS3, Xbox 360)
File sharing over local network
Web-based admin interface
This made it an early “personal cloud” device before modern cloud services became mainstream.
Performance and Use Case
This device was not meant for high-performance enterprise workloads. It was designed for:
Home backups
Media streaming
Small office file sharing
Performance depends heavily on RAID mode:
RAID 1 = safer but slower writes
RAID 0 = faster but riskier
Current Status (Important Today)
The My Book World Edition II is now a legacy/end-of-support product. WD has officially ended software and firmware support for it.
That means:
No official updates
No security patches
Old remote access services are discontinued
Modern OS compatibility can be limited
However, many users still repurpose it as:
Local NAS storage
Offline backup device
Linux-based file server (advanced users via SSH hacks)
Common Issues Today
Because of its age, users often face:
Login/firmware limitations
RAID degradation or failed drives
Slow transfer speeds vs modern NAS
Difficulty accessing drives directly without enclosure
Outdated network protocols
Community forums often discuss re-enabling SSH or replacing internal drives for reuse.
Summary
The My Book World Edition II (Blue Ring, 2-drive version) is essentially an early WD network storage box with dual drives and RAID support. It was a simple “plug-and-share” NAS for home users, offering backup, media streaming, and remote access features for its time.