MyCloud EX2 Ultra remote access not available what could be the cause

Western Digital’s My Cloud EX2 Ultra is a popular NAS (Network Attached Storage) device known for providing local and remote access to your data. However, many users encounter the frustrating issue of "Remote Access Not Available", especially when trying to connect outside their local network or via the My Cloud web portal or mobile app.

This issue can arise from several causes—ranging from network settings to firmware glitches. Let’s explore the most common reasons and solutions to restore your remote access.

✅ Common Causes of Remote Access Failure

1. Internet Connectivity Issues

If your EX2 Ultra can’t connect to the internet, it obviously cannot provide remote access. Even if your local network works fine, a problem with your ISP, router, or DNS can prevent the NAS from reaching WD’s servers.

2. Cloud/Remote Access Disabled

Remote Access must be manually enabled on the EX2 Ultra dashboard. If it’s off or accidentally disabled, no remote connections will be possible.

3. Outdated Firmware

Firmware bugs can interfere with remote services. An outdated firmware version may not support the current WD cloud services or may be missing important fixes.

4. UPnP or Port Forwarding Disabled

My Cloud EX2 Ultra uses UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) to automatically open ports for remote access. If UPnP is turned off on your router, or if your network restricts port forwarding, the connection will fail.

5. DNS or Firewall Restrictions

Strict DNS settings, firewalls, or security software can block outbound connections to WD's cloud servers.

6. WD Server Outage

Occasionally, the issue is on WD's side. If WD cloud servers are down, your device can’t register or authenticate remote sessions.

🔧 How to Fix ‘Remote Access Not Available’ on My Cloud EX2 Ultra

1. Check WD Cloud Server Status

Start here:

If there's an outage or maintenance, remote access won’t work until WD restores services.

2. Reboot the NAS and Router

Sometimes a simple restart can resolve network communication issues. Power cycle your router and EX2 Ultra.

3. Ensure Remote Access is Enabled

Go to the My Cloud Dashboard:

Navigate to Settings > General > Cloud Access

Make sure Cloud Access is set to ON

Check that your user account is connected with an email and status shows “Connected” or “Ready”

If not:

Click Configure and follow the on-screen steps to re-enable the connection.

4. Update the Firmware

To check for firmware updates:

Go to Dashboard > Settings > Firmware

Click Check for Updates and apply the latest version.

Outdated firmware often leads to compatibility issues with WD’s remote access services.

5. Enable UPnP on Your Router

Log in to your router’s admin panel

Go to Advanced Settings > UPnP

Make sure it is Enabled

This allows the NAS to auto-configure port forwarding.

6. Manually Forward Ports (Optional)

If UPnP doesn't work or isn’t available:

Manually forward ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS) to the NAS’s internal IP address.

Then, in the EX2 Ultra dashboard, go to Cloud Access > Connection Options and select Manual.

7. Use Google DNS

In Settings > Network > DNS, try switching to:

These DNS servers are reliable and often resolve connection problems caused by default ISP DNS settings.

8. Factory Reset (Last Resort)

If everything fails, a system-only reset might help. This won’t delete your data but will reset all system settings:

Press and hold the reset button on the back of the device for 4–10 seconds while it is powered on.

📌 Additional Tips

Ensure time and date settings are correct—incorrect time can prevent authentication with cloud services.

Avoid using VPNs or proxies while testing remote access.

Ensure your user account has cloud access permissions set correctly in the dashboard.

✅ Conclusion

If your My Cloud EX2 Ultra remote access is not available, it's likely due to network, firmware, or settings issues—less often due to WD server problems. Start by verifying your internet connection, enabling cloud access, updating firmware, and checking port forwarding. These steps usually resolve the issue.

For critical access needs, consider using My Cloud OS 5 Mobile App, MyCloud.com, or mapped network drives via VPN as fallback options when WD cloud access fails.