How to Easily Setup Shared Folders, Users, and Permissions on WD NAS

Setting up user accounts and file access on a WD NAS can be a bit overwhelming with all the technical terms and acronyms involved. But fear not! In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of setting up folder access and permissions in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

The Importance of User Accounts and Shared Folders

Before we talk about the setup process, let's quickly understand why it's crucial to create user accounts and shared folders on your WD NAS. Imagine a big house with three rooms and nine people living in it. Without any organization, it would be chaotic for each person to decide which room to occupy. But by dividing the nine people into three groups and giving each group a key to their specific room, there is no confusion or conflict. The same principle applies to your NAS: think of the house as your NAS, the rooms as shared folders, the nine people as users, and the keys as passwords. By setting up user accounts and shared folders, you ensure that each user has access to the appropriate files and eliminates any confusion or accidental file deletions.

Setting up Shared Folders

To set up shared access, the easiest way is to use the WD web portal. Simply open a web browser and enter the IP address of your WD NAS. You can find the IP address on the NAS LCD display or under your network tabs.

Once you're on the dashboard, click on the “Shares” tab at the top. Here, you'll find all the folders created on your WD NAS. If you're using the NAS for the first time, you might see a few default folders. To create a new folder, click on the plus sign button at the bottom.

A popup will appear where you can enter the name and description of the folder. If you have multiple drives or volumes, select the drive where you want the folder to be created. After clicking “Apply,” the folder will be created, and you'll see a summary of its details.

By default, the folder will be public, meaning anyone can access it. To restrict access, toggle off the public access option. This way, the folder will only be accessible to users you grant permission to.

Setting up User Groups

Once you've created the shared folder, you need to assign users who can access it. Head over to the “Users” tab on the WD web portal.

In the Users tab, you'll find two sections: Users and Groups. Both serve the same purpose, but groups can contain multiple users. It's a good practice to assign permissions and access to groups rather than individual users. This way, when you create a new user, you can simply add them to the appropriate group and all the permissions and access settings will be automatically applied.

To create a user group, click on the Groups section and follow the prompts. Once the group is created, you'll see a summary of its details and user permissions. Here, you can assign different access levels to the shared folders you created earlier, such as read/write, read-only, or deny access.

Setting up User Accounts

Finally, let's create a user account that can access the shared folders. In the User tab, click on the “Add new user” button at the bottom. Enter the user's name, password, and any optional details. After clicking “Apply,” the user account will be created.

To assign the user to a group, click on the user's name in the Users tab and select the desired group from the “Group Membership” section.

That's it! You've successfully set up shared folders, user groups, and user accounts on your WD NAS. Test the access to ensure everything is working as expected.

For more information on WD backups and storage, check out our article on the right way to backup external drives on WD NAS. If you have any questions or need further assistance with your WD NAS, feel free to leave a comment below.

Also Read: The Easy Way to Move Big Files Between Cloud Storage