I was excited to check out the ReadyCloud feature included in the latest firmware update (1.0.4.28).
However, it is - at best - half-baked. The Netgear ReadyCLOUD seems to be where you configure access to your networked files.
After registering your external drive it takes a while before your folders become visible (perhaps the index is copied over to the ReadyCLOUD server?). Hereafter you will be able to navigate folders/files.
It would seem we cannot share folder access (read and/or write access) only download of individual files (a right-click on a file will allow you to 'E-mail as a Link').
What I need is to allow streaming access to my movies as well as access to my calibre2opds version of our Calibre library.
Under 'Manage' appears two categories for 'Users' and 'Shared Links'. I suppose that when you email a link, receivers will appear in the latter.
But how does one define 'Users'?
Through apps (e.g. the Android version of ReadyCLOUD) streaming should be possible. I've tried to stream a movie but it was very jerky... The ReadyCLOUD server for me is always very slow to respond.
I agree, I was super excited for this, and frankly I'm still happy they have at least given us this much readycloud support as opposed to none.
But there are a lot of incompletey features, there are buttons that available that do nothing, and features that show up that can't be used. For example the "share" button can't be used at all, and there is no way to manage users or permissions.
It seems as though the dev team did a copy and paste of the ready as software and stripped out things, but did a poor job of hiding what is unsupported. Maybe they will continue to further develop this and implement the remaining features, but the ability to share entire folders and grant / manage user permissions is a HUGE missing feature 😕
As for streaming, streaming IS AVAILABLE on Netgears iOS apps, the readyshare, readydlna, and genie apps all allow me to stream DLNA media from my ReadyShare / readycloud.
This readycloud webportal however does not support streaming for whatever reason.
The ReadyCloud feature applies to a number of Netgear devices including NAS, and as a result there is common functionality in the interface which may not apply to all devices. So in my case I see both the NAS and router-storage on the same ReadyCloud page. I am not sure of this, it’s only an assumption on my part, but differences / restrictions are a consequence of basic differences in functionality, a NAS and router-storage have some common features, but also some significant differences in design/implementation.
I still believe that what is provided is very worthwhile and useful, especially since secure remote management of the router is also provided.
Does anyone know if Netgear formally captures user suggested features anywhere?
Any decent company catering to a large user group ought to have a facility where users can suggest features that would then be taken up to modify, enhance and develop products. We cannot simply rely on the company informally scanning this forum.
The only thing I see here is that we can chat/email/call the company. If this is the case then I suggest that a moderator creates a sticky where suggested features are captured and voted upon. Ideally, a simple table which is automatically updated to reflect the status of priorities of our community.
Such an feature of our forum should be automated (to ease the burden on moderators, and to provide real-time data). It may in its heading only show the highest ranked (20-30?) suggested features, but the full list should be available and digging into postings one can learn more about why a particular feature has been suggested.
I have no idea how to do such a thing, but - surely - user forums must be using it elsewhere...
Once such a rating has some weight (i.e. many users actually suggest and vote) then we should (frequently) contact the company making them aware of our suggestions and try to get a direct response on the extent to which they take us into account. Perhaps moderators already have a direct channel?
It would be strategically important to have Netgear to contribute/comment to a prioritized feature list.
This way we will not only influence the usefulness of our router in the immediate and longer terms, but may also - hopefully - delay a company which would rather move on to "newer" models.
