SharePoint 2013 MySite: 404 - The resource cannot be found

Problem

You have just finished deploying a new MySite service to your SharePoint 2013 farm situated in the corporate intranet.  Setting up the web application and creating a new site collection were completed without issue.  Your user profile service works fine, and you completed User Profile configuration for MySite.  However, when you then click on Sites or SkyDrive, you are presented with the 404 - The resource cannot be found... error page.

Solution

1. Verify that the My Site Settings, My Site Host location (URL) matches the URL of the My Site web application.
2. Verify that the My Site Settings, Personal Site Location matches one of the Managed Paths, Wildcard inclusion paths.  For example, if your Personal Site Location is personal (the default), be sure that you have also configured a managed path called personal. 

   The default managed wildcard inclusion path is site.

3. Verify that you have a DNS entry name that matches the name assigned to your My Site web application and that it points to the appropriate server (single-WFE) or cluster (multiple WFE). 

   If you are using a HOST file in preparation for a migration effort, be sure that you have added an entry for the My Site web application.

References

• DNS: The Hosts file <file name> on the DNS server should be empty
• Configure My Sites in SharePoint Server 2013
• How to Configure SharePoint 2013 My Sites

Notes

• Setting the My Site Settings, Personal Site Location to a path that hasn't been configured in Managed Paths, Wildcard inclusion can cause other odd affects, such as:
• Seemingly being able to create your own My Site, but then, when you subsequently click About Me, Sites or Skydrive, it's as if you are creating your My Site fresh for the first time all over again.
• Portions of your My Site page display the usual helpful "Sorry, there's been a problem" error message.