Turning towards the computing industry's storage segment, Patriot's latest drive enclosure aims to offer the flexibility of a portable hard drive with the convenience of a wireless streaming function. Can the Patriot Gauntlet Node portable wireless HDD enclosure establish itself as one of the market's firm contenders?
Offering support for 2.5″ HDDs and SSDs, the Gauntlet Node is capable of sending a drive's data across a built-in WiFi 802.11 b/g/n adapter. A USB 3.0 connection allows users to quickly transfer files from a computer to the Gauntlet Node's internal drive.
With dimensions only slightly larger than most average 2.5″ HDD caddies and a battery life of up to 5.5 hours, can the Patriot Gauntlet Node prove itself as a convenient and effective portable wireless drive enclosure?
Specifications:
- Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
- USB 3.0 port for high speed wired connection
- Connect up to 8 devices at a time
- Supports internet connection through a home or business Wi-Fi network (Internet Pass-thru)
- Lithium-ion Battery
- Up to 5.5 hours of operation on a full charge
- 2.5″ HDD or SSD drive, NTFS formatted, maximum 9.5mm height
- Dimensions: 3.39” (D) x 5.47” (W) x .96” (H) or 8.62cm (D) x 13.9cm (W) x 2.44cm (H)
- Weight: 182.5 grams
- Warranty: 2 years
- Compatible with: iPad, iPhone (3GS or higher), iPod Touch (4th generation or higher) running iOS 4.2 or higher
- Compatible with: Android phone with v2.3 or higher, or Android tablet with v3.0 or higher
- Compatible with: Kindle Fire
- Compatible with: PC running Windows XP/Vista/7/8 or higher, or Apple Mac running OSX 10.5 or higher
DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT. It does not work even with instructions from the vendor. The SDD I purchased did not work. They wanted me to install another drive an attempt to update the firmware in order for the unit to recognize the SSD. Hogwash. The second drive didn’t work. It is as someone described in a blog that it is like the unit recognizes the drive when directly connected to a PC through USB, but when you switch to wireless mode and check status.. no drive. Are they serious is selling this unit and expecting people to have to jump through hoops to make it work, only to find out it doesn’t work. Now I am stuck returning it to NewEgg and dealing with the shipping and $15 restocking fee.