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Review: Patriot Gauntlet Node

by Parm Mann on 12 December 2012, 17:00 3.5

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qabp2b

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Final Thoughts and Rating

The speed at which firmware updates are being delivered suggests that the Gauntlet Node will only get better, but right now, it's only worthy of consideration if you absolutely must add lots of extra capacity to your mobile device.

We like the idea of portable wireless storage solutions. Designed specifically to bring extra capacity to mobile devices that lack expandable storage, they provide an answer to anyone who's bought, say, a 16GB iPhone and ran out of room for their music collection.

But in theory, a wireless enclosure such as the Gauntlet Node needs to meet certain criteria if it's to excel at the task in hand. Setup needs to be ultra-easy, Wi-Fi passthrough performance needs to be almost as good as a direct web connection, the platform-specific apps ought to be rich in features, and the built-in battery should last at least as long as the connected device.

As it stands, the Gauntlet Node provides a mix of ups and downs. On the one hand, the dedicated iOS app isn't as polished as we'd hoped and Wi-Fi passthrough performance leaves a lot to be desired, but on the other hand, it can be configured with any 2.5in drive, battery life is good and accompanying apps are available for multiple platforms.

The idea behind the product is sound, and the addition of USB 3.0 allows the enclosure to double as a high-speed external storage solution, but the Gauntlet Node's lacking that extra bit of polish and at times feels rough around the edges. The speed at which firmware updates are being delivered suggests that the Gauntlet Node will only get better, but right now, it's only worthy of consideration if you absolutely must add lots of extra capacity to your mobile device.

The Good

Works with just about any 2.5in drive
Dedicated Android, iOS and Kindle apps
Fast USB 3.0 connectivity

The Bad

Not the smallest wireless drive
Poor Wi-Fi passthrough performance
Software still rough around the edges

HEXUS Rating

3.5/5
Patriot Gauntlet Node

HEXUS Where2Buy

The Patriot Gauntlet Node portable wireless storage enclosure is available to purchase from Overclockers UK.

HEXUS Right2Reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.


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HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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Posted by OilSheikh - Wed 12 Dec 2012 19:03
£80 for a drive enclosure, seriously ?
Posted by scottyman - Thu 13 Dec 2012 02:05
Now if it had an ethernet interface that would be pretty sweet.
They need to sort out the pass-thru support though before I'd buy one. If that worked, I'd have one in a shot. Strange thatenabling the USB interface shuts down the wireless. That's not that clever. It would also be nice if you could use USB in hub mode - and hook up a card reader to transfer images straight from your camera.
Muwahaha. Sorry.
Posted by iworrall - Thu 13 Dec 2012 09:05
Another choice (which I have) is the Seagate GoFlex Satellite - a 500GB version of this for about £150, which is about the same price as this plus a HDD to go inside.
The latest firmware for it enables WiFi passthrough.
Posted by Major_Trouble - Fri 14 Dec 2012 19:19
I have the GoFlex as well and don't have any major issues with it like have been reported by some. The WiFi passthrough works just fine. My main bug bear is you have to be connecting to your WiFi router using DHCP as you can't manually assign an IP address for the drive. I hope they sort it out with another firmware update.
Posted by Stu C - Sun 16 Dec 2012 22:31
I'd be happy to win one in the current comp, but if I'm laying my own cash down then I would go for the Buffalo MiniStation Air 500GB for £100 from Scan.