Patriot Memory Intros Gauntlet 320 Portable Wireless HDD
This wireless external drive supports up to five simultaneous connections while also providing an Internet connection to eight devices.
On Tuesday Patriot Memory introduced the Gauntlet 320 portable wireless external drive, now shipping to major North American retail channels for $159 USD. The gadget provides 320 GB of storage that can be accessed by up to eight devices -- five simultaneous -- via an 802.11 b/g/n wireless connection.
According to Patriot Memory, this wireless external drive comes packed with an onboard lithium-ion battery offering up to 5.5 hours of continuous streaming. Even more, it provides an Internet pass-through feature that provides access to the web with up to 8 devices. WEP / WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK security keeps the connection safe from neighboring Wi-Fi leeches.
The company said on Tuesday that the external drive, which consists of a 320 GB SATA II HDD, launches with app support for Android, iOS and Amazon's Kindle Fire. If wireless isn't an option, users can also connect the device directly to their laptop or desktop via a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connection (USB 2.0 backwards compatible).
"The Gauntlet 320 will be the flagship in Patriot Memory’s Gauntlet portable hard drive and enclosure ecosystem that already includes the award winning fully wireless Gauntlet Node and USB 3.0 Gauntlet 2 enclosures," the company said. "With the Gauntlet 320 consumers can, out of the box, power a home network while also not feeling the compromise of purchasing the lower capacity version of today’s most popular Android and iOS based mobile devices."
To check out the actual data sheet, download the PDF file here.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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thefiend1 I would like one for free. You know, so I can test and see if it works... and then keep it.Reply -
dalethepcman This is a great concept, and I hope they make a model with a replaceable drive, or a solid state version.Reply
I wonder if I can setup PXE via wlan using winpe 4 on this device and use it for a one stop thin client server/router/distribution point.... -
danwat1234 Hmm it just doesn't make sense why they didn't put in a 500GB 1-platter drive into this product because WD has had their 9.5mm thick (2 platter) 1TB 2.5" Scorpio blue out on the market for a bit over a year now. Maybe it's a business rather than manufacturing issue.Reply
320GB/platter tech is years old. 640GB 2-platter laptop drives first came out in late 2010, so nearly 2 years old. -
techcurious Yes, I agree. Considering the cost difference between 320GB and 500GB drives, and the total cost/price of this product, 500GB should have been the minimum starting point. Also, I wonder if it supports charging/powering the device through it's USB connection.Reply -
milktea The diskless version of Gauntlet has a poor user interface. And it is somewhat difficult to setup. Plus the enclosure feels really cheap. I would not pay $80 for it. It feels like it should be below $30 range.Reply
Good concept, but I'll wait until Patriot release a more refined product.