Patriot Gauntlet 320 Wireless Portable Drive Review

Shared Media Self-Service For Eight

With the popularity of smart phones and tablets, the need expanded storage to house numerous large media files has increased. A big problem is, many tablets and phones (Apple devices in particular) lack the functionality to add additional capacity via media cards, etc. and upgrading to larger capacities is very expensive as compared to adding external storage. This leaves many buyers in a quandary of spending less and hoping they don’t need the space, or splurging for the larger capacity models with a premium price tag. Patriot has recognized this dilemma and decided to answer the knock of opportunity by designing a device to give consumers another option. The Patriot Gauntlet 320 wireless portable drive allows users of iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire to access content stored on the drive wirelessly through an app that can be downloaded for free. Up to eight devices can be connected at once so sharing is encouraged.

As the name implies, the Gauntlet 320 comes with a hard drive already installed that’s 320GB in capacity but can also be purchased without a drive (called the Gauntlet Node – PCGTW25S) if you have an extra 2.5″ drive laying around to use or want something larger. The Node can be purchased for $96.90 and the Gauntlet 320 for as low as $129.99. We reviewed a similar product from Kingston that used solid state storage rather than a spinning platter drive which has its own set of pros and cons as we’ll see. The Gauntlet supports the wireless 802.11 b/g/n spectrums with WEP/WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK security protocols which should allow it to connect with just about every mobile device available that has wi-fi capability.

Patriot Gauntlet 320 (PCGTW320S) Features and Specifications:

• CONNECTIVITY:

• Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
• WEP/WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK security
• USB 3.0 port for high speed wired connection
• Connect up to 8 devices at a time
• Stream HD movies (up to 720p) and music with up to 5 devices simultaneously
• Supports internet connection through a home or business Wi-Fi network (Internet Pass-thru)

POWER:

• AC Wall Power Charger (100-240V ~ 50-60Hz)
• Lithium-ion Battery
• Up to 5.5 hours of operation on a full charge
• Note: Battery life will depend on the configuration of the product as well as usage conditions.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

• iPad, iPhone (3GS or higher), iPod Touch (4th generation or higher) running iOS 4.2 or higher, or Android phone with v2.3 or higher, or Android tablet with v3.0 or higher, or PC running Windows XP/Vista/7/8 or higher, or Apple Mac running OSX 10.5 or higher, or Kindle Fire
• USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port (when not using a Wi-Fi connection)
• Gauntlet Connect app for phone, tablet, or Kindle Fire device for data transfer (available online at respective app stores)
• Note: Mobile device operating systems may have native file support limitations.

PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

• Unit 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 Year Limited Warranty

BOX CONTENTS:

• 1x Gauntlet 320 Unit
• 1x USB Wall Adapter
• 1x USB Type “A” to DC Power Cable
• 1x USB 3.0 Type “A” to Type “micro B” Cable
• 1x Quick Start Guide
• 1x User Manual

Included with the drive are the necessary components to support usage. There’s a USB 3.0 cable, a 10W power brick with collapsible prongs and the corresponding removable DC cable. There are two pieces of literature included in the product and quick start guides. That’s all you need outside of the app for the device(s) to be used which is a free download from the applicable app store.

Physically, it’s not overly large which is important for portability. It’s about the size of 3.5″ hard drive and weighs a little over six ounces which isn’t too much more than most smart phones these days. The bulk of this weight comes from the battery and hard drive as the rest is nearly all impact plastic.

The Gauntlet has a slightly arched profile so is slightly taller in the middle than the edges but less than one inch overall. Impact resistant plastic covers the entire exterior and on the next page we’ll look at all sides of the device in our brief product tour.