Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
With 1 TB of depot and the ability to plug in to a mobile gadget or computer wirelessly , the Wireless Plus is a ready to hand portable hard drive that ’s great for media Consumption .
I make love my iPad , but I made the mistake of buying a 16 GB model — that ’s not enough reposition for all my apps , home telecasting , movies , TV appearance , photograph , and documents . I can bank on cloud storage , but since my iPad is Wi - Fi only , I like having supernumerary local memory . I ’ve been using a KensingtonWi - thrust , but it has its limitations .
I of late replaced the Wi - Drive with Seagate ’s $ 200Wireless Plus , a Wi - Fi equipped portable hard thrust that offers 1 TB of storage . It has a few limitations of its own , but it ’s a dainty storage gimmick with practiced iOS apps and utile feature .
Using the Wireless Plus with an iOS machine requires the costless Seagate Media app foriPadoriPhone . ( AnAndroid appis also available . ) The app ply quick and easy access to the drive ’s files , with both a Thumbnail and a List View that I use frequently , and Genre and Year view that I almost never expend but find helpful at sentence .
A calculator or mobile machine can connect to only one Wi - Fi signaling at a time . That mean the machine ca n’t colligate directly to Wi - Fi Internet when connected to the Wireless Plus . as luck would have it , the Seagate Media app allows the Wireless Plus to link up to Wi - Fi Internet , giving your computer or mobile machine Internet approach . When connect to a public Wi - Fi hotspot that requires certification , the app will necessitate for authentication and then switch over to Safari , where you infix a username and password . The performance hit is slightly detectable but not frustratingly so , with webpages accept a short pause before loading .
To connect to the Wireless Plus wirelessly on your reckoner , you connect to the driving via Wi - Fi and then launch your web browser app , which automatically goes to a Web interface for the drive ( you could also enterhttp://172.25.0.1as the URL in your browser app ) . The web browser interface is very similar to Seagate Media app , so it ’s conversant soil .
Moving files back and away between my iPad and the Wireless Plus , and between my MacBook Pro and the Wireless Pro , is smooth but unluckily , you ca n’t blue-pencil file using the Wireless Plus app or through the web web browser port . To delete filing cabinet , you have to connect the drive to your computer using the include USB 3 connector . Streaming media file cabinet from the movement to my iPad also went without a preventative .
To be capable to write to the Wireless Plus while tie in to your Mac via USB , you must add the Seagate software bundle that includes a modified variation ofParagon NTFS for Mac , which allows Macs to write to NTFS - formatted drives . The Wireless Plus needs to beNTFSformatted , and Macs can read NTFS - format effort but not publish to them unless you set up a third - political party software system like Paragon . The software package sheaf also includes an optional Seagate Drive configurations public utility that recite you the available storage , the drive ’s serial number , and other information . The usefulness also has a basic Drive trial function for troubleshooting . It ’s a helpful little utility program but it does n’t do a whole lot , so it ’s not necessary to install it .
The driving force itself looks like any ordinary grueling ride and it feel inflexible . The Wireless Plus does n’t have a barrage fire level caliber on its case , which would have been a convenient feature . To check the drive ’s battery life , you have to use the Seagate Media app or the World Wide Web interface . Seagate claims a 10 - hour battery life , which is plenty .
Bottom line
The Wireless Plus provides a ton of reposition and easy accessibility for all my devices . It has encounter a piazza in my backpack next to my iPad — at least until the 1 TB iPad eventually come up along .
