Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi External HDD Enclosure Review

Vantec is well known for its range of NexStar external storage devices, but now they add wireless ability into the mix. Check out Tyler's full review now.

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Manufacturer: Vantec
2 minutes & 20 seconds read time
Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi External HDD Enclosure Review 99

Vantec has a long history in the storage market and has had quite a few successful products. One of the most successful product lines from the company has been the NexStar line-up, and today they add another product to that line: the NexStar Wi-Fi enclosure.

The Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi enclosure comes on the heels of the dock that was released a few years back. This time around, the device, being an enclosure, is much more portable and should fit those on the go. The enclosure, while featuring 802.11b/g/n, also carries the ability to connect via USB 3.0 for quick transfers.

Smartphone compatibility extends to iOS 4+ and Android 2.1+, while desktop compatibility extends to modern Windows operating systems and OS X 10.6+.

MSRP for the Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi Enclosure is listed at $89.99 with a one-year warranty.

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Scope of delivery for the Vantec includes reading materials along with two USB cables and the enclosure.

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The front of the enclosure carries a pearl white exterior. To the lower right, we have a set of three LEDs denoting power, WLAN, and battery.

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On the edge of the drive, we find the power button, USB 3.0 port, and power connection.

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The back of the drive houses the tray where you can install any drive you so choose.

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To begin setup of the enclosure, we must first connect to the NexStar via Wi-Fi.

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The same app that was used with the Wi-Fi dock is also used with the enclosure. This is easily found on the Google Play store and App Store from Apple.

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Launching the app and moving to the NexStar Wi-Fi tab, we see the contents of the drive. As you can see, we used a Windows operating system drive, and as such, you can see the files listed.

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In the settings, you can connect the NexStar to any existing wireless network. Security options include WEP, WPA, and WPA2.

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Testing the NexStar Wi-Fi, we were able to achieve 443 MB/s read and 138 MB/s write.

The Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi shares a market with the likes of the Seagate Central and LaCie Fuel but does it in a way where your storage capacity is completely up to you. The build quality of the unit seems to be quite good, and I had no issues with the unit during my time with it.

On the platform side of things, the NexStar Wi-Fi app does do what it's prescribed to do, and it does it quite well. I had no issues using the app apart from a single app crash that could have just been the fault of the iPad itself. On the storage performance side of things, the NexStar Wi-Fi is very quick, garnering 443 MB/s read and 138 MB/s write.

Battery life for the unit lasted about 5 hours while I was streaming movies from a hard disk drive. Of course, you could get even more if you had a more efficient SSD available to use in the unit.

MSRP of the Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi is set at $89.99 with a one-year warranty. Current market pricing can be found below.

PRICING: You can find the Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi retails for $80.20 at Amazon.

Canada: The Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi retails for CDN$85.00at Amazon Canada.

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Vantec NexStar Wi-Fi External HDD Enclosure Review 100

PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.

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AUAustralia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com.au

CACanada: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.ca

DEDeutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de

Tyler joined the TweakTown team in 2013 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. Growing up in a small farm town, tech wasn't around, unless it was in a tractor. At an early age, Tyler's parents brought home their first PC. Tyler was hooked and learned what it meant to format a HDD, spending many nights reinstalling Windows 95. Tyler's love and enthusiast nature always kept his PC nearby. Eager to get deeper into tech, he started reviewing.

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