Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Net Review

At first glance, the FreeAgent GoFlex Net doesn't look like your typical network storage device. In fact, it looks a lot like your typical dual slot drive dock, like the SIIG USB 3.0 drive dock I reviewed recently! Weighing in at a little over 1lb and being only 1.44" x 3.74" x 4.72" in size; this really is not that big of an network attached storage device. This here is the secret. The GoFlex Net is designed from the ground up to be an Ethernet Interface device for up to two GoFlex Portable or Pro devices, nothing more nothing less. Simply remove the existing GoFlex cable from your GoFlex drive and plug it into a free dock. Plug in the Ethernet cable, and you are off and running with what can be considered a "poor man's" NAS.

On the front of the device is a four bar LED read out display for each drive dock. The purpose of this display is to show at a glance, approximately, how much free space a drive has left in 25% increments. Zero bars means the drive has between 75% - 100% of its capacity free and all four glowing means you don't have all that much left (between 0 and 25%). Besides these LEDs and a small green led which glows when the device is plugged in, the only other external features are the DC IN power port, Gigabit Ethernet Port and small recessed reset button to reset it to factory defaults which are all pretty much par for the course. What was very interesting to see is the USB 2.0 port next to the Ethernet port! This allows you to plug even more drives into the FreeAgent GoFlex Net if two are not enough. Even better is the fact they do not need to be Seagate GoFlex drives; as any USB storage device will work. That should cover all the bases very nicely.

Only 2.5" FreeAgent Goflex portable drives fit in the slots.

Unlike the Pro or Portable series, the GoFlex Net requires an external power source. It is too bad that it does not have Power Over Ethernet capabilities and requires an external power source, but considering the cost of this unit its not all that surprising. The interesting thing about this device is not what it has, but what it doesn't have. Just like any other drive docks, the hard drive(s) stick up and out of the top of this device. This I really have no issue with, as each drive is still safe and relatively secure inside its own enclosure. As a side note, for anyone who has the newer thicker GoFlex drives, yes they will indeed fit the FreeAgent GoFlex Net. There is small inserts around each port that can be removed so the thicker larger capacity GoFlex drives can fit. Sadly, only 2.5" drives will fit the GoFlex Net so if you have the FreeAgent GoFlex Desk (for example), it wont work with this device.

No, what I have issue with is the fact that this unit is a passively cooled device. A small little fan, even one smaller than the SIIG would have a world of difference as your drive can get a touch warm after streaming 1080p video for hours on end. This is a minor oversight and as long as it is in a room that is kept below temperature of a freaking oven, the cooling slits should help keep the FreeAgent GoFlex Net from overheating. The drives themselves are fairly cool running and where they are in their own enclosure a small fan would do little to no good to cool them down anyways.

On the bottom of the device is where your serial number, MAC address and other vital information has been printed. Before plugging in your device for the first time it is a very good idea to write down this 26 digit serial number as you will need it to activate your FreeAgent GoFlex Net.

Installation & Software
Unlike "true" Network Attached Storage, the FreeAgent GoFlex Net is not a plug and play unit that you can simply plug in your hard drives, connect the Ethernet cable to your network and start sharing your data. Before you can do any of this, you first have to activate the device. This means you will need an Internet connection. To activate your GoFlex Net, or "PogoPlug" as it is called, you simply go to www.seagate.com/ActivateMyGoFlexNet and follow the simple 4 step process. When this is accomplished, not only is your GoFlex Net ready to be used but so too is your unique PogoPlug page.

In its default configuration, you use either a downloadable version or a browser interface version of the Pogo software. This suite of tools is very well laid out and is fairly intuitive. To get started you simply tell it what files you want to share... and share them! Alternatively, you can go into the setting page and tell your FreeAgent GoFlex Net to act like a regular NAS (aka WFS or Windows File Sharing).

This is where things get a tad bit "interesting" as the default workgroup is "SeagateGroup", whereas Windows XP's default workgroup is "MSHOME" and Windows 7's is "WORKGROUP". Actually finding the darn thing is MUCH, MUCH easier if you set the workgroup to YOUR workgroup!

In either case when properly configured you can simply use Map Network Drive and add it as you would another drive to your "My Computer" list and then use it just as if it was just any other Network Attached Device. This however, really doesn't harness the full potential of the FreeAgent GoFlex Net. The real abilities of this device is not in its ability to be just another NAS; rather it is its ability to stream and share your files over the Internet via a laptop, computer or even smartphones. You can literally be anywhere in the world and this bad boy will allow you to view your, pictures, video, music or even just plain old data files as if you were still at home and still connected to you own LAN!

The only limitation to the speed at which you can stream your data is the speed of not only your home's Internet connection but also the Internet connection you are attached too on your end. I know here in Ontario my upload speed would be a major bottle neck making 1080p streaming impossible as my upload speed is capped at a mere 500kbits/s.

Taking this to even further is the ability to share your files with friends and family without sharing everything on the drive. Yes, you can even tell what files you do and do not want to share. Basically, the drives default is to share nothing and you have to specifically select a file, press share and then email the unique link to the person you want to share it with. In this day and age of "accidental" pictures and other naughtiness being shared when the user certainly did NOT want to the world to see it, this is reassuring. The default answer should always be NO, and I hope other companies take a page from Seagate and follow their lead on security. Also on the security end of things and worth mentioning is the fact that you can set up your FreeAgent GoFlex Net to use SSH enabled security making it even tougher for others to snoop or "accidentally" access your GoFlex Net drive without your consent. Though as the old saying goes, the security is as only as good as the user using it, so make sure to use a password that is hard to guess!