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Seagate GoFlex Satellite gets boost from firmware update

Seagate announces the availability of the latest firmware for the GoFlex Satellite that adds Internet, longer battery life, and support for more concurrently connected devices.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
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Dong Ngo
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With a firmware upgrade your Seagate GoFlex Satellite now has the ability to connect to an existing wireless network and provide access to the Internet for any device connected to it.
With a firmware upgrade your Seagate GoFlex Satellite now has the ability to connect to an existing wireless network and provide access to the Internet for any device connected to it. Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET

As promised at CES 2012, Seagate announced the latest major firmware upgrade for the Seagate GoFlex Satellite today.

When first released almost a year ago, the Satellite was effectively the first wireless storage expander for the iPad as well as other mobile devices, allowing for streaming digital content it stored to up to three mobile devices via its built-in Wi-Fi network. One of the few drawbacks of the device was the fact that it couldn't relay the Internet access from another Wi-Fi network, making mobile devices remain offline when connected to its Wi-Fi network.

The Seagate GoFlex Satellite.
The Seagate GoFlex Satellite. Dong Ngo/CNET

The new firmware, version 1.3.5.015, fixed that. The Satellite now can connect to the Internet via another Wi-Fi network and share that connection with mobile devices. This means you won't need to disconnect from it and connect to another network when you want to access the Internet from your mobile device.

Apart from this major added feature, the new firmware will also increase the battery life of the device from around 6 hours to close to 10 hours, depending on the usage. It also increase the concurrent number of supported clients to up to eight (from three), depending on the type of streaming. For qualitative HD streaming, it's suggested that you only use three devices at most with the Satellite.

The full list of added features and improvements of the new firmware can be found here. The update instructions and the firmware itself can be downloaded here. The update process is easy and will take just a few minutes.