Network and storage

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

Name: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
Brand: SanDisk

A pocket drive with no moving parts, for moving large files between machines.

Photograph illustrates the category, not this exact model.

What it is good at

Surviving a bag because there is no spinning disk inside
Copying large files at a steady rate rather than crawling
Running from bus power with no separate supply

Check before you buy

The interface of the drive against the port on your machine
Whether the cable is a standard one or a proprietary shape to replace
Whether the maker offers software for the drive, and whether you want it

Who it is not for

Long-term archive storage, since flash left unpowered for years is a poor place to keep the only copy.

A portable SSD is a bare drive on a bridge chip inside a case. The drive is fast, but the bridge and the port set the ceiling, so the same model on an older USB port can be several times slower than on a current one.

Flash retains data best when it is powered occasionally. A drive that lives in a drawer for months is a working copy rather than an archive, and a second copy somewhere else is what makes the arrangement safe.

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TP-Link Deco mesh Wi-Fi system

Two or three units that put one Wi-Fi network across a flat instead of one weak signal.

Best for: Flats and houses with thick walls or a router stuck in a hallway cupboard.
Watch out for: The wireless backhaul between units halves the speed unless the units are wired together.

Check price and availability

Network and storage

Anker USB-C hub with HDMI and card reader

One cable from the laptop that fans out into display, network, cards and USB ports.

Best for: A laptop with two or three ports that has to drive a screen and peripherals at a desk.
Watch out for: It can only pass through what the laptop port supports, and it usually gets warm under load.

Check price and availability