Pogoplug NAS Device Review

Name: Pogoplug NAS Device Review - Page 3
Brand: Pogoplug

by Daniel A. Begun — Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 11:00 AM EDT

Setup & Configuration

It's difficult for us to remember another product that was as easy to set up as the Pogoplug. In fact, CloudEngines claims that you can get the Pogoplug up and running in 60 seconds. While this is likely feasible, it will probably take most users a little longer--especially those who need a little handholding. And handholding is what users can get, if they choose to view the optional videos embedded in the online, Web-based setup wizard.

Step 1 of the Pogoplug's
Web-based setup wizard...

...Step 2...

...Step 3...

To get the Pogoplug operational, you first need to attach it to your router and plug in its power cable. The next step is to activate the device--which in our case, took just a few seconds. Once the device has been activated, you attach a USB drive. The drive you attach must be pre-formatted--the Pogoplug's interface does not permit for formatting attached drives. If you have a powered USB hub handy, you can instead attach the hub to the Pogoplug and then attach multiple USB drives to the Pogoplug for multiple networked drives. As of the most-recent firmware update, the Pogoplug supports drives formatted with NTFS, FAT32, HFS+ (journaled and non-journaled), and EXT-2/EXT-3 file systems.

Troubleshooting tips.

Pogoplug successfully activated.

Time to attach the
drive.

Once your USB drive is attached, the next step is to create a Pogoplug account, which is based on your e-mail address and a user-created password. A confirmation e-mail is sent to you, from which you click on the embedded link to take you to your personal My Pogoplug Web portal. The My Pogoplug portal is the default interface from which you interact with the Pogoplug, both locally and remotely. While this is the default interface, it is by no means the only way to access the Pogoplug.

Creating a
Pogoplug account.

Pogoplug account successfully
created.

Pogoplug account creation e-mail
confirmation.

Logging into My Pogoplug for
the first time.

Downloads for desktop clients
for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Pogoplug iPhone app
download via iTunes.

The free applications for Windows, Mac, and Linux, which CloudEngines makes available for download here, enable access to the Pogoplug directly as an attached drive. Essentially what these apps do is automatically map a drive letter for the Pogoplug device, so that you can drag-and-drop files to and from the Pogoplug as you would any other type of drive. These apps operate whether the Pogoplug is on the same local network as the user, or even if the user is connected remotely--albeit, remote access is likely to be noticeably slower than local networked access. There is even a free iPhone Pogoplug app that lets you access your Pogoplug locally or remotely.