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I do a lot of work that requires me to send work to a client via their ftp. Email is not good when you have very large files to send (ask Glen, one he needed was 1.2GB!).

Hence the PogoPlug. I purchased this device via eBay for $149 and it really is a very useful piece of gear.

When I have a file to send I transfer the file from my computer wirelessly to a HD attached to the PogoPlug. Once uploaded to the HD it then goes off into the cloud. I then send, via PogoPlug, an email to the client informing him/her that the file is ready and they then download it from the cloud.

Easy as - a delightful piece of gear that has saved me heaps of time. The only problem I had was that the one I bought was pink

Hi, Chris this is a great idea but I had some questions.

Where is the cloud located physically? (Is it in the Pogo drive in your house?)
When someone accesses your cloud, are they using VPN to get into your box at home?
Just out of curiousity, how long did your 1.2GB file take to upload to the HD via wireless?

surenj wrote:Hi, Chris this is a great idea but I had some questions.

Where is the cloud located physically? (Is it in the Pogo drive in your house?)
When someone accesses your cloud, are they using VPN to get into your box at home?
Just out of curiousity, how long did your 1.2GB file take to upload to the HD via wireless?

Hi Surenj

The best description is this: Cloud Engines' stylish Pogoplug makes it easy to access and share files from home across the Internet, using your own local drives and Internet connection via the company's Website portal. Simply log on to your account, and any storage attached to the Pogoplug unit's USB ports will be accessible from a Web browser.

The account does not cost anything.

Basically the file goes to the PogoPlug portal and the email that is sent to the recipient allows them to set a password so the whole process is protected (I think). As far as I know this is not a VPN. I did not send Glen a 1.2GB file but this is indicative of the sizes that I sometimes have to send.

The speed is basically the speed it takes to transfer the file from your desktop to the attached drive on the PogoPlug. A 35MB file I sent tonight took approximately 6 seconds to transfer to the attached drive.

Chris,

Interesting product, but I'm wondering how this might be better than a simple service like Dropbox, which doesn't have the requirement (and potential complication) of the hardware, but serves a very similar purpose.

Once you install the free Dropbox client, you have a folder that's available to you, anywhere you have internet access, on pretty much any device that you have. I'm currently accessing files on Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, XP and Windows 7 boxes with no issues whatsoever.

Where file-sharing is required, I just nominate the file and share it, and a similar notification is sent to the recipient of the share.

I should also note that many NAS and routers are now also providing this sort of facility. I have a Netgear NAS that accepts 2 SATA drives, and a Linksys router with two USB ports (plug in your external drive and you have a NAS, and there's filesharing firmware includedIIRC).

I'd be interested to hear why this is a better solution, because I know you research this sort of thing fairly thoroughly.

Cheers.

I agree with all you say Gary and I also have 2 Synology boxes that can serve the same purpose.

But, I think that the following site has some great ideas from users:

http://www.pogoplugged.com/forum/thread/12616/How-do-you-use-Pogoplug-Share-your-favorite-usecases-with-us.../

Indeed, although (and I'm not knocking the PogoPlug) but those uses seem equally appropriate across the other services and devices too.

Even iCloud, if you must.

One thing I did notice was some discussion regarding the "processing" of content requiring the consumption of some resources? Is that referring to some real form of processing, or merely the uploading of data to a webhost somewhere in the ether?

I also saw a reference to setting up for video streaming content, and in that context, they were describing access to a web page. Is that merely a setup page on the device, similar to what we see on our modems and routers, or is this also back at a webhost in the cloud?

FWIW, the Netgear NAS that I have requires a user to register the device, using a world-wide unique device name, with Netgear, on their webhost, before it can be used. To me, that is rather superfluous and poor design on their part; there is no need for even a www login if you're only using the device locally, and better database design should obviate the need for a worldwide unique device name ....

Yes, Netgear are well aware of my thoughts on this issue.