Network-attached storage is seldom eye-catching, rarely interesting and not normally cheap, and in that sort of market the Pogoplug is guaranteed to stand out. Currently in its second generation – with a fair few software upgrades along the way – the bright pink box promises to take regular USB hard drives and have them shared across a network for both local and remote access within minutes. Too good to be true? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
Compared to the sober first-gen Pogoplug adapter, which looked little more than a wall-wart AC adapter with a couple of ports, this second-gen hardware is quite the departure. Around the size of a thick hardback book standing on its edge, it’s a distinctive combination of white and clear plastic with a bight pink stand-cum-cable-tidy. Where the original had a single USB 2.0 port, this model has four: one on the front panel, above the status indicator LED, and three on the back above the gigabit ethernet port. The AC power brick has been subsumed into the main body of the Pogoplug, which is a neat touch, and with no fans it’s a silent box that, even powered on 24/7, doesn’t get more than warm.
Where regular NAS boxes integrate one or more drive bays into a single box, as well as the network connectivity, the Pogoplug keeps things more modular. Reasonably inexpensive USB external drives are used instead, or even USB memory sticks, and while there are four ports to choose from you can also throw in a USB hub and hook up even more storage. The benefit is that you can repurpose existing HDDs and make them network-visible, while adding capacity is the simple matter of plugging in another drive rather than having to open up a NAS chassis.
Pogoplug promises a 60-second installation, and while we weren’t quite that fast it was nonetheless straightforward getting set up. The Pogoplug hooks up to your router via the included ethernet cable, to the mains with the power cable, and then you plug in at least one USB 2.0 drive. The company’s setup site automatically recognises the drive and prompts you to create a username and password, before giving you access to the online control panel.
