My Pogoplug Experience.

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share my experience with the Pogoplug Pro. I was researching several NAS options and i discovered it can be costly. While searching on the web I found a device called Pogoplug Pro. I paid about $29.99 before tax and shipping. Not a bad deal however the results were terrible.  Customer service provided by Pogoplug was excellent but the device just doesn't perform as intended.  I ended up getting a full refund and returned the product. Check out the forum thread below.

PogoPlug Pro Description:

"In Just 60 Seconds, Pogoplug Connects Your External Hard Drives to The Internet so You Have Full Access to Your Home Content. Make Your Videos, Photos, Presentation Files, or Even Your Entire Music Library Accessible Online, Without Uploading. Pogoplug Gives You The Power to Broadcast And Share Your Digital Life With Ease From Wherever Life Takes You. "

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Hello Support,
I received my pogo plug today 09/01/2011. I plugged the power, usb drive, and ethernet cable into the device and attempted to activate the device. The LED in front continues to stay orange / amber. I tried the following troubleshooting steps recommended without any luck.

1. Reboot the pogoplugpro.
2. Checked and verified the MAC address against the routers DHCP Client Table.
3. Verified the router is giving the MAC ID (Pogoplug) an IP address.
4. Statically assigned a DNS on my router (4.2.2.2 & 4.2.2.3) *rebooted router. Still orange / amber light.

Any help / support would be much appreciated.

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    The solid amber light means your Pogoplug cannot contact the Pogoplug Service at all.

    In addition to the default network configuration I.S.P. modem>router>Pogoplug, seamless use of Pogoplug requires the following:
    1) DHCP is enabled on your router
    2) UDP traffic is unfiltered on your network, including your I.S.P. - specifically port 4365
    3) Your Pogoplug must access http://service.pogoplug.com and https://service.pogoplug.com. If you use a network firewall, please add these urls to your safelist.
    4) Relevant to number 3, dynamic DNS is also enabled on your network; if your computers didn't require any special DNS settings, you likely already use dynamic DNS.

    This could be resolved with something as simple as a different ethernet cable. Have you already tried a different ethernet cable, using a different ethernet port on your router? You will need to power cycle Pogoplug to refresh the network connection attempt.

    Keep me posted.

    Kind regards,
    -Shimi
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Sep-01 2011 20:32

    Hi Shimi,

    Appreciate the quick response. My device is still showing amber taking the steps below.

    1. I modified my router to open port 4365 UDP traffic. Rebooted router.
    2. I swapped out ethernet cable and used a different port on my router (Moved from port 4 to 3). Rebooted Pogo.
    3. I don't intend to pay for dynamic DNS service as this would defeat the purpose of buying this device. If I need to pay for dynamic DNS service to make this device work i'd rather pay for cloud storage per/ month.

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Sep-01 2011 21:02

    I ran a test and sent a share link via email to my friend. He was able to access the shared folder. The pogo hardware status light is still amber. What is the purpose of the status light amber vs. green?

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Sep-01 2011 23:58

    Update 09/02/2011 - I managed to view my content on the HD using the web interface and mapped drive shown in windows 7 computer. My hard drive is not available now 12:17AM. Nice idea but terrible execution with delivering a functioning product. What do I need to do to return this hardware and get my money back?

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Sep-02 2011 07:20

    I apologize for the poor experience you had with Pogoplug.

    Using our diagnostic tool, I am currently able to see your device is online with no hard drive attached to it- is this accurate?

    furthermore, I have done some configuration changes on my end which may also rectify the issue you are reporting, please check and let me know in case it did not.

    Regarding your question, as the amber light indicates a problem with communicating with the service, the green light means you can safely connect your hard drive to your Pogoplug device.

    In case you would still to proceed with a refund, please provide me with the following information:

    1. What was the date of purchase?

    2. If you purchased your Pogoplug device from our web-store, please reply with your order details.
    If you purchased it from one of our retailers, please attach a scan of your invoice or receipt or a forward order confirmation and we will process with an immediately warranty exchange.

    Thank you for your cooperation,

    Kind Regards,
    -Shimi
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Sep-02 2011 10:54

    Hi Shimi,

    Appreciate your response.

    1. You are correct the hard drive was removed from pogo. After reading several forum posts i found that running a check disc and defragging the drive may rectify some issues. I ran the check disc and defragged the drive.
    2. I shutdown the pogo device and connected the hard drive. I now see the hard drive however the pogo status light is still showing amber. I appreciate you're attempt to resolve the issue and really had high hopes for this working but I do not have the time nor the patience to constantly monitor the device to make sure it's working. I paid for a device that should work.
    3. I attached the purchase order / receipt to this response. I expect a full refund which includes shipping fees, pogoplug pro fee, and premium software fee (*i do not want to deal with pogo anymore).
    4. I also expect pogo to provide me with a preprinted shipping label to return the device and it's contents.

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Sep-02 2011 23:27

    I agree, you should not be monitoring this device as it should work after a short setup. Clearly there seem to be a problem which I would like to help you resolve, but I understand you do not wish to go through this procedure.

    Please provide me with the following information (I am unable to open the attached file):

    1. What was the date of purchase?

    2. If you purchased your Pogoplug device from our web-store, please reply with your order details.
    If you purchased it from one of our retailers, please attach a scan of your invoice or receipt or a forward order confirmation and we will process a refund.

    Kind Regards,
    -Shimi