Comments on: What Happens if Pogoplug Pulls the Plug?

By: cybertactix

cybertactix — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:05:25 +0000

In the event that pogoplug were to fail and pull the plug on their service you are still left with an interesting device. The hardware is made by Global Scale (www.globalscaletechnologies.com) and is an interesting Linus based device with a developer community at http://www.plugcomputer.org that has developed some audio/video applictions.

By: Gerard

Gerard — Sat, 16 May 2009 10:31:05 +0000

With Tonido Plug – you don’t have to worry about this problem at all. You control everything, still have web access to the interface and runs through no third-party servers. $89. http://www.tonidoplug.com/

By: TateJ

TateJ — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:08:56 +0000

You do bring up good point Kevin. At least yu have your data if the service goes away.

BTW, I don’t think that Popgoplug caches you data on their servers. This came up during beta testing and we were assured that our data was not and would never be stored on pogoplug’s servers.

I believe this to be true because I was having trouble with my cable internet service for a few days. When the service was up, I could reach my pogplug attached drives. When the service was down, I could not.

I’m still glad I got the pogoplug and their custoner service is among the best I’ve seen.

By: Kevin C. Tofel

Kevin C. Tofel — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:56:10 +0000

Some excellent points in the conversation. Let me offer an alternate viewpoint to think about.

When using any third party service, you’re at risk of the company going under. In some cases, it’s less likely than others, i.e.: Google, Microsoft, etc… Regardless: if you’re relying on the third-party to save, sync and store your data on their servers and you don’t have a local backup copy, your data could well be gone if the company disappears.

PogoPlug may have your data on their servers, but because their hardware essentially shares your local storage with ease, you actually don’t lose any data. You simply lose the easy access to it remotely. Yup, the $99 spent is a goner in that case, but your data isn’t. Again, just a different perspective to consider.

By: TateJ

TateJ — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:04:26 +0000

Looks like we have found the pogoplug’s Achilles heel. To bad, because it works so well.

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:34:52 +0000

I wouldn’t get too confortable about the software escrow account.

I’ve worked for 2 small software companies who touted this to clients/potential clients. “Don’t worry you can always get the source from the escrow account!” No problem…

At the end of the day the companies both went bankrupt and guess what? That IP (software) is an asset and the bankruptcy court judge sells it off to pay the creditors. Oh and that contract those customers signed with the companies that said they could get a copy from the escrow account? Basically meaningless to the judge. Not one of our former customers (except the one who ended up purchasing one of the appplications from the court, recieved a copy of that source code.

Best of luck.

By: Oliver

Oliver — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:47:05 +0000

So if/when Pogo disappears, their customers have to hope that someone else will see a market opportunity to use the (then) open source software to set up a new service for people to connect to their PogoPlugs? (or maybe do it out of the goodness of their hearts)

By: Luscious

Luscious — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:56:08 +0000

That’s kind of the way I was hoping to use the Pogoplug too – type in your own home url and “see” your drives. Going through a 3rd party server is not so much appealing to me, not only because of the problems happening if they go down, but I’m concerned over what could happen to my files if they have a security breach.

I’ll have to look into that Buffalo drive.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:09:42 +0000

All I can say is take a look at Tonido yourself and decide how easy it is to set up. For web access an http port will need to be forwarded. However SSL, while being developed, is not yet available. My understanding that Tonido to Tonido P2P communcations are encrypted and no port forwarding is needed.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:07:45 +0000

This question was addressed here:
http://news.digitaltrends.com/talk-back/299/is-it-time-for-a-home-server

This is super easy to use for anyone. A smaill business could set this up as a share drive for very little moeny