Pogoplug As Web Server

by JetCityOrange

13K912

Intro: Pogoplug As Web Server

CloudEngines' Pogoplug is designed to put your USB drive online using their servers. We looked at Pogoplugs as 99 dollar Linux appliances. To that end, we configured one as a web server hosting AzaleaRSS.com

Our Pogoplug runs Linux, Nginx, and PHP.

www.AzaleaRSS.com/Pogoplug/

12 Comments

Computothought 13 years ago

By the tme you add an external hard drive or drives, I wonder how much power you are really saving. That being said, I do think it is a wonderful project. I did the same thing win an old cisco linksys nslu2 (albeit slow, it worked fine.) I use a pII now.

With some of the new low cost media mall foot print boxes that run linux, you should be able to do the same thing. You can also modify certain thin clients to do the same thing. They can sell for as little as $10. The pogoplug will have to drop in price again.

tecneeq 14 years ago

Why should i get one of these when i can get a used Laptop with more power and even a Display for less? I could also buy a DSL-Router wich has USB and where i can install a open firmware, also saving some money. Why is this device better?

opanocat5 14 years ago

 Look, this guy is showing what he has made and that pogoplug was all he had/used to make the project. If you think you can do it better write your own instructable and prove him wrong, until then be quiet (grrr... stupid be nice policy)

tecneeq 14 years ago

Why exactly should i be quiet? Because i didn't write an instructable that builds a webserver on a 20 buck laptop bought from ebay? Well, here it is: buy a used 20 buck laptop, install the operating system of your preference (linux, windows, bsd, whatever you like best), then install apache. You are done. I think i can stop being quiet now ;).

My question however remains unanswered. Why buy exactly that device when you can get something with more beef for less money to run your webserver?

drakcon 14 years ago

Why, really?  you can make pogo become a web, sql, samba, ftp, torrent and media server for 5 watts and the power, skip the whole laptop, just plug that puppy into any wall socket,  connect an Ethernet line into it, build your stuff with the web interface........

you miss the bulk of the laptop or computer, so its just a block out of the way and your saving on your electric bill

tecneeq 14 years ago

Ok, you save on your electric bill, but i save on the purchasing bill. The pogo would need to run 10 years or so to be cheaper. If you count in the CO2 cost of production, shipping and so on i would say you need to run it for 150 years to save CO2 compared to my recycled solution.

My laptop server (old Medion 95300, broken display) uses 9 watt idle and has a lot more beef. AFAIK the Pogo has a arm cpu wich leaves a lot to be desired in terms of floating point power, try to scale a picture with PHP and you get what i mean. Heck, you can't even play MP3 or Divx ;).

I'm not saying that my solution is better in every case, i'm merely suggesting that other options exist and have pros too. Well, and cons, like the quite ugly shape of a recycled laptop that lacks a screen ;).

Anyways, i think my question is still valid, why the Pogo (if you don't count the ,,cute'' factor in that is)?

drakcon 14 years ago

yes the pogo is running a 1.2Ghz Arm Processor, I stream video and MP3 just fine not only inside my home but also on the road with my netbook and notebook.

Then there is the file shares I do with it over the net, pogoplug provides a free services so that you can pick and choose any files you have and able to send a send a secure link to whomever you wish with out the whole world having access to all the data you may have on the connected storage media.

I decided to check on idle power usage since you mentioned it, 2 watts, pretty decent being i live off the grid and you solar and wind for my power.

to each there own i say, keep your laptop if it works for you, if you dont need such a device why even comment on it?  Seems like a waste of breath to me.


drakcon 14 years ago

and whilst i think of it, nothing is stored on an outside server, the services are nothing more than a bridge to the cloud.

gmxx 14 years ago

You should put this up with instructions... This looks awesome

JetCityOrange 14 years ago

Details to follow. I just couldn't wait to get the word out. We're also contemplating other uses for our 2nd Pogoplug. My vote is for a Tor box but I already have two running on semi-retited Macs. The other candidate is a Squid box locked into Iranian IP addresses to help our sisters and brothers avoid censorship.

gmxx 14 years ago

Sounds awesome.... i can't wait for details.