Pogoplug sale! $5 after rebate

just came across this:

http://slickdeals.net/f/7756633-pogoplug-pogo-v4-a1-01-mobile-or-pogoplug-sharing-device-pro-5-after-rebate-fs?%3F%3F=

Pretty sad when i don't have the jing for it, but I'll get 1-3 if I do (IF the rebate doesn't involve too much personal information). That's the main reason I was attracted to the pogoplug, because 3/4th of all the computing I do requires very little CPU really. When I do need hefty CPU, it's two PCs networked one way or another over LAN, using apps that figure out LANning.

Nothing bugs me more than lack of a backup plan, so I hope the Pogo-luck works out :-) 2 years down the road. pogo plows out. Replace power cord, USB sticks, RJ45, BAM! 15 seconds flat.

So thanks! I'd still like to work out a hard drive storage farm that is controlled by Pogoplugs, one active hard drive and sync with another once a day. I'd get a lot done instead of being paranoid my 10-year old Seagates will have a blowout.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2015 10:32PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

Too bad shipping to Sweden is $80 USD... Doh...

I ended up getting 3!
http://imgur.com/iS65MyJ

the rebate says that it is good for 6 units, but i found out that is only if you get two of each version, so i will only be getting $20 back instead of $30, but im still pleased :)

now to get hacking!

JohnW Wrote:
> Too bad shipping to Sweden is $80 USD... Doh...

Would non-U.S. addresses be eligible to rebate at all (standard "mail-in your immortal soul, SSN, Driver's License etc. in hope for a refund cheque - that cannot be cashed at a foreign bank anyway" procedure) ?
[French spelling that the British consider theirs intentional in the end since "check" would be ambiguous... ;-)]

And while power cords with the Euro plug could be found, do these units come with a multi-voltage PSU to handle 230V ?

I can tell you that i started the rebate procedure, and the rebate comes in the form of an "American Express Reward Card"

I have been doing some searching here on the forum to get started on one of these POGO-V4-A1-01 units.

It would seem that in the past, this model was harder to get working, but now it is simple as the others? I would like to boot from SD so that I can actually use the one USB port. does that change anything?

Adam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have been doing some searching here on the forum
> to get started on one of these POGO-V4-A1-01
> units.
>
> It would seem that in the past, this model was
> harder to get working, but now it is simple as the
> others? I would like to boot from SD so that I can
> actually use the one USB port. does that change
> anything?

It is as simple as others. But it is easier to install new u-boot and boot with new rootfs on a USB stick first. Then after booting successfully, clone the rootfs from USB to SD card. This is a better approach because the SD card drive assignment tends to cause problem booting if the envs are not fully adjusted after initial installation. While you are in Debian, the rootfs cloning is quite trivial.

And remember to set up netconsole right away after flashing u-boot if you don't have or plan to connect serial console.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2015 03:50PM by bodhi.

TEN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JohnW Wrote:
> > Too bad shipping to Sweden is $80 USD... Doh...
>
> Would non-U.S. addresses be eligible to rebate at
> all (standard "mail-in your immortal soul, SSN,
> Driver's License etc. in hope for a refund cheque
> - that cannot be cashed at a foreign bank anyway"
> procedure) ?
> [French spelling that the British consider theirs
> intentional in the end since "check" would be
> ambiguous... ;-)]
>
> And while power cords with the Euro plug could be
> found, do these units come with a multi-voltage
> PSU to handle 230V ?

Yes it might not work... The two different adapters i got with my V4 and Mobile work with 230V 50HZ. Got a couple US to EU (Schucko) adapters from eBay that worked perfect.
Got my 3 TP-Link WR703 (OpenWRT) 110V-PSU's running with them too...

Adam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have been doing some searching here on the forum
> to get started on one of these POGO-V4-A1-01
> units.
>
> It would seem that in the past, this model was
> harder to get working, but now it is simple as the
> others? I would like to boot from SD so that I can
> actually use the one USB port. does that change
> anything?

http://blog.qnology.com/2014/07/hacking-pogoplug-v4-series-4-and-mobile.html

bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is as simple as others. But it is easier to
> install new u-boot and boot with new rootfs on a
> USB stick first. Then after booting successfully,
> clone the rootfs from USB to SD card. This is a
> better approach because the SD card drive
> assignment tends to cause problem booting if the
> envs are not fully adjusted after initial
> installation. While you are in Debian, the rootfs
> cloning is quite trivial.
>

The direct to SD installation process is well documented and tested. :)

http://blog.qnology.com/2014/07/hacking-pogoplug-v4-series-4-and-mobile.html

Quote
JohnW
Yes it might not work... The two different adapters i got with my V4 and Mobile work with 230V 50HZ.

Which way did you find to save on the aforementioned US$80 postage & get the cashback from Sweden?

i ended up following the guide at http://blog.qnology.com/2014/07/hacking-pogoplug-v4-series-4-and-mobile.html

it was so simple that im surprised it was not just a one line script to do it for you!

I ended up plugging in one of these i had lying around: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MSS6CS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and i installed mpd, and im very happy with the outcome!

thanks all!

Adam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i ended up following the guide at
> http://blog.qnology.com/2014/07/hacking-pogoplug-v
> 4-series-4-and-mobile.html
>
> it was so simple that im surprised it was not just
> a one line script to do it for you!
>
> I ended up plugging in one of these i had lying
> around:
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MSS6CS/ref=oh
> _aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
>
> and i installed mpd, and im very happy with the
> outcome!
>
> thanks all!

I didn't want to make it too easy for people! :)

A script is possible, but I think it's better (or I'm hoping), people will learn something new executing the individual commands.

Looks like you all opted in for a POGO-V4-A1-01. I am aware of P01 and/or P02 is based on OXNAS proprietary Linux drivers. Does anyone out here know any other reasons why one should not get either P01 and/or P02 which is a dual-core system?

@habibie,

> Looks like you all opted in for a POGO-V4-A1-01. I
> am aware of P01 and/or P02 is based on OXNAS
> proprietary Linux drivers. Does anyone out here
> know any other reasons why one should not get
> either P01 and/or P02 which is a dual-core system?

There are pros and cons. Much more CPU and with SATA with P01/P02 (Pogo V4/Mobile is very lame as far as CPU). But OXNAS drivers are more of a hassle to get it working.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2015 05:10PM by bodhi.

The Pro works for me - I've used one as a NAS, as a Asterisk-FreePBX PBX server, as a Shairport Client + Logitech Media Server + Squeezelite Client and now one as an AP. With wifi now working, the only additional thing I hope for is for bluetooth to work which bodhi said would (hopefully) be in the next kernel upgrade. OpenWRT on the Pro would be icing on the cake if it ever works out.

LeggoMyEggo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Pro works for me - I've used one as a NAS, as
> a Asterisk-FreePBX PBX server, as a Shairport
> Client + Logitech Media Server + Squeezelite
> Client and now one as an AP. With wifi now
> working, the only additional thing I hope for is
> for bluetooth to work which bodhi said would
> (hopefully) be in the next kernel upgrade.
> OpenWRT on the Pro would be icing on the cake if
> it ever works out.
>
R U saying the OpenWRT the current released OpenWRT won't work on the Pro? If so, have you tried the trunk version?

habibie Wrote:
> R U saying the OpenWRT the current released
> OpenWRT won't work on the Pro? If so, have you
> tried the trunk version?

If by that you mean "Chaos Calmer / Bleeding Edge", yes that is what I have been working with. You can see my boot logs over in the u-boot section here: http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,20812

From your posts here (in the other sub-forum) and/or OpenWRT forum, it sounded like the PogoPlug P01/P02 will also work with OpenWRT. BTW, Can anyone confirm if the PogoPlug P02 ($4.99 after rebate on Adorama) does come with a WiFi module? The review from JOHN-MICHAEL M on Adorama indicates it does have an integrated WiFi and a SATA port on the board itself. Also, the device is very small and am wondering if it will have a bay to fit a 2.5" SATA HDD.

I am just curious why your configuration on your PogoPlug V3 uses a 2-stage u-boot. Wouldn't it be simpler to have a 1-stage u-boot?

From my research, the P02 is the same thing as the P01 except it was meant for Candian distribution. Also note the "Biz" model is a P01 with white case.

The P01 model and P02 have a mini-pci-e slot which is occupied by a Ralink RT3090 wireless n card. It's kinda old at this point but is still not supported in mainline. While the RT3090 can be hacked to work with earlier Debian and Arch Linux kernels, I couldn't find a way to get it to work with bodhi's recent Debian kernels. I replaced the RT3090 with an Atheros AR9485 card which can be picked up on eBay for $5 shipped and it works without hassle on the P01.

With regard to the sata port, you need to open up the plug and cut a hole in the plugs case in order to install a sata to esata cable for exterior access to the port (do a google search for pictures). I used a soldering iron with knife tip to cut a hole for the esata connector just above the ethernet port. Looks stock. The sata port evidently supports port multiplication but only after the plug has booted from a USB stick.

Another nice feature, the P01 can be overclocked and the recent bodhi u-boot support a default setting of 850mhz vs 700mhz stock.

See my thread here for some performance comparisons with an E02: http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?8,20530



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2015 09:12AM by LeggoMyEggo.

Many thanks LeggoMyEggo for the information.

Unlike a PogoPlug POGO-V4-A3-01, an external power supply is probably needed to drive an external SATA HDD. Regardless, I placed an order for a unit to play with and hopefully will get it soon.

BTW, from one of your posts, the Linux kernel from OpenWRT shows it is a dual-core ARMv7 (not ARMv6 as reported by ARCHLinux, IIRC) CPU. If it is a dual-core ARMv7, then it should be a better performance CPU than the ARMv6 CPU on a RaspBerry Pi.

habibie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BTW, from one of your posts, the Linux kernel from
> OpenWRT shows it is a dual-core ARMv7 (not ARMv6
> as reported by ARCHLinux, IIRC) CPU. If it is a
> dual-core ARMv7, then it should be a better
> performance CPU than the ARMv6 CPU on a
> [url=http://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/armv6/raspb
> erry-pi]RaspBerry Pi[/url].

Hadn't noticed that. AFAIK, the Oxnas is armv6. Maybe that explains the issues, the OpenWRT I have been messing around with is compiled for armv7.

And yes, no board sata power is available on the Pro so you either need a 2.5" drive and esata case with USB power or a self powered 3.5" drive in a 3.5" esata case. The 2.5" is the cheapest option provided you have a spare 2.5 sata drive laying around and would use the least amount of power.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2015 10:54AM by LeggoMyEggo.

The OpenWRT stock buildroot has the entry for both Pro and V3 as shown below when Target System is set to PLXTECH/Oxford NAS782x/OX82x. There is no option to change the CPU, i.e. ARMv6 or ARMv7.

 .config - OpenWrt Configuration
 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  ┌────────────────────────────── OpenWrt Configuration ──────────────────────────────┐
  │  Arrow keys navigate the menu.  <Enter> selects submenus ---> (or empty submenus  │  
  │  ----).  Highlighted letters are hotkeys.  Pressing <Y> includes, <N> excludes,   │  
  │  <M> modularizes features.  Press <Esc><Esc> to exit, <?> for Help, </> for       │  
  │  Search.  Legend: [*] built-in  [ ] excluded  <M> module  < > module capable      │  
  │ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │  
  │ │        Target System (PLXTECH/Oxford NAS782x/OX82x)  --->                     │ │  
  │ │        Target Profile (PogoPlug Pro)  --->                                    │ │  
  │ │        Target Images  --->                                                    │ │  
  │ │        Global build settings  --->                                            │ │  
  │ │    [*] Advanced configuration options (for developers)  --->                  │ │  
  │ │    [ ] Build the OpenWrt Image Builder                                        │ │  
  │ │    [ ] Build the OpenWrt SDK                                                  │ │  
  │ │    [ ] Package the OpenWrt-based Toolchain                                    │ │  
  │ │    [ ] Image configuration  --->                                              │ │  
  │ │        Package features  --->                                                 │ │  
  │ └────v(+)───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │  
  ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤  
  │             <Select>    < Exit >    < Help >    < Save >    < Load >              │  
  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2015 07:25AM by habibie.

I just checked here: http://support.pogoplug.com/hc/en-us/articles/202307730-What-are-the-product-specs-for-my-Pogoplug-device- . Pogoplug calls it armv6 "compatible" which makes you kinda wonder if it is armv6 or armv11 as I saw a reference here: http://www.datasheetarchive.com/dl/Datasheet-097/DSA00159702.pdf. Look here too: http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/hardward/doc/soc.oxnas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2015 01:11PM by LeggoMyEggo.

I am totally confused between ARMv7 and ARMv11.

LeggoMyEggo,

> With regard to the sata port, you need to open up
> the plug and cut a hole in the plugs case in order
> to install a sata to esata cable for exterior
> access to the port (do a google search for
> pictures). I used a soldering iron with knife tip
> to cut a hole for the esata connector just above
> the ethernet port. Looks stock. The sata port
> evidently supports port multiplication but only
> after the plug has booted from a USB stick.

I have not drilled hole on the case to run the SATA cable out, or do this eSATA connector mods (BTW, I think you are using WarheadsSE's mod installing eSATA connector?).

I run a eSata cable through a small gap below (bottom front). It is almost as clean as a connector on the case wall, since it lies perfectly on the case stand (below bottom). I believe this was oddballhero's idea that I used and liked the lazy aspect of it :)

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2015 04:51PM by bodhi.

habibie,

> I am just curious why your configuration on your
> PogoPlug V3 uses a 2-stage u-boot. Wouldn't it be
> simpler to have a 1-stage u-boot?

It could have been simpler. However, the 2 stage u-boot with SPL is a more modern implementation, so I've kept it that way since forking the code from kref's GitHub.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LeggoMyEggo,
> I run a eSata cable through a small gap below
> (bottom front). It is almost as clean as a
> connector on the case wall, since it lies
> perfectly on the case stand (below bottom). I
> believe this was oddballhero's idea that I
> used and liked the lazy aspect of it :)

When I searched for pictures on the internet, it was WSE's blog pictures that I found so that is what I did. The first time I did it, it didn't turn out so well as I didn't have my solder knife tip. That is the plug that I later fubarred the env nand on somehow. It became my "experimental Pro". Now I've got the technique down to a science with the hot knife, I use the case bracket as a guide and just have to shim it a little bit to get the proper clearance. Then trim a few case tabs, put it back together, velcro a 2.5" esata case to the side, connect esata cable and USB power cable and I can boot from sata or usb depending on need.

I placed an order for a unit of PogoPlug P02. According to the shipment tracking system, it will arrive on Tuesday (4/7/15). This will be my 1st PogoPlug P02 unit. So, I have no idea how to hack it to run a 3rd party u-boot. I certainly would appreciate any helps here for the Dos and DON'Ts. Based on my previous experience with a Seagate DockStar, Seagate GoFLEX NET/Home, I suspect this device should not be connected to Internet for it to phone home, right?