Pogoplug has recently announced a brand new way to manage documents over the web - printer connectivity and even remote printing to a shared printer on a remote Pogoplug.  This feature works whether the printer is connected to your LAN or directly to your Pogoplug via USB, and is compatible with HP and Epson printers (post-2005.)

How To Enable Pogoplug Printing

First, of course, you'll need to connect the printer to your LAN and ensure that it can be seen by your computer - alternatively, you can connect the printer directly to the Pogoplug via USB.  (If you have a v1 Pogoplug, you can use a USB hub to connect more than one device.)

Next, go to the account settings screen and click on "Print Settings" on the left.  You'll see an option to enable printer discovery - do this.

Once this is enabled, and assuming you have a supported printer, it should now show up in the left column in your connected devices.

How To Print To A Pogoplug Connected Printer

Once your printer is enabled, connected, and detected by the Pogoplug, you're ready to start printing.  It's very simple!

fClick on a document.  See that little print icon that wasn't there before?  Click it.

A dialog box will come up with various printing options, something you might be familiar with if you've done lots of printing before.  Note that you can select from a list of printers - this is important if you have other Pogoplug connected printers (remote or otherwise) that are shared with you or on your network.  Select the appropriate printer, hit print, and the magic should begin.

How To Share Your Pogoplug Connected Printer

Sharing the printer is easy too.  All you have to do is click on the device and turn on sharing, then invite users to share the printer with - in almost exactly the same way you already share files and folders.

Your recipient will get an email notifying of the printer that was shared with you.  In this case, a printer connected to my friend's Pogoplug was just shared with me - I printed out a document stored on my Pogoplug on his printer.  It was pretty cool to hear his printer starting to spool up - over the phone - not even 2 seconds after pushing the print button.

Questions?

Overall, Pogoplug's cloud printing feature delivers quite nicely.  It works well for both local and remote printing and uses a sharing method that will already be familiar to the majority of Pogoplug users out there, and extremely welcoming and simple for those new to Pogoplug.

If you have questions, please post them in our forums!

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