Astraweb 10 Mbit Usenet from $6.67/mo.

Astraweb recently rolled out some new unlimited and pay-by-download (block) Usenet plans.  Today we’d like to focus on their new 10 Mbit unlimited quarterly plan.  For some time now Astraweb has offered unlimited Usenet downloads speed capped at 10 Mbps for $10 a month.  Not a bad deal but their $11 uncapped account is even better.  Now they’ve  added a quarterly 10 Mbit account for $20 which works out to $6.67 a month.  Along with their uncapped plan special for $96 a year which works out to just $8 a month.

As you can see Astraweb has recently added two new Usenet plans.  Their unlimited 3 month plan for $20.  Which has a speed cap of 10 Mbit/s.  Along with a new Pay-by-Download plan.  The new 1000 GB block is a good value at $50 considering the 180 GB block costs $25.  We still prefer their current unpublished specials which include unlimited DSL, uncapped newsgroup downloads for $11 a month or $96 a year.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet and follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest deals.

Usenet Providers Pass 1,300 Days of Binary Retention

This week a number of leading Usenet providers hit a new milestone.  As services like UseNetServer, Newshosting, NewsDemon and Astraweb cross 1,300 days of binary retention.  We join in celebrating all the Usenet services who continue to grow retention and innovate in other ways.  It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago we were discussing retention in terms of days.  Now we’re getting closer and closer to four years of binary retention!  Better yet you can enjoy unlimited Usenet access with free extras for just $10 a month.

You now have access to over three and a half years of binary newsgroup posts.  At 1,300 days you can access newsgroup posts from 3 years and 7 months ago.  As 1,300 days ago was August of 2008.  Back then the highest retention to be found was 240 days, which works out to around 8 months.  Now we can all explore over 42 months of Usenet posts for a fraction of the 2008 price of newsgroup access.

The quality and value offered by Usenet services has also progressed since 2008.  Back then providers offered unlimited Usenet for $20-$30 a month.  Fast forward to 2012 and the price is half that much.  Not only has the cost dropped significantly.  The services have brought many innovations.  Including faster speeds and additional features like newsreaders, Usenet search and online storage.  All for under $10 a month.

We look forward to celebrating again in 100 days as Usenet hits 1,400 days of binary retention.  It won’t be too much longer before they surpass 4 years of retention.  Until then continue enjoying the best Usenet has to offer.  Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet. Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest offers.

Astraweb Expands Usenet Offerings

Astraweb recently bumped up the speed on their unlimited accounts to 10 Mbit/s versus the previous 5 Mbit/s cap.  In addition they are now offering quarterly accounts for both the Astraweb unlimited and unlimited DSL (uncapped speed) plans.  For block Usenet fans Astraweb also added a 1 TB block account.  All of this is in addition to their current Usenet specials – unlimited DSL for $11 a month or $96 a year.

As you can see in the screenshot above we’ve highlighted the new accounts and updated 10 Mbps rate limit on the unlimited plan.  The quarterly unlimited plan is a good value at $20 for those with slower connections.  While the Astraweb specials are priced lower than the unlimited DSL quarterly plan.  As for block accounts the 1 TB block for $50 is a great value.  Matching NewsgroupDirect’s Terabyte Tuesday deals but available all the time.

Here’s a breakdown of the new Astraweb Usenet account pricing:

  • Unlimited : $20 for 3 months – works out to $6.67 a month
  • Unlimited DSL : $39 for 3 months – works out to $13 a month
  • 1000 GB block for $50 – works out to $0.20 a GB

All the changes were positive and add value to the Astraweb service.  We look forward to their continued efforts.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest promotions.

November Marks 1,200 Days of Retention and Growing!

November marks a new milestone for leading Usenet providers.  As services like Newshosting, UseNetServer, Astraweb and more pass 1,200 days of binary retention.  Some users have come to expect the continued growth in Usenet retention as many large providers spool daily.  Yet the achievement is no less impressive.  As Usenet fans or perhaps fanatics we tip our glass to those continuously improving the experience.  Both in terms of retention growth and overall value (cost, reliability, performance and new, innovative features).

It’s hard to believe we have access to over three years of binary retention.  At 1,200 days you can access newsgroup posts from 3 years and 3 months ago.  As 1,200 days ago was August of 2008.  In comparison Giganews was the clear leader in retention at that time.  Completing their upgrade to 240 days (eight months) of binary retention in September of 2008.  Times have certainly changed since then as a number of leading Usenet providers are within 10 days of each other now.  All with nearly 40 months of binary retention and growing.

The value offered by Usenet providers has also changed quite a bit since 2008.  With services offering unlimited Usenet for $10 or less a month rather than $20-$30 a month.  Not only has the cost dropped significantly.  The services themselves are much improved.  Including SSL encryption, better reliability / performance and extra features like newsreaders, Usenet search, online storage and VPN access.  All for under $10 a month.

We’ll see you right here in 100 days as we all help celebrate 1,300 days of binary retention.  Then in 9 months we’ll happily help celebrate 4 years of retention.  Until then continue to enjoy all the advantages of Usenet.  Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet retention.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest offers.

Astraweb Crosses 3 Years of Binary Retention

We salute Astraweb in our final celebration of the week.  As they recently passed three years (1.095 days) of binary retention.  Like other leading Usenet providers, Astraweb shows no signs of slowing down.  They continue to increase retention on a daily basis.  The service became wildly popular a few years ago after launching the first big Usenet special to hit the market.  Offering unlimited Usenet access for $11 a month and then later adding an option for $96 a year.  Both promotions continue to be very popular choices.

What makes Astraweb so darn popular?  They built up a strong following after launching the $11 special.  Those loyal to the service are often vocal in forums.  Appreciative of Astraweb’s early efforts which some would argue have led to the low prices we currently see in the market.  As Usenet fans and customers we would certainly agree that Astraweb and a few other leading providers have helped make Usenet even more popular.

What you see in the image above is pretty much what you get from Astraweb.  With 1,095+ days of binary retention, 99% completion, 20 connections and SSL encryption.  The Astraweb $11 special includes unlimited downloads at uncapped speeds.  Though they provide 20 connections we don’t need anywhere close to that to max a 25 Mbps cable line.  From time to time Astraweb will experience completion issues.  As happened a few weeks ago.  Overall though the service is very good.  With high marks for completion and value.

Astraweb shines as a pure Usenet service.  While others offer value-added features (Usenet clients, storage, web access, VPN, etc) Astraweb focuses on Usenet-only access.  The extras offered by providers like UseNetServer (search), Newshosting (newsreader) and NewsDemon (storage) have certainly made the landscape more competitive.  Especially considering all of those services offer specials priced below Astraweb.  What will that mean in the long term?  Will Astraweb join in on the extra features?  Will the Astraweb faithful continue to tout the quality and value of the service?  We’ll definitely continue to help spread the word.

Read our Astraweb review to learn more about the service or sign up for the $11/mo. or $96/yr. specials and enjoy unlimited Usenet access.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest Usenet news and special offers.

Astraweb Completion Update and Download Tips

Astraweb, one of our favorite Usenet providers, is currently working through some technical issues with incompletes and articles not available.  As mentioned in a support post Astraweb is experiencing completion problems with articles in the 110-130 day range.  It appears they are still working toward a resolution.  In the meantime we’d like to suggest a few tips to help with Astraweb downloads.

Here are the details of the Astraweb support post:

Incompletes & Article Not Available

We are looking into and fixing the issue with article completion for articles at and around the 110-130 day old mark. This issue is unrelated to the Network Instability issue posted earlier today.
Completion will return gradually as the articles are recovered.
We regret and apologise for this incident, and our engineers are working with urgency to rectify the problem.

Here are some tips for those experiencing completion issues:

1.  Connect to both US and European news servers

Astraweb offers server farms in the United States and Europe.  In the past we’ve seen articles complete in Europe that were incomplete on the US server.  We suggest you setup both servers and split your connections between them.

Here is the Astraweb news server info:

Secure (SSL encrypted):
ssl-us.astraweb.com (U.S. servers)
ssl-eu.astraweb.com (European servers)

Standard (non-SSL):
us.news.astraweb.com (U.S. servers)
eu.news.astraweb.com (European servers)

2. Run NZB Completion Checker before downloading

A few months ago we wrote about a cool new tool for checking completion.  You can use NZB Completion Checker to check and see if there are any missing or damaged parts before downloading.  This can save you lots of time and bandwidth on incomplete posts.

3.  PAR files can help with missing or damaged articles

Usenet veterans can skip this one.  For those less familiar with PAR files they will help you recover missing or incomplete parts.  See our PAR files guide for more details.

4. Consider signing up for a backup Usenet account

Unlimited Usenet access is affordable now a days.  With leading providers like Astraweb along with UseNetServer, Newshosting, NewsDemon and Easynews offering unlimited Usenet accounts for $8-$10 a month.  Making a backup newsgroup service a good option at times like these.  See our Usenet specials section for the latest promotions or sign up for the UNS deal below.


5. Consider a non-expiring block Usenet account

If you don’t plan to download that much or find there isn’t much missing then consider a block Usenet account.  Those who download a lot will want to consider tip #4 instead.  Block plans come in many sizes and prices from services like NewsDemon, NewsgroupDirect, BlockNews, Usenet-News.  All of which offer non-expiring block accounts.

We know the Astraweb team is working hard to remedy the completion issue and look forward to the results.  In the meantime hopefully our tips can help with downloads.  For those considering signing up for Astraweb we still highly recommend the service.  As they have provided quality, affordable Usenet access over the years.  Read our Astraweb review to learn more.  Also consider their $11 a month or $96 a year specials.

Astraweb Hits 1,000 Days Binary Retention

On Friday, May 13th, Astraweb hit a new milestone.  As they achieved 1,000 days of binary retention.  Astraweb is now at 1,002 days of retention and growing daily.  As are a number of other top Usenet providers including UseNetServer and Newshosting.  Astraweb made it’s mark a few years ago with their $11 unlimited deal.  While others have matched and even beat the price (best Usenet deals), Astraweb continues to be a favorite among many Usenet fans.  Take advantage of their $11/mo. and $96/yr. unlimited Usenet specials.

As you can see from the image above Astraweb now offers 1,000+ days of binary retention along with 99% completion rate, 20 connections and 256-bit SSL encryption.  With access to news servers in the US and Europe.  While Astraweb DSL accounts (unlimited, uncapped speed) are normally $15 a month they are currently offering a special price of $11 a month or $96 a year for life.  Meaning the price will never increase.  If you’re connection is slower they also offer an unlimited account that caps speed at 5 Mbit/s for $10 a month.

The Usenet Retention Race Is Too Close to Call

We’ve been covering the binary retention race for a long time now.  Long enough to write retention update posts in our sleep.  Early on Giganews was the clear leader.  Now we’re nearing 1,000 days and several top Usenet providers are within 10 days of each other.  Hard to believe that after 2+ years the binary retention race might very well end in a draw.  Bringing Usenet fans the benefit of years of binary newsgroup posts for less than they use to pay for a few weeks of retention.  In fact Newsgroup Reviews visitors can enjoy $10 unlimited Usenet access from leading providers including UseNetServer, Newshosting, NewsDemon and Astraweb.

Earlier today UseNetServer, Newshosting and Easynews announced retention increases.  The number is very notable.  As all three Usenet providers are now at 972 days of binary retention and growing.  Why is the 972 number notable?  Because it’s one day higher than Astraweb who is currently at 971 days.  It is also only 8 days behind Giganews who is at 980 days.  UseNetServer and Newshosting both offer $10 unlimited accounts versus the $25-$35 for Giganews.  Given the difference in price and latest retention updates we expect Newshosting and UseNetServer will be home to a lot of new members in the months to come.

Astraweb 2CO Foreign Transaction Fee

Earlier this month some Astraweb customers noticed an additional credit card charge.  As we understand the situation, Astraweb’s billing provider made a change that is causing some credit card subscribers an additional “foreign transaction fee”.  Astraweb uses 2CO, 2CheckOut.com for billing.  While the billing address was previously listed in Ohio the 2CO change marks Astraweb transactions as originating from Cypress.

Not all Astraweb members are affected by the 2CO billing change.  It appears the issuing bank behind each credit card chooses whether or not to charge the foreign transaction fee.  Also those who choose PayPal payments are not affected.

If you are considering an Astraweb account we still recommend the service.  Especially while the current $11/mo. And $96/yr. unlimited Usenet specials are active.  Astraweb provides quality Usenet service at a great price.  For new sign ups we recommend paying via PayPal to avoid the possibility of extra monthly fees.

For those who are affected by the foreign transaction fees you might consider switching over to PayPal billing.  PayPal also makes it easy to manage subscriptions.  An advantage over credit card purchases for online services like newsgroups.  Regardless of which Usenet provider you use.

If PayPal isn’t an option and you are being charged an extra transaction fee you might consider trying a different credit card from another issuing bank.  Perhaps 2CO could be of assistance.  If that doesn’t  work out you can visit Newsgroup Reviews to compare alternatives.  Hopefully it doesn’t come to that though as Astraweb is a solid choice for Usenet access.

Astraweb Increases Speed on $10 Unlimited Plan

Astraweb recently updated increased speed on their unlimited account.  In the past the $10 Astraweb unlimited plan was capped at 1 Mbit/s.  Now the plan has been boosted to allow up to 5 Mbit/s Usenet downloads.  Astraweb is also offering their unlimited DSL plan (no speed cap) for $11 a month and $96 a year.  Both include 20 connections and free SSL encryption.

We still recommend Astraweb’s unlimited DSL plan as long as the $11 special is running.  Which has been active for a few years now.  For those with slower connections though the $10 unlimited plan with 5 Mbit/s speed cap will save a little more money.

Here’s a quick overview of the Astraweb Unlimied account:
$10/mo. unlimited Usenet access for life!
– Speed capped at 5 Mbps
– 920 days binary retention and growing
– 1,095 days text retention
– 99% completion rate
– 20 connections
– free SSL encryption
– News server farms in the US and Europe

Read our Astraweb review or learn more about the service or sign up for the Astraweb $10 unlimited account.