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Newshosting Usenet Client v1.1.0 Released

October 19, 2011 By

Earlier today Newshosting released a new version of their free newsreader.  Version 1.1.0 of the popular Usenet client includes some nice features.  For those who haven’t tried the reader Newshosting is offering a 14 day free trial.  Better yet our visitors can take advantage of the NH Unlimited special and enjoy unlimited Usenet with SSL encryption and free access to the Newshosting v1.1.0 client for just $9.99 a month or $99 a year.

We’ve had several users email us bragging about how much they like the Newshosting client.  So the v1.1.0 update should only enhance the experience.  For example versioin 1.1.0 introduces a feature called SafeSearch.  Enabling SafeSearch allows you to filter adult content across file groups, image listings and search results.  You can easily enable the SafeSearch feature from within the browser’s settings.

Newshosting Client v1.1.0 – New Features

  • SafeSearch – help filter out adult content (for all you horndogs the SafeSearch feature is optional)
  • Download folders – dates and/or newsgroup subfolders are now created in the download folder.  Also configurable.
  • Minimize-to-tray option

In addition to the v1.1.0 features here are some more highlights of the Newshosting client:

  • Client comes preconfigured
  • Quick file search
  • File preview + automatic thumbnails – very cool feature!
  • Sort groups by file type (image, audio, video, etc)
  • Text and binary newsgroup support
  • Post to text groups directly
  • Auto-unrar and auto-par – no need for WinRAR or QuickPAR

Read our Newshosting newsreader review to learn more about the client.  Existing members can update to version 1.1.0 from within the client or download a new copy from the Newshosting control panel.  While new subscribers can save up to 44% through one of our Newshosting specials.

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

Filed Under: Newshosting, Newshosting Client, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,

Ngroups VPN Hands-On Review

October 17, 2011 By

Last week we wrote about Ngroups releasing a new VPN service and including it free with unlimited Usenet plans.  With VPN access ranging from 50 GB a month for ‘Unlimited Eco’ members to unlimited VPN for ‘Unlimited Extra’ subscribers.  Since then we’ve had a chance to test the service for ourselves and will be sharing our impressions.  Note: NGR visitors can enjoy Unlimited Eco accounts for just $9.99 a month.

Ngroups VPN Review

Ngroups ‘Unlimited Eco’ and ‘Unlimited Extra’ members already enjoy unlimited online storage from Livedrive.  Now they can also take advantage of Ngroups new VPN offering which is provided by ItsVPN.  Ngroups unlimited subscribers can connect to VPN servers in the U. S. or Europe via PPTP protocol.  Those interested in more locations can consider the additional plan options from ItsVPN or compare VPN services.

The first thing we noticed when testing Ngroups VPN is the easy integration of their systems.  There is no need to setup a different account.  Simply use your Ngroups username and password to connect to either VPN server.

Ngroups VPN Server Addresses:

  • United States – vpn.us.Ngroups.NET
  • Europe – vpn.eu.Ngroups.NET

Ngroups VPN Protocols:

Since Ngroups is offering PPTP connections their VPN is a breeze to setup.  They include a link to instructions inside the account control panel.  With tutorials for Windows 7, Vista and XP.  Along with Mac OS X and Linux (Ubuntu).  While PPTP isn’t quite as secure as other protocols like OpenVPN, it is compatible with a wide variety of devices.  Including iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android.  Ngroups includes those setup guides as well.

Ngroups VPN Speed Test:

  • As you can see below we ran a speed test before connecting to Ngroups VPN.  With a download speed of 43.41 Mb/s and upload of 3.17 Mb/s.  After connecting to the U. S. Ngroups VPN server we retested.  The download speed was 9.21 Mb/s and upload was 3.01 Mb/s.  We’ve seen faster and slower.  You can compare the results to other providers in the VPN speed test section of VPNSP.  You can expect some slow down from any VPN as it encrypts the traffic.  The Ngroups VPN performed well enough to stream Netflix.

  • We also tested a connection to their European VPN server.  Understanding that the distance will definitely reduce performance.  The results were 2.44 Mb/s download and 2.85 Mb/s upstream.  As expected the ping times were pretty high as well.  If you’re in Europe and test the service please let us know you’re results.  We would guess the performance is acceptable given our experience with testing the U. S. VPN server.

Ngroups VPN vs. Giganews VPN:

  • Since Giganews released their VyprVPN service, Ngroups is the first major Usenet service to respond with their own offering.  So I guess it’s only fair to compare the two offerings.
  • Ngroups VPN offers PPTP connections with servers in the United States and Europe along with unlimited Usenet and online storage for $9.99 a month (NGR Deal).
  • Giganews VPN offers PPTP and L2TP/IPSec connections with servers in the U. S., U. K., France, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.  Along with unlimited Usenet for $34.99 a month.

Ngroups VPN Review – Conclusion:

We enjoyed testing the Ngroups VPN service.  The performance was fast enough to stream Netflix in the U. S.  We’ve tested several VPN services and Ngroups (ItsVPN) would rank somewhere in the middle.  Which is pretty darn good considering they are offering it free to unlimited Usenet members.  We look forward to keeping an eye on Ngroups Usenet + online storage + VPN services.  Those who would like to join can save 10%.

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

Filed Under: Ngroups, Personal VPN, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

BlockNews 100 GB for $8.99 Block Special

October 13, 2011 By

BlockNews is currently offering new and existing members a special discount on 100 GB Usenet blocks.  Instead of the normal price of $14.69 you can snag the 100 GB block for just $8.99.  The discount is limited to the first 1,150 accounts purchased as Blocknews is celebrating 1,150 days of binary retention.  Those interested in the deal will want to sign up via their special page.  Members can look inside the account center.

At $8.99 it’s hard to beat the BlockNews 100 GB deal.  As it works out to just under 9 cents a gig.  The monthly Terabyte Tuesday special from NewsgroupDirect is the only block promotion we’ve seen for less.  As they offer 1 TB blocks for $50.  Which works out to just 5 cents a gig.  The BlockNews special is on a smaller block though so you don’t have to tie up $50.  Enjoy 1,150 days of binaries, free SSL and 50 connections.

For those new to block Usenet access always make sure you look to see if the provider sets an expiration date on the block.  In the case of BlockNews they don’t.  All Blocknews accounts are non-expiring.  Meaning you can keep the unused gigs as long as you’d like.  Most block providers offer non-expiring accounts now but still look closely.  As some get confused between metered monthly accounts and non-expiring blocks.

If you enjoy Blocknews and would like an unlimited account the same team operates UseNetNow.  Which kindly offers NGR visitors unlimited Usenet access with 1,150 days of binary retention, free SSL encryption, 50 connections and US / EU news servers for just $10.39 a month.  You can read our UseNetNow review to learn more about the service or visit DSLR and see how much their members appreciate their efforts.

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

Filed Under: BlockNews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,

Ngroups Adds Free VPN Service

October 12, 2011 By

Earlier today Ngroups announced the addition of free VPN access for their unlimited Usenet members.  Now in addition to unlimited online storage users can also enjoy online privacy.  Personal VPN services like the one being offered by Ngroups help protect users privacy.  In addition to securing public WiFi connections and unblocking content from abroad.  Ngroups offers 50 GB or unlimited VPN based on your Usenet plan.

According to the announcement members can connect to VPN servers in either the US or Europe.  In the near future we will bring you more details on the VPN offering along with a review.  In the meantime NGR visitors can enjoy unlimited Usenet access + online storage and 50 GB of VPN access for just $9.99 a month.

Here’s a summary of Ngroups new VPN offering emailed to us earlier today:

As part of our commitment to excellence, we have updated our service offerings for the Usenet newsgroup services at our Ngroups.NET web site.

We are now offering:

FREE VPN service, included for users having an Unlimited Ngroups.NET Usenet account.

The VPN service offers servers in two locations, US or Europe.

  • “Unlimited Eco” account users are limited to 5Mbps speed and 50GB/month transfer via the VPN servers. (But off course still no limit in Usenet downloads by normal means, direct nntp or nntps not via the VPN.)
  •  ”Unlimited Extra” users have no limit in speed or transfer via the VPN servers.

The VPN servers are of course available for use with ANY service, normal web browsing, VOIP, Web TV services, etc.

(The only exception is outgoing E-mail – to prevent spammers from using the service to send bulk emails.)

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

Filed Under: Ngroups, Personal VPN, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

Newshosting Usenet Client Free For All Members

September 29, 2011 By

Newshosting is now ready to roll out their free Usenet client to all NH members.  After a month or so of beta testing the Newshosting team announced earlier this week that the newsreader is available to all subscribers.  If you’ve been waiting to try the new client then now is the perfect time.  We enjoy the features and think you all as well.  New members can sign up for our Newshosting unlimited special – $9.99/mo. or $99/yr.

Current Newshosting members can log into the control panel and download the client directly from there.  With Windows, Mac and Linux versions available.  All three versions of the newsreader are free for members.  With features like Usenet search, auto-PAR, auto-unRAR and video previews the client is one of the best around.

We would encourage those seeking Usenet access to seriously consider Newhosting.  You can visit Newsgroup Reviews to compare all the Usenet providers and learn more about newsgroups.  You’ll find that Newshosting (along with a handful of other services) are leading the industry in value.  Meaning the best features and reliable Usenet access for the cost.  With the newly released client, Newshosting is poised to kick some ass.  Other popular services like UseNetServer and Astraweb should watch out as Newshosting is quickly gaining ground.  Want to the try the new client free for 14 days?  Sign up for their two week free trial.

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Here the official press release from Newshosting:

Newshosting Announces Release of Newshosting Usenet Client

ASHBURN, Va., Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Newshosting, the recognized leader in Usenet newsgroup access, today announced the first official release of the Newshosting Usenet Client. It is immediately available in the Newshosting Control Panel, for both current and new customers, at no additional charge. Versions are available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

The Newshosting Usenet Client allows users to search, browse and preview Usenet content with unprecedented ease. Many Usenet clients require a complicated configuration process. With the Newshosting Usenet Client, there is nothing to configure, just a simple login.

Searching has never been easier. Keyword searches with instant results over the entire depth of Newshosting’s 1131 day retention allow you to access thousands of files you may have missed with other Usenet clients. Organizing search results has been simplified with filters to sort by file-type. Video and image thumbnails allow you to preview files before downloading.

The client includes several more features such as: Auto-Repair, Auto-Unpack and Automatic Updates. Auto-Repair checks and repairs all downloads before the complete, which means no more broken downloads. Auto-Unpack will unpack, or unzip, files to your downloads folder automatically.

In just two years, Newshosting has seen retention rates increase from 250 days to 1131 days. Technical and infrastructure enhancements, including recent storage and network upgrades to its North American and European NNTP server farms, have allowed Newshosting to support and spool up to a full 1131 days binary retention and offer over 2 years text retention with 99%+ article completion and lightning-fast, secure first class Usenet access.

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Newshosting NGR special marks their lowest price ever.  With Newshoting offering unlimited Usenet access + newsreader for $9.99 a month or $99 a year.  Expect the best from Newshosting.  From unlimited Usenet downloads and uncapped speeds, Newshosting Usenet client, 99% completion, 256-bit SSL and server farms in the US and Europe.  All for just $9.99 a month or $99 a year for our visitors.  Visit our NGR Newshosting special and start downloading in minutes!

Filed Under: Newshosting, Newshosting Client, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

Supernews Outage : Why Did Supernews Go Down?

September 26, 2011 By

The Supernews site and news servers were inaccessible today.  We’re now able to connect but some may still be having issues.  It appears the outage was related to a DNS issue.  Though we’re not certain as unfortunately Supernews doesn’t update their site with status updates after problems.  This is the second reported site outage for Supernews in the past few months.  In May all the Giganews services were down for a short time.

Not to knock Supernews as the service is typically reliable.  We prefer some other Usenet providers (UseNetServer, Newshosting, Astraweb, Easynews, NewsDemon) but regardless I don’t think Supernews subscribers should panic or seek alternatives based on this incident.  As quite frankly shit happens.  We would just appreciate more communication on the part of Supernews so that members can understand the reasons behind the issues.  For now if you’re still having trouble we have some advice.

You can sidestep DNS issues (assuming the problem is DNS related) by connecting to Supernews (or any other site with DNS problems) by using the IP address.  In this case the IP address for Supernews news server is 216.168.3.30.  In other words replace news.supernews.com in your newsreader with 216.168.3.30

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet.  Including Usenet providers reviews, newsreader downloads, guides, free trials and special offers.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest Usenet news.

Filed Under: Supernews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

MaximumUsenet $9.99 Unlimited Usenet Special

September 26, 2011 By

Thanks to the MaximumUsenet team for offering NGR visitors unlimited Usenet access for $9.99 a month.  A savings of $5 a month off the normal $14.99 price.  Along with reliable newsgroup downloads, MaximumUsenet boasts high binary retention, 256-bit SSL, 50 connections and a free copy of News Rover newsreader.  Visit our MaximumUsenet $9.99 special page to learn more about the service and their unlimited Usenet promotion.

MaximumUsenet doesn’t have the name recognition of some larger companies but the quality of service is on par with other leading Usenet services.  You can expect fast, reliable newsgroup access.  With uncensored, uncapped Usenet downloads.  The $9.99 promotion makes MaximumUsenet an even better value.

Let’s take a look at some of MaximumUsenet’s newsgroup service features:

  • Unlimited downloads for $9.99 a month
  • 1,134 days of binary retention
  • 1,400 days of text retention
  • Access to 100,000+ newsgroups
  • Completion rate over 99%
  • 256-bit SSL encryption
  • Up to 50 connections
  • US and EU news servers
  • 24/7 technical support

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet.  Including Usenet providers reviews, newsreader downloads, guides, free trials and special offers.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest Usenet news.

Filed Under: MaximumUsenet, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

NGD Weekend Sale – Save 35% Off Blocks

September 24, 2011 By

NewsgroupDirect is offering a weekend sale on block Usenet accounts.  This weekend you can save 35% off all block plans.  Ranging from 25 GB up to 1,000 GB of newsgroup downloads.  As with all NGD block accounts, the discounted plans are non-expiring blocks.  So enjoy the block for as long as it takes to use up.  To sign up simply visit NewsgroupDirect and click on the ‘Pricing’ page.  The 35% discount will be shown on all blocks.

Here’s a recap of the discounted pricing:

  • 25 GB block – $5.20 – (save $2.80)
  • 50 GB block – $7.80 – (save $4.20)
  • 100 GB block – $13.00 – (save $7.00)
  • 250 GB block – $20.80 – (save $11.20)
  • 500 GB block – $39.00 – (save $21.00)
  • 1000 GB block – $65.00 – (save $35.00)

The NGD weekend sale is a good opportunity to pick up a block Usenet plan.  Even for heavy users a block account in combination with a good unlimited Usenet plan is perfect for a backup and fills.  Don’t forget to sign up before noon on Monday to take advantage of the 35% savings.  In addition you can save 20% off unlimited Usenet access using our NGD coupon code.  Visit NGD by noon on Monday to save 35% off any block plan.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet.  Including Usenet providers reviews, newsreader downloads, guides, free trials and special offers.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest Usenet news.

Filed Under: NewsgroupDirect, Usenet Providers Tagged With:

Easynews Passes 3 Years of Binary Retention

September 23, 2011 By

The Easynews team continues to innovate their popular Usenet service.  Along with continuously improving the web interface, Easynews also continues to increase NNTP binary retention.  The latest update brings Easynews NNTP binary retention to 1,130 days.  Surpassing three years of binaries!  For NNTP users Easynews is offering a $9.95 unlimited Usenet account.  The $9.95 account also includes a 10 GB / 14 day free web trial.  A perfect chance for Usenet fans to test the latest web interface features.

With the latest retention update Easynews is holding strong with other leading Usenet providers like UseNetServer and Newshosting.  Which also support 1,130+ days of binaries.  Each is continuing to grow retention daily.  The difference is that Easynews offers something that the other major providers can’t compete with – web Usenet access.  Allowing members to use their favorite web browser to search newsgroups, preview, stream audio / video files and download content.  All without using a newsreader.  While Usenet veterans also have access to 1,130 days of NNTP binary retention through their favorite newsgroup client.

Interested in Easynews?  Sign up for the $9.95 unlimited special and receive 10 GB of free web access to test the web interface. Easynews offers NNTP server farms in the US and Europe for maximum throughput.  For those unfamiliar with NNTP it just means you need a newsreader to download.  We wrote a getting started Easynews tutorial recently if you’d like some suggestions for getting started.  Easynews also offers excellent tech support so feel free to contact them 24/7 with any questions.  If you have an iPhone / iPad check out EZ Global Search for mobile Easynews access.  Android users can consider EZ Usenet and EasyBrowser.

Filed Under: Easynews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,
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