How to Usenet Archives - Newsgroup Reviews Blog

February 23, 2012 by NGR

The primary goal of NGR is to provide comprehensive Usenet coverage. Including all of the active Usenet providers, newsreader clients and search sites. Yet we understand that some of you don’t want to take the time to read several reviews and consider all the options. You’d rather be up and running on Usenet asap. If you fall into that category then this Usenet quick start guide is written for you. We’ll focus on Newshosting since they offer an excellent Usenet client and unlimited Usenet to our readers for just $9.99 a month or $99 a year.

First we’d like to give you some background on the Newshosting service and their popular newsreader client. Newshosting is a leading Usenet provider and offers everything you would expect and then some. From high retention and completion to 256-bit SSL, news servers in the U.S and Europe, free newsreader with built-in Usenet search, uncapped speeds and unlimited Usenet access. Their Usenet client supports Windows, Mac and Linux. The software takes care of everything. Search for content, preview, download, repair and extract.

Step 1 – Sign Up for Newshosting’s Unlimited Usenet Plan

Joining Newshosting is simple. New members save up to 44% off their unlimited plan. With unlimited Usenet downloads for just $9.99/mo. or $99 a year. The discount in recurring so enjoy the savings for the life of your account. To learn more and to sign up visit their Newshosting NGR special page. The registration process is simple. Just enter your name, email address, desired username, password and payment information. Newshosting offers PayPal and credit card payment options. Shortly after signing up you’ll receive an email with everything you need including a link to the Newshosting client download.

Step 2 – Download and Install the Newshosting Usenet Client

By now you’ve received your welcome email from Newshosting. In it you’ll find everything you need to get started. Including a link to download their Usenet client. For future reference you can also log into the Newshosting.com site anytime and access the client download page from within the control panel.

Once you’re on the Newshosting client page simply click on the radio button for the version you’d like to download – Windows, Mac or Linux. If you have more than one machine Newshosting will let you use the client free on multiple computers and operating systems. As long as you only connect from one system at any given time. So those with Windows and Mac systems for example can try out the client on both.

There isn’t really anything to go over in terms of the install. You’ll download the software based on operating system and then run the file to install the Newshosting client. The only thing you’ll need handy is your username and password. Which you can have the client save for future launches if you’d like.

Step 3 – Configuring the Newshosting Usenet Client

If you’re in a big hurry to download something have at it. The Newshosting client is pre-configured and ready to go. In addition to the default settings here are a few additional tweaks that we enjoy and find helpful. To access the Newshosting client settings open the software and click on Options and then Settings. From there you’ll see several options with associated images to the left of the screen.

Tip #1 : Enable SSL – if you would like to enable 256-bit SSL for all your Newshosting connections just click on the Connection icon and check the “Prefer SSL connections if available” box. For the SSL port we recommend port 443 since in some cases it will help protect against ISP throttling. If you want to protect your online privacy beyond just Usenet connections then we suggest you consider a VPN service.

Tip #2 : Search Providers – Newshosting includes a built-in Usenet search engine. You can search across their entire span of retention and newsgroups for content. Along with the native Newshosting search they also include Binsearch.info as a search option. Choosing between the two is very simple. When doing a search you’ll see a magnifying glass icon to the left. Click on it and you can choose between Newshosting and Binsearch.info. Both work well and you can switch between them anytime.

Tip #3 : Download Folder – you can easily change the folder structure where Newshosting will save downloads. To do so click on the Downloads icon. Here you can set the main download folder along with preferences for subfolders. Helping you sort content by newsgroup and/or date.

Tip #4 : PAR2 Repairs and UnRAR – the Newshosting client can take care of repairing partial or damaged files. Along with extracting the resulting contents. You can control how Newshosting handles both the PAR2 repairs and UnRAR actions from the Downloads tab in the settings area.

Tip #5 : SafeSearch Feature – Newshosting doesn’t filter search results by default. Meaning you might run across some adult content when searching newsgroups. If you would like to reduce the amount of adult content in search results then enable the SafeSearch feature. Those who want their Usenet experience to remain uncensored can simply skip this step.

How’s that for a quick start for Usenet. Within a few minutes you’ll be downloading from newsgroups like a pro. If a friend mentioned needing additional software, newsreader, WinRar, QuickPar, etc. you can skip all of that. Along with finding a good NZB search site. The Newshosting client takes care of everything. You can go back to step 1 to get started or visit our Newshosting NGR special page and then come back for the quick setup tips.

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

Usenet Made Simple : Guide to Easy Usenet Access

September 16, 2011 by NGR

Who says Usenet has to be difficult to access? Granted, back in the day it took some technical know how. Now a days though Usenet is simple to use. With a few leading Usenet providers making it easier than ever to access newsgroups. Whether you want to browse Usenet via web browser or newsreader software they have you covered. Without the need to find a provider, Usenet client, NZB search engine and newsgroup utilities. Because services like Newshosting, Easynews and Binverse take care of it all for you.

Josh, an NGR regular suggested we start including some ‘fine tail’ with our blog posts. Here you go Josh! Not quite what you had in mind? We’ll see what we can do…in the meantime browse Usenet.

Not too long ago this guide would have included sections on Usenet providers, newsreaders, Usenet search engines and helpful tools. All of these are still available. With some excellent options to choose from. However, those new to Usenet or who would rather save the time and energy can use an all-in-one Usenet service to handle searching, previewing, streaming, downloading, repairing and extracting files.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet. Compare all the providers, newsreaders, NZB sites and utilities. With helpful guides for setting up third-party newsreaders. This guide is meant to skip all of that. Without further delay here are some great options to quickly and easily access Usenet.

#1 Newshosting : Newsgroup Client + Usenet Search

Newshosting recently launched their own newsreader. New members can download and install the free client for Windows, Mac or Linux. The Newshosting client has everything you need to easily access newsgroups. Starting with a selection of built-in Usenet search engines (Newshosting, Binsearch.info, Nzbindex.nl and Nfonews.com). Once you find the desired Usenet content the Newshosting newsreader makes it simple to preview and download. No need for additional file utilities as the Newshosting client will repair (if necessary) and extract the resulting files.

Newshosting is the best all-in-one Usenet solution. We prefer their newsgroup client over several more expensive alternatives. Plus the Newshosting client comes pre-configured. With Newshosting you can enjoy unlimited Usenet downloads, the Newshosting client, free SSL and high-speed access to servers in the US and Europe for $9.99 a month or $99 a year.

#2 Easynews : Web Interface + Usenet Search

There is no other Usenet provider to compare to Easynews. They were the first service to offer web Usenet access and continue to offer the only full-featured web interface. Members simply visit the Easynews site, sign in and enjoy the advantages of Usenet. Search for content, preview, stream audio and video files, queue downloads and much more. Try Easynews for yourself to see how simple it is to use. Enjoy a 14 day free trial which is plenty of time to test the web interface.

Easynews web access plans range from $9.98 to $29.94 a month based on how much you want to download. The Big Gig account is a nice value because it includes unlimited NNTP access on top of 150 GB of web downloads. For those interested in NNTP access (non-web downloads, use a newsreader) Easynews offers an excellent value at $9.95 a month for unlimited NNTP downloads.

#3 Binverse : Newsgroup Client + Usenet Search

Binverse is another good all-in-one Usenet provider that offers a nice Usenet client. The Binverse newsreader allows you to easily search for content, preview and download from Usenet. All without having to configure a third-party client. With additional features to automatically repair and extract downloads. The service is quite a bit more expensice than Newshosting though. Running $29.98 a month for unlimited Usenet. They also offer 35 GB a month for $13.98 and term discounts.

We have tested the Binverse Usenet client on both Windows and Mac. Both versions work quite well. They include access to multiple Usenet search engines in the newsreader (Bintube, Binsearch, Newzleech, NZBMatrix). New members have the opportunity to try the service for free. Give Binverse a free test drive with their 3 day, 60 GB free trial.

We find Newshosting, Easynews and Binverse the easiest all-in-one Usenet services. In addition there are a few other services including NewsDemon, ThunderNews, NewsgroupDirect, Unliminews, Giganews and Bintube that offer all-in-one or free third-party newsgroup readers with their service. NewsDemon and Newsgroupdirect also provide free online storage. Visit our Usenet providers section to learn more about any of these services and to save on unlimited Usenet access.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet. Including hands-on reviews of leading providers, guides, free trials and special offers. Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest Usenet news.

Usenet Quick Start Guide