YENC-POWER-POST-A&A, Upload Using Secure SSL Server Connections

Hi ya :)

All credits go to who wrote the tutorial, I ripped it from a site some time ago, and can't find the link...all props to the author! If you have the link, go ahead and post it so I can give proper credit :)

With the entire world going more paranoid, not to mention ISP's jumping on anything that can seem like file sharing
and many/most premium usenet providers now offering SSL encrypted connections I tought it was time to write a simple
guide as to how to enable SSL encyrption when using Yenc PowerPost A&A wich I assume most people use to post to newsgroups.

Software Needed, please have them installed before continuing.

YENC-POWER-POST-A&A

sTunnel



The Guide

This guide is unfortunately only for Windows users, I have no idea about how to do the same thing on a Mac, under Linux,
BSD or other operating systems.


Step 1:
Go to the Stunnel install directory (usualy c:\Program Files\stunnel\) and open the stunnel.conf file in notepad or
whatever other favorite text editor you might use.

In that file look for a line that says:
;client = yes

Remove the ; from the start of that line so it now reads
client = yes

Then add the following lines to the bottom of the file:
[nntp]
accept = 119
connect = address.for.your.ssl.enabled.newsservers:port.number

The accept line indicates what port the Stunnel software should listen for traffic on and this should be 119 as that is the
standard usenet port. Don't worry if you have changed that to something else for whatever reason since this is going on
inside your firewall, just keep it as 119.

The address is exactly what it sounds like, the address you usually connect to when downloading using your download client
and the port number is the port number used for the ssl connection, usualy 563.

So, just for the example, my lines, when using Usenetserver as my provider lookes like this:

[nntp]
accept = 119
connect = secure.usenetserver.com:563

Save the file and close notepad.

Step 2:
Now open PowerPost and under View/Program Settings set the NNTP News server to:
127.0.0.1
This is your own computer, meaning you will basicly connect to yourself (remember the funny t-shirts witht he text
"There is nowhere like 127.0.0.1"?)

Set the port to
119

User Name and Password is the same as you normaly use.

Step 3:
Now, just run Stunnel, it will open with a small icon in the notification area on the bottom right of your screen.
It will try to make internet connections so your firewall might complain, just allow it whatever it wants. If it was
blocked by a firewall when you launched it it will sit and say something about not beeing able to connect to any servers.
Just right click the icon, hit exit and start it again after you have enabled it in your firewall.

Step 4:
Start PowerPost and post as normal.
You are now making a secure encrypted connection to your usenet provider using a SSL tunnel.


That's it, have fun posting with SSL in Powerpost


:D

Mine connects and dissconects.

Any reason why it's doing that?

Hmmm, I cannot deduce why...I set mine using Astraweb just like it says and works fine..

What type of firewall do you use? Did you set it up just like shown?

Also, who's you usenet provider? It could also be related to the number of connections..how many of those are you using?

I'm using Astraweb, I tried 4 connection and less.

I got the same result every time. I did add it to my windows firewall.

Followed everything in the tut.

Is there hope?

I use Comodo firewall, I have no experience with the built in firewall. Try this, disable Windows firewall and try it again...and see if it works, keep posting back I'll try to figure it out, or maybe someone else knows the answer as well :)

Thank you very much!

Paste what STunnel has to say in its log in the channel,maybe that will throw some light on the problem. You can use STunnel for other programs like wrapping your emails into a ssl/tls if the client isn't ssl/tls enabled,mighty fine bit of kit.

Ok, I'm trying to use usenet-news.net SSL service, but I get error, when trying to do so. I entered this to stunnel.conf:

Quote:

---

[nntp]
accept = 119
connect = nntps.eu.Usenet-News.net:563

---

After adding 127.0.0.1 to PowerPost I try to upload files, but I get error:
"441 Posting Failed (SSL Posting not available)"

sTunnel log says:

Quote:

---

2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:628]: nntp accepted connection from 127.0.0.1:3177
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:2508]: nntp accepted connection from 127.0.0.1:3179
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:2512]: nntp accepted connection from 127.0.0.1:3178
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:3156]: nntp accepted connection from 127.0.0.1:3180
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:2508]: nntp connected remote server from xxx.xxx.xxx.xx:3182
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:628]: nntp connected remote server from xxx.xxx.xxx.xx:3181
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:3156]: nntp connected remote server from xxx.xxx.xxx.xx:3184
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:2512]: nntp connected remote server from xxx.xxx.xxx.xx:3183
2009.02.22 11:51:02 LOG3[488:2508]: readsocket: Connection reset by peer (WSAECONNRESET) (10054)
2009.02.22 11:51:02 LOG5[488:2508]: Connection reset: 396773 bytes sent to SSL, 201 bytes sent to socket
2009.02.22 11:51:02 LOG3[488:3156]: readsocket: Connection reset by peer (WSAECONNRESET) (10054)
2009.02.22 11:51:02 LOG5[488:3156]: Connection reset: 396710 bytes sent to SSL, 201 bytes sent to socket
2009.02.22 11:51:03 LOG3[488:2512]: readsocket: Connection reset by peer (WSAECONNRESET) (10054)
2009.02.22 11:51:03 LOG5[488:2512]: Connection reset: 396636 bytes sent to SSL, 201 bytes sent to socket
2009.02.22 11:51:03 LOG3[488:628]: readsocket: Connection reset by peer (WSAECONNRESET) (10054)
2009.02.22 11:51:03 LOG5[488:628]: Connection reset: 396810 bytes sent to SSL, 201 bytes sent to socket

---

xxx.xxx.xxx.xx - is my static IP....

Anyone knows how to solve this?

Does you news server allow SSL postings? Double check and makes sure that is you usenet providers SSL server, Astraweb has 2 one for normall connections and one for SSL...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by iStix

Ok, I'm trying to use usenet-news.net SSL service, but I get error, when trying to do so. I entered this to stunnel.conf:


After adding 127.0.0.1 to PowerPost I try to upload files, but I get error:
"441 Posting Failed (SSL Posting not available)"

sTunnel log says:

Quote:

---

2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:628]: nntp accepted connection from 127.0.0.1:3177
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:2508]: nntp accepted connection from 127.0.0.1:3179
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:2512]: nntp accepted connection from 127.0.0.1:3178
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:3156]: nntp accepted connection from 127.0.0.1:3180
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:2508]: nntp connected remote server from xxx.xxx.xxx.xx:3182
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:628]: nntp connected remote server from xxx.xxx.xxx.xx:3181
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:3156]: nntp connected remote server from xxx.xxx.xxx.xx:3184
2009.02.22 11:50:59 LOG5[488:2512]: nntp connected remote server from xxx.xxx.xxx.xx:3183
2009.02.22 11:51:02 LOG3[488:2508]: readsocket: Connection reset by peer (WSAECONNRESET) (10054)
2009.02.22 11:51:02 LOG5[488:2508]: Connection reset: 396773 bytes sent to SSL, 201 bytes sent to socket
2009.02.22 11:51:02 LOG3[488:3156]: readsocket: Connection reset by peer (WSAECONNRESET) (10054)
2009.02.22 11:51:02 LOG5[488:3156]: Connection reset: 396710 bytes sent to SSL, 201 bytes sent to socket
2009.02.22 11:51:03 LOG3[488:2512]: readsocket: Connection reset by peer (WSAECONNRESET) (10054)
2009.02.22 11:51:03 LOG5[488:2512]: Connection reset: 396636 bytes sent to SSL, 201 bytes sent to socket
2009.02.22 11:51:03 LOG3[488:628]: readsocket: Connection reset by peer (WSAECONNRESET) (10054)
2009.02.22 11:51:03 LOG5[488:628]: Connection reset: 396810 bytes sent to SSL, 201 bytes sent to socket

---

xxx.xxx.xxx.xx - is my static IP....

Anyone knows how to solve this?

---

I get the same exact log... I'm on the unlimited 11$ astraweb plan. I checked my windows firewall and stunnel is allowed.

I have no idea why this is not working.