Usenet and IPRED.

[sajk]

Hello.

Maybe you heard about it maybe you didn't but we (Swedes) got ourselves a new law called IPRED which basiclly means that the media companies can easily find out who is filesharing behind an IPadress from our ISPs.

Being afraid of getting caught i started reading about Usenet and I must say that it seems like a really wonderful way to keep filesharing. People say its a lot more secure than torrents and some people say that you can just as easily get caught with Usenet. Anyway Im really turned into the idea of starting to use Usenet and leave the torrent days behind me but I still got some questions.

I get my internet connection through my college so I guess that my ISP is my school. In order to use the internet connection I had to state my MAC adress to the providers so that the only computers who can access my connection are the computers with my MAC adress (basiclly only my computer I guess?). Will I be able to fileshare through Usenet with this kind of connection and am I more "vulnerable" with this kind of connection considering the IPRED law?

I dont know maybe I'm just paranoid but Im basiclly wondering how safe am I with Usenet. Can I just go ahead and download like I used to or do I maybe get a VPN connection together with Usenet to be more "hidden" or something like that?

PS: Sorry if the spelling is wrong somewhere, like I said Im a swede so English isn't my first language.

[Sonnentier]

Hello sajk,

I do not know the IPRED law but I'm pretty sure you will be safe.
Most usenet providers never disclose any information about you or your downloading habits.

If they also look into traffic, which I do not believe, encryption will help.

[sajk]

Thanks for you answer, I feel a bit more calm now!

But does anyone know if I can be identified more easily considering that I had to state my MAC adress in order to connect to the internet?

[iLOVENZB]

But does anyone know if I can be identified more easily considering that I had to state my MAC adress in order to connect to the internet?

That's no different to your ISP having access to your IP address

[hdjunky]

But does anyone know if I can be identified more easily considering that I had to state my MAC adress in order to connect to the internet?

Your MAC address is only used locally so the server can give you an IP address. Similar to how cable internet works. No big deal.

I wouldnt worry about anything either.

[sajk]

Okay sounds good!

Thanks everyone for your help!

[SonsOfLiberty]

Newsgroups and Newsgroup providers fall under "Common Carrier Law" So go with a US hosted service, via Astraweb or Giganews, don't worry both have EU servers.

A common carrier is a business that transports people, goods, or services and offers its services to the general public under license or authority provided by a regulatory body. A common carrier holds itself out to provide service to the general public without discrimination for the "public convenience and necessity". A common carrier must further demonstrate to the regulator that it is "fit, willing and able" to provide those services for which it is granted authority. Common carriers typically transport persons or goods according to defined and published routes, time schedules and rate tables upon the approval of regulators. Public airlines, railroads, bus lines, cruise ships, motor carriers (i.e., trucking companies) and other freight companies generally operate as common carriers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_carrier

[UsenetGuy]

If you are just going to download then you will be safe. Because of the way usenet works, in that you download from one place (the server) means that the FBI/MPAA/RIAA can't actually see what you are downloading. It's not like torrents where anyone can connect and see what IP addresses are on the torrent. Your ISP could start checking what you are downloading, it is unlikely but if they did then you could just use SSL (offered by most servers). SSL encrypts all traffic between the server and you.

The thing about your ISP knowing your mac address is irrelevant, they just take that to verify who is connecting to the network. Think of it like this, you're in a college where theres 600 people, only 200 of whom are allowed to connect. In order to stop the others you would start accepting connections by mac address, seeing as the mac address on each computer is unique. It's like an identifier. Makes no difference to what you do on the internet though.

[sajk]

Sounds really good! I will definitly start using Usenet with a provider that offers me SSL. I just hope that my ISP won't start snooping around when they see that a lot of traffic is directed to my computer.

Is there someway that I can keep hidden from my ISP aswell, to keep them from seeing that I'm actually downloading anything? But that is maybe too much to ask for

[zot]

I just hope that my ISP won't start snooping around when they see that a lot of traffic is directed to my computer.

If you use an alternate port, then the ISP won't even know you are on usenet.

Is there someway that I can keep hidden from my ISP aswell, to keep them from seeing that I'm actually downloading anything? But that is maybe too much to ask for

You can of course clone someone else's MAC address ... but that's another subject entirely ... and yes, people have gone to jail for doing that