I am very very confused...

[DontCare]

So can I used newsgroups for free or not? If so, how? Can I get the really good stuff without paying?

[thedude0]

No, you can't get good stuff without paying. Free servers are crap.

[mesaman]

I get good stuff from Usenet and don't pay, and I'm not going to write a long essay here about what I've learned over the years.

[Athlon64]

If your not going to help why did you even waste you time posting!?


As to DontCare question: If your ISP provides access to usenet with decent retention you might have a chance. Who is your ISP provider?

[pierow]

Dontcare I guess everyone ran you off the invite boards for being an ass, so now you need a new place to troll.

[Porkape]

I have used AT&T's (now Comcast) and Charter Communications' free NNTP servers for a while and they were both excellent and reliable, with retention and decent speed. Although, Charter only allows 2 connections per IP and now only allows 20 days or so of retention since they switched News Service Providers last year. I am still on Charter's free service but I can't use my connection to its fullest capacity I also use a payserver whose retention can be upto 60 days for certain popular groups, I have an unlimited download account for which I pay monthly and over 16 connections per IP costing me only $15.00.

Unless you already have a good ISP with a reputable NNTP you can possible get away with not paying for premium, I was lucky for a while but its usually frustating when you can't fully take advantage of the system/setup.

[bsgjunkie]

Since Mesa doesn't want to write an essay, I did:

http://www.cdwmobile.com/blog/2006/12/14/newsgroup-beginners-guide-no-longer-a-reason-to-be-scared/ (http://www.cdfreaks.com/software/Diagnostic_-Utility/Slysoft/AnyDVD/)

Its not just about free usenet - its a newbies guide but check the providers portion, it gives you some options and links.

The quick answer is, free and usenet don't mix too well. You can do it, but you have to be willing to constantly change servers or deal with slow speeds. There are A LOT of good cheap alternatives. One of my favorites is usenetservers, which lets you pay for 3 days at a time - 3 bucks for 3 days. Its not the best deal if you want to use a lot every month, but if you just want to grab a few movies or programs every once and a while, its a great option.

Junkie

[DontCare]

Whoa..

[Alien5]

If your not going to help why did you even waste you time posting!?


As to DontCare question: If your ISP provides access to usenet with decent retention you might have a chance. Who is your ISP provider? im using BT ( uk company) can i get free usenet access?

[Porkape]

im using BT ( uk company) can i get free usenet access?

Try news.btinternet.com without a login/pass. Make sure port 119 is clear if it still doesn't work look up on BT's site or contact support.

[Alien5]

what check if i can get it with outlook express first?

[Porkape]

what check if i can get it with outlook express first?

Sure or a similar program, just plug in that address without any login info and try to get newsgroup list and see if it has groups starting with "alt.binaries...". If it does then you should be able to get files from BT's NNTP if not you will only have access to text groups, most of which are available online for free anyway i.e. Google/Yahoo groups. I haven't used Outlook for newsgroups in years and the interface was awful. I switched to Forte Agent and tried a few others in between now I use Newsleecher which is one of the best out there both of those are shareware hence a trial period. For free programs try NZB 'o' Matic or Grabit.