OK....I am a little confused with my ISP newserver

I had Giganews, but had to drop it temporarily because I am switching jobs, but hope to be back on it or another paid news server soon.

So in the meantime, I called my ISP and just asked them if they had news group access. The tech told me yes...but it was basically for OUTLOOK EXPRESS??? I guessed it was just for for just text only??

I asked him if they supported binary newsgroups and he said he did not know, but he told me to go ahead and try to use my news browser (newsleecher) and put in the address he gave me...BUT...this is the wierd part...

To access my ISP news server...I do NOT need a username nor a password!! I was thinking to myself...that it seemed kinda odd that they would just let anyone hook up and use their bandwith. I mean, all you would need is the address and you are on your way. Kinda strange.

So what I am wondering is...HOW exactly can they KNOW who is using the newsgroups through their news server if they do not even have a password and username??

By the way, I did not download anything illegal , but I downloaded some shareware just to see if this address would work with binaries and sure enough...it does! I can use apparently up to 5 connections and get a pretty decent speed!

The thing I wonder....is...WHO exactly is monitoring this and how exactly are they keeping up with who is on their network at any time?

So the real question I am asking is...is this safe to use to get stuff.. like Giganews? Now of course it is NOT nearly as fast as Giganews or newshosting, but I am VERY suprised by the speeds! But....is it safe to use...or is it monitored? I ONLY LEECH! I never upload anything...so should I be OK...even using an ISP free newsgroup provider?

Apparently...they are using "netnews" along with a part of my ISP's address.
I found this: but do NOT know if they are realted to my ISP or not...
http://www.netnews.com/


I DID find this bit of info:
Usually the news servers run by ISP's do not require you to log on using a user name and password because they assign you your IP address (your unique internet location address) and the server automatically accepts only those IPs it recognizes.

Here is the scource:
http://www.opposingdigits.com/forums...ic.php?p=21635


Anyone want to chime in on this??

yeah most isp grant you access to usenet without a username and password

i have rr and their usenet is pretty damn good lateley, 30 day (or so) retention

who is your ISP?

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Originally Posted by upGrayde

yeah most isp grant you access to usenet without a username and password

i have rr and their usenet is pretty damn good lateley, 30 day (or so) retention

who is your ISP?

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Insightbb......I heard they switched to Giganews as a scource of the newsgroups indirectly.

Your ISP is granting you access to its NNTP server or servers by checking your IP address and making sure you are on their network, very simple, no smoke and mirrors ;)

Insight is my ISP too. They suck for Usenet access...

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Are there restrictions for InsightBB newsgroups? (#5053)

You may download three gigabytes (GB) (not Gb - that's gigabits) from InsightBB's NNTP server during a three-day period. "Day one" of a given period is the first day that you do some downloading. Once you reach the 3 GB limit, you won't be able to download any more from the NNTP server until the fourth day. The next three-day period begins on the first day that you actually download something, not on the day immediately following a given three-day period. You can't build up "credits" for unused GB. Examples:
1. On "day one," you don't download anything at all. So, it isn't actually a "day one." However, the next day, you do some downloading; that day is day one for a three-day period.

2. On day one, you download 3 GB. You've "hit the cap," so you won't be able to download again until at least three days later (day four). On day four, you don't download anything, so you don't begin another three-day period. On day five, you do download something, so that becomes your new day one.

3. On day one, you download 1 GB. On day two, you don't download anything at all. So, on day three, you can download up to 2 GB before hitting the cap. Instead, you don't download anything at all on day three; however, you can't carry those unused 2 GB to the next three-day period.

4. On day one, you download 1 GB. On day two, you download 1.5 GB. So, on day three, you can download up to 0.5 GB before hitting the cap. Instead, you download only 0.3 GB on day three; however, you can't carry the unused 0.2 GB to the next three-day period.

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Just not enough for me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Broken

Insight is my ISP too. They suck for Usenet access...

Quote:

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Are there restrictions for InsightBB newsgroups? (#5053)

You may download three gigabytes (GB) (not Gb - that's gigabits) from InsightBB's NNTP server during a three-day period. "Day one" of a given period is the first day that you do some downloading. Once you reach the 3 GB limit, you won't be able to download any more from the NNTP server until the fourth day. The next three-day period begins on the first day that you actually download something, not on the day immediately following a given three-day period. You can't build up "credits" for unused GB. Examples:
1. On "day one," you don't download anything at all. So, it isn't actually a "day one." However, the next day, you do some downloading; that day is day one for a three-day period.

2. On day one, you download 3 GB. You've "hit the cap," so you won't be able to download again until at least three days later (day four). On day four, you don't download anything, so you don't begin another three-day period. On day five, you do download something, so that becomes your new day one.

3. On day one, you download 1 GB. On day two, you don't download anything at all. So, on day three, you can download up to 2 GB before hitting the cap. Instead, you don't download anything at all on day three; however, you can't carry those unused 2 GB to the next three-day period.

4. On day one, you download 1 GB. On day two, you download 1.5 GB. So, on day three, you can download up to 0.5 GB before hitting the cap. Instead, you download only 0.3 GB on day three; however, you can't carry the unused 0.2 GB to the next three-day period.

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Just not enough for me.

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They may suck, but that is all I have for now. But at least I can download a few things without having to use torrents and up everything back!

my isp's free newsserver spies on you(scanned my downloads), so if you're downloading war.ez, or anything illegal at all i wouldn't use your isp's free newsgroup access.

i would rather no newsserver than a crappy one.

just a suggestion, though.

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Originally Posted by MediaSlayer

my isp's free newsserver spies on you(scanned my downloads), so if you're downloading war.ez, or anything illegal at all i wouldn't use your isp's free newsgroup access.

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how exactly do you know they scanned your downloads as you claim. I really have no idea how they would or if its worth theirwhile considering they could just read their nntp server logs and find out what you downloaded.

i was watching the activity at the bottom in the newsreader client. i didn't think to take a screenshot, i was mostly just surprised. whatever it was, it did NOT happen any other time with ANY newsserver except that one which is my local isp's free newsserver. I tried about 15 total. Why would you be surprised if they did, 4play? I don't know about uk politics but here these big name ISPs, some of them I would regard as very dodgy. Unlike a premium news service provider, which you have paid money to use the service, they don't have much incentive to care.

Whether they did or not, the point is, why bother with something so crappy. Premium news service r0xx.