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Thread: Noob's guide to usenet

  1. #1
    Rart's Avatar Hold The Line
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    I think the number one problem with usenet at the moment is that it seems far too daunting for new users. Even with guides, the massive amount of terminology and programs are a lot to take in, even for someone experienced in filesharing. I'll try to keep this guide as short and to the point as possible, so hopefully even a complete idiot can understand it

    The three things you need to start using Newsgroups:

    Newsgroup Provider
    Client
    Indexer

    Newsgroup Provider:
    Essentially a massive collection of servers that automagically download everything uploaded to usenet, and then allow you to download it from them. Three things to look for:
    Retention: How long the files are kept the servers.
    Connections: How many threads you can download from simultaneously. Usually 10 is good enough to max a home connection.
    SSL/TLS: Whether they allow you to use an encrypted connection or not.

    Some examples:
    Astraweb, Frugal Usenet, Usenet.farm, etc.

    Client:
    Simply a program that provides a GUI and connects to the server so you can download your desired file from it. When you DL a file, it will come in RAR and PAR archives. RAR archives contain the files you want, and if they are incomplete (servers store 100(1000?)s of terabytes every day, somtimes they screw up), the PAR archives are used to repair them. The great thing about these programs is that they will automatically repair the files if need be, automatically extract them for you, and then delete the archives. Pretty neat, huh?

    Most of the settings for different clients, so for the sake of brevity I'll let you play around with them. Some things to pay attention to would be the maximum download speed, and where you wish to have the files extracted to.

    Finally, the most important thing is setting up your client to connect to a server (namely your provider). You will need to obtain the server address and the username and password that your newsgroup provider gives you. You will also want to specify a different port number if you wish to DL from SSL. Finally, you can specify the number of connections you want to use.

    Some examples of clients:
    SABnzbd, NZBGet, Grabit, Alt.binz, Newsbin

    I personally recommend SABnzbd, it is very lightweight and free as well.

    Indexer:
    This is just where NZB files are indexed. The indexer just helps you find files, and technically you don't really need one, but to not use one is far more complicated and technical. There are two main types of indexers:

    Auto Indexed
    Sites such as NZBindex, Binsearch, and Supersearch are auto indexers. This means it automatically indexes everything posted on usenet, including the spam. Similar to public torrent sites, while the selection is far more extensive, there are always the spam, fake and dupe posts that you must watch out for.

    User Indexed
    Sites such as FST, NZBs.org, DOGnzb and nzb.su are user indexed. That means that actual users hand pick the NZB files that are verfied and legit, and index them on the site. Similar to private torrent sites, you can be assured the validity of the files. However, indexers are human and won't index everything, so you can't be assured the breadth and variety you would see on auto indexer.

    Here is a collection of indexing sites: https://filesharingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=481416

    NZB files
    These are handy little files that have made it far easier to download from usenet. I'm not exactly sure of the technical aspects, but rest assured they have made usenet a far more user friendly experience. When you download from an indexing site, it'll create a .nzb file that will direct the client to the correct files, similar to a .torrent file. Just download the file, open it in you client, and voila! Your set and your client will begin downloading, easy as pie.

    And now you're good to go! You know everything you need to know to start using usenet.
    Last edited by anon; 05-07-2024 at 12:51 AM. Reason: Minor fixes

  2. Newsgroups   -   #2
    Skiz's Avatar (_8(I)
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    I didn't read it from start to finish but it looks good. Well done.

    Stick it.


    yo

  3. Newsgroups   -   #3
    TrackerDaddy's Avatar The Chief BT Rep: +25BT Rep +25BT Rep +25BT Rep +25BT Rep +25
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    Certainly well done
    **********

  4. Newsgroups   -   #4
    MultiForce's Avatar Poster
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    That's a nice little guide that should give ppl a fast start.

  5. Newsgroups   -   #5
    tesco's Avatar woowoo
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    Very well written, explains all the basics.
    Wish I had something like this when I first started with usenet.

  6. Newsgroups   -   #6
    Cabalo's Avatar FileSharingTalker BT Rep: +24BT Rep +24BT Rep +24BT Rep +24BT Rep +24
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    As an (again) newsgroups newbie, I must say this guide perfectly and clearly explains all the basics.
    Good job.

  7. Newsgroups   -   #7
    bonkers's Avatar forever learning
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    thats a very good easy to follow guide i could of used that when i first started 3 years ago would of saved a lot of time googleing everything i wanted to know seems to be there
    Last edited by bonkers; 01-22-2010 at 07:27 PM.

  8. Newsgroups   -   #8
    graywolf's Avatar The Anime Addict
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    Thank you. It cleared many of my doubts regarding usenet.

  9. Newsgroups   -   #9
    In the early days I used newsgroups but I've never tried usenet - always felt kind of intimidated. This into has helped and I might try to give it a shot. Hopefully it won't be overwhelming - I understand that there's literally tons of stuff. Maybe that's why i feel intimidated - how to sort through it all to find what you're looking for. Any suggestions on that? Thanks....

  10. Newsgroups   -   #10
    Radiculous
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    Thank you so much for clearing some thoughts I have on using newsgroups, It has indeed been quite intimidating for me especially all those headers. haha i just get so confused. this has shed some light on the subject matter. Thanks Rart

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