Usenetserver - So Many "Article Not Found"

[krowten]

Holy Crapola, I can't believe how difficult it is to download something at Usenetserver. As a test, I attempted to see if they had Battlefield Bad Company II. The first 11 posts all ranging from 150 days to 60 days old all came up "Article Not Found". Then on the 12th post that was 75 days old, it finally started to download. As another test, I tried Crysis2 next and it was the same thing, this time it took going through 9 posts before I found a valid one. Since last year, it has gotten worse and worse.

Anyone think if I went with a different provider, the results would improve. I mean if I tried to re-download the same files that Usenetserver had "Article Not Found" with another provider, would they have it?

[MultiForce]

There are a few comments on NZBMatrix too that says the same about a bunch of releases.

I have Astraweb and Supernews (backup) and I think I see Newsbin grabbing articles from Supernews a couple of times/month.
Since I download 500+GB each month I consider that to be good. I have never had any problems with the releases that ppl complain about on NZBMatrix.

I don't know what you pay now but Astraweb is only $11/month with the Kleverig deal.
http://www.news.astraweb.com/special...ulticards.html

[Hypatia]

usenetserver=highwinds=extreme ammount of incompletes many due to DMCA takedowns

get yourself Astraweb, set up BOTH euro and US servers and get yourself blocknews account as a fill server

[Beck38]

I've had a block account from Usenetserver for a VERY long time, hardly if ever been used for years except to d/l headers and help verified when things really get 'off the tracks', but it has generally always been, at best, a third tier provider (bottom of the barrel).

Years and Years ago (10+) when they ran their own plant, I used Supernews pretty much exclusively, and this is way before Astra and when Giga was still in Phoenix... really dates me. Now I guess they are the 'low(er)' price Giganews, but like them don't offer block accounts anymore. In my case today, I use Astra (Us with Eu as secondary) with reliance on Blocknews as third in line, like many others; both price and usability it has the 'sweet spot'.

[hdjunky]

Yep that's because it is highwinds. Usenetserver, newshosting easynews...they all suck. The employee that posts here will tell you otherwise but as you can see firsthand they do suck! You could get a blocknews block account to fill in the missing or just get a real provider like usenetnow or astraweb or supernews.

[krowten]

Yep that's because it is highwinds. Usenetserver, newshosting easynews...they all suck. The employee that posts here will tell you otherwise but as you can see firsthand they do suck! You could get a blocknews block account to fill in the missing or just get a real provider like usenetnow or astraweb or supernews.

I've had a block account from Usenetserver for a VERY long time, hardly if ever been used for years except to d/l headers and help verified when things really get 'off the tracks', but it has generally always been, at best, a third tier provider (bottom of the barrel).

Years and Years ago (10+) when they ran their own plant, I used Supernews pretty much exclusively, and this is way before Astra and when Giga was still in Phoenix... really dates me. Now I guess they are the 'low(er)' price Giganews, but like them don't offer block accounts anymore. In my case today, I use Astra (Us with Eu as secondary) with reliance on Blocknews as third in line, like many others; both price and usability it has the 'sweet spot'.

There are a few comments on NZBMatrix too that says the same about a bunch of releases.

I have Astraweb and Supernews (backup) and I think I see Newsbin grabbing articles from Supernews a couple of times/month.
Since I download 500+GB each month I consider that to be good. I have never had any problems with the releases that ppl complain about on NZBMatrix.

I don't know what you pay now but Astraweb is only $11/month with the Kleverig deal.
http://www.news.astraweb.com/special...ulticards.html

usenetserver=highwinds=extreme ammount of incompletes many due to DMCA takedowns

get yourself Astraweb, set up BOTH euro and US servers and get yourself blocknews account as a fill server

Thanks Hypatia, MultiForce, Beck38, hdjunky:

All 4 of you had made a common point and that was Astraweb, so I gave them a try.

What I was after was a game released in 2008 and a Bin search yielded only 2 listings for it. I tested both using Astraweb and both were available. Now I just hope that at least one them is not password protected.

I never knew that Usenetserver had only US based servers and highwinds was being harassed by the DMCA.

Thanks again folks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nntpjunkie]

Be cautious when listening to the opinions of people giving bad advice about highwinds newshosting easynews or usenetserver, the truth is the speeds from all these providers rivals everyone else out there, speeds that will make your face come away from your skull and a retention that is second to none. Tell me where else you can get unrestricted full speed downloads for under $8/month - Astraweb doesn't even offer that. Success = Usenetserver(annual) + Astraweb block account = unlimited downloads Usenetserver Rock On!

[hdjunky]

Be cautious when listening to the opinions of people giving bad advice about highwinds newshosting easynews or usenetserver, the truth is the speeds from all these providers rivals everyone else out there, speeds that will make your face come away from your skull and a retention that is second to none. Tell me where else you can get unrestricted full speed downloads for under $8/month - Astraweb doesn't even offer that. Success = Usenetserver(annual) + Astraweb block account = unlimited downloads Usenetserver Rock On!

High retention or unlimited etention doesn't mean jack if the completion is like swiss cheese. Luckily most of us here aren't newbs so we can see through it. I just feel sorry for the people just getting into usenet and think highwinds is what it is all about. Why would you have any highwinds with a block account? I suppose if you want to piss through a block accout pretty fast it is a good idea. One day highwinds will shut down hopefully.

[Hypatia]

you can get unrestricted full speed downloads for under $8/month - Astraweb doesn't even offer that

O rly?

if you want to piss through a block accout pretty fast it is a good idea.

hear, hear

astraweb + blocknews fill account
supernews + blocknews fill account
usenetnow + perhaps astraweb block account

One day highwinds will shut down hopefully.

Personally i dont want them to fade away from usenet horizon.
The more the merrier.

But if they continue their self-destructive way of doing business then it will happen.
Or they will switch to something else. Some pay on demand scheme

[zot]

Tell me where else you can get unrestricted full speed downloads for under $8/month - Astraweb doesn't even offer that.

Astraweb has offered a $96 yearly ($8/month) account since about two years ago.

I believe this fact has been mentioned here on this forum many times before -- including discussions that you participated in yourself, nntpjunkie -- so I'm a little bit surprised that you would say that.

Here is just one such example: https://filesharingtalk.com/threads/433352

a retention that is second to none.

More like second to Giganews -- in a three-way tie (if 10 days counts for anything).

One day highwinds will shut down hopefully.

Personally i dont want them to fade away from usenet horizon.
The more the merrier.

But if they continue their self-destructive way of doing business then it will happen.
Or they will switch to something else. Some pay on demand scheme

I agree with the "The more the merrier" philosophy, but Highwinds' motto is more like "There can be only one" - considering that a few years ago this cannibalistic corporation tried to buy up every major usenet provider and create a worldwide monopoly. (I'm glad Astraweb never sold out)

Highwinds could very well 'throw in the towel' someday. I've noticed that over the last few years Highwinds has shifted the company's focus away from usenet and towards other internet content services such as streaming video. This is just speculation, but it seems to me that Highwinds might have bought all those usenet companies so they could convert the existing server farms / data centers and network grid (of Usenetserver, Newshosting, Easynews, etc.) to other uses like content delivery. Or maybe it's just incredible coincidence that Highwinds' current (non-usenet) data centers are in the same cities as the old usenet server farms of the companies that Highwinds bought. At any rate, it seems the usenet provider business is currently only a small (and rapidly-shrinking) portion of Highwinds' corporate structure.

Be cautious when listening to the opinions of people giving bad advice

I agree with that statement 100% - and that's why I'm glad we have people here like MultiForce, Hypatia, Beck38, and hdjunky -- these guys do a great job debunking a lot of this bad advice.