Guide to the Usenet for Noobs
Usenet is an excellent place for finding, sharing and downloading files. Currently, Usenet is the best platform for file sharing out there. alt.binaries.* are very active, carrying many downloadable files of all kinds. More and more people discover the advantages of using Usenet. Usenet has a lot of possibilities that you can discover:
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Usenet is a great source to download files. Usenet providers store petabytes (that’s millions of gigabytes) of data and files which anyone can download.
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It's secure and (almost) anonymous. Usenet providers use SSL encryption. High anonymity since there are No Logs, no monitoring and SSL comes for free. In 2023, many Usenet service providers support cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
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Usenet is known for its extremely high speed: Usenet uses the full bandwidth of your internet connection.
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Downloading files on Usenet is extremely easy. It is possible to download files by just a single click. Downloading from Usenet today is easier than ever before.
How to Use Usenet?. Follow these steps to use Usenet:
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To get started with Usenet, the first thing you need is a reliable Usenet service provider. Choosing the right Usenet provider is key to having a positive experience. Newshosting is our TOP choice. No other provider makes it so easy to get started with Usenet.
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Once you've gotten a subscription, you'll need a "newsreader" to access Usenet's newsgroup. Of course, we recommend that you use the Newshosting newsreader included with your account.
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Finally, you’ll need to find an independent Usenet indexing service. NZBGeek is one of the most popular NZB sites around.
Newshosting – Best Usenet provider for beginners
Finding the Right Usenet?. The ideal Usenet provider is the one who offers:
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Full Binary Retention. Retention is the most important factors when choosing a Usenet provider. Retention rate is the number of days a Usenet provider will keep uploaded content in its servers. However, retention rates can vary significantly among providers. Usenet providers can have different terminologies to describe retention periods: Popular - Cached - Full. Full retention storage retention is preferred. For the best USENET experience, choose a provider that falls into this category of full retention. Full retention providers ensure that all articles, without exceptions, are stored for the entirety of their specified retention period.
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Usenet Provider speed is now the second most critical feature when evaluating a Usenet Provider. It is important for you as a user to not only find the articles you need but also to be able to download them as fast as possible, no matter where you are in the World. Premium providers have their own multi-gigabit server farms strategically located throughout the United States and Europe. These server locations enable users to benefit from fast USENET connections.
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Another very important criterion is the article completion rate offered. Completion refers to the percentage of articles a specific USENET server actually has compared to the total number of articles that have been posted to USENET. A premium USENET provider will have 99% or higher USENET completion across all newsgroups.
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Unlimited traffic. An unlimited account allows users to download an unrestricted amount. Not every Usenet provider offers an unlimited account option. Some Usenet providers have 'invisible cap' to unlimited plans, avoid them. Premium Usenet providers offer truly unlimited access with no restrictions.
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Free newsreader - You can use any newsreader you want to connect to USENET. Some Usenet providers also offer their own newsreader client to their users. Of course, you can find free newsreaders (SABnzbd and NZBGet).
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Good price - There are Usenet providers that offer cheaper plans than the usual pricing that other providers have such as Newshosting. So many people make the mistake of finding the cheapest Usenet plan and then don't understand why the files aren't complete or why unlimited plans have restrictions (fair use policy).
For the best Usenet Experience we recommend Newshosting
So what do I use?. I'm a subscriber to Newshosting. Their service has been flawless since I signed up last year. The annual plan, which includes the Newsreader and unlimited VPN service, is an excellent value at $8.33/mo.
Special Newshosting deal exclusive for NGProvider users: Get 58% off Newshosting
Newshosting is a popular Usenet solution that is ideal for those who don’t have previous experience with Usenet. Newshosting has effectively positioned itself as the Usenet provider of choice for novice users:
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Newshosting offers the highest retention in the industry which exceeds 5,460+ days. Newshosting also stands out by providing full retention storage for every article, maximizing your search results and completion rates.
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Newshosting offers full speed across its entire binary retention. When I ran speed tests, Newshosting provided me with very fast downloads.
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All plans come with unlimited downloads. Unlimited really means unlimited. Trust me, if they cap you'll hear from me soon. I have Gigs upon Gigs in the queue.
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High completion rates. I get 99.99% completion rate using Newshosting.
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Newshosting has servers in the USA and Europe so you can expect high speed.
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Free newsreader with integrated search. NH newsreader is a nice option, especially for beginners. If you're using Newshosting, you can use their client App.
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Newshosting does not keep any logs of your download activity when connected to their Usenet servers.
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Free zero-log VPN account. If you choose the yearly plan, you will get a free Zero-log VPN.
Read our full Newshosting review.
Selecting a Newsreader - Usenet guide
The next thing you’ll need is a newsreader. A newsreader is a standard application for downloading files directly from newsgroups. I've been using Newshosting for years and Newshosting provides their users a free Newsreader client so the rest of the tutorial will assume you’ve chosen them.
Once you've signed up for any of Newshosting's Usenet access plans, you'll get an email with the link to download a free copy (Mac, Windows or Linux versions all available) of their Newsreader. You can also download a copy through your Newshosting account control panel. There is nothing to configure (Pre-configured with your connection information on Newshosting) — just login and begin your Usenet experience.
That's it! Now just leave Newshosting's newsreader running, and we'll start to explore Usenet.
Finding Content via Usenet Search “Indexers”
At this point, you have a Usenet provider, and you have a properly configured Usenet client. All you need now are some NZB files to feed to your client. Usenet indexing sites (also referred to as Usenet indexers or NZB indexing websites) are websites that provide a searchable database of content posted on Usenet. Some indexers are free and require no registration. On the other hand, there are also free indexers that do require registration and even paid indexers.
Some indexers that you can use to download content on Usenet are:
These Usenet indexing sites are well-known in the Usenet community, and commonly used to find content in the network.
NZBGeek - NZB Site
Every Usenet indexer has a different database, so it is good to have more than one. For beginners, we recommend NZBGeek
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It’s a very reliable index and it has never let me down. It offers a premium account that is more than enough for most users for 12$/year.
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NZBGeek is one of the more popular hand indexes. Hand indexes are, as the name suggests, easier to use as they have already been sorted and often categorized to make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
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Many files are posted to Usenet with "Scrambled" & "Obfuscated" names. These obfuscated files can only be accessed via the use of a Usenet indexer like NZBGeek. Only paid indexers can unscramble Usenet’s hidden files.
In the tutorial below, I’ll be showing you how to grab your NZB File from NZBGeek
Search for content on NZBGeek
Download an NZB file - Click the cloud icon to start your NZB download.
Now you can give this NZB file you have to Newshosting Newsreader and it will download everything automatically, and even decompress and repair it when needed.
As you can see above, the video files are downloading at a speed of 39 MB/s which is 312 Mbps. NZB files make accessing files on Usenet extremely easy. Usenet is private, secure, and as fast as your broadband connection can handle.