What is usenet?
Usenet is a wordwide network of servers that are all connected and sync data (called articles) between themselves; this data is usually synced almost instantaneously so articles uploaded to one server will soon become available on all the other servers around the world. Usenet is not a company, or a government service, or an organisation but rather a term, such as the term internet. Usenet actually preceded the invention of the world wide web or the internet as we know it today, having been established in 1980. Thus in the same way that the internet today is not a company or organisation but a collection of connected devices exchanging data with each other, so is usenet.
The term news server which is often used to describe a usenet server relates to the fact that scientists and other individuals often used to post new discoveries and news on usenet servers, hence the term news server.
Usenet started out as a discussion system, a precursor to today’s forums, individuals could post articles containing text to a usenet server using the required software; the article would then be available to view on any usenet server anywhere in the world. Articles are threaded and anyone is free to post in the topic. Topics can range from economics to politics, technology, the environment etc just like any forum today.
Usenet is divided into groups, called newsgroups which usually indicate what kind of content can be found in them. Over time users realised they could upload binary files to usenet which other users could then download using a news reader program. Due to the size of these files they were often split up into RAR files, all the relevant RAR files would need to be downloaded before the file could be extracted. Thus content such as software, games, music, movies and tv shows were uploaded to usenet, usually in the alt.binaries newsgroup which is for binary content and not discussions. This is the content we are interested in
.Initially downloading from usenet was a pain as users needed to ensure that they found all the relevant RAR files that needed to be downloaded, if they missed one or if a RAR file was corrupted the files would not be able to be extracted. The invention of PAR files and NZB’s helped to make downloading much easier. Nowadays usenet is a great way to stay grab the latest movies and series.
Important terms and concepts:
NZB File: This is a file which tells your newsreader which files need to be downloaded to create the file you want. Same as a torrent file tells your bit torrent client which files to download and where they can be found. The NZB file has the location of the files (eg alt.binaries.tv) and which files in that newsgroup are required. It automates the process of downloading, no longer do you need to find and select each file manually.
PAR File: A PAR file is used to repair a damaged download, if articles or even a full RAR file is missing if you have enough PAR files you can repair it, there sole use is to repair damaged files. It is recommended to use quickpar to manually repair files if needed, opening up one of the par2 files with quickpar will tell you how many more articles are needed to repair the file. More here: http://www.techsono.com/usenet/files/par2
Retention: Operating a usenet server requires lots of storage as more data is added every day; it could be a few terabytes per day. This is expensive and thus older content is often deleted to make way for new content. Retention refers to how long a specific news server holds data for, a retention period of 100 days means that data older than 100 days will be deleted off the server and will no longer be available for download. Longer retention servers usually require a paid subscription to access them and can extend to 1800+ days (5 years).
DMCA: DMCA takedown notices issued to news server operators require them to remove the offending content in question, once removed it will no longer be available for download, it is quite common with popular TV shows and movies for this to happen. This means you need to download the content before it gets taken down. Some providers remove the content immediately and use an automated system while others may take their time. This should be taken into account when choosing a provider. It seems European providers are less prone to takedown notices than the American ones.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
Advantages:
You will always get full line speed (may vary on ISP)
Less likely to be shaped compared to torrents
There is some content on usenet that cannot be found on torrents
Allows you to completely automate your downloading
It is possible to use usenet without paying; most ISP’s provide a free news server to clients.
Better option for HD content due to the better speeds.
It puts less strain on your ISP’s network as it downloads from one location and not from hundreds of peers
It uses less data as there is no uploading
Safer than torrents, downloads can be encrypted and are much harder to monitor, also no sharing occurs so you are less likely to get in trouble for copyright infringement.
Disadvantages:
You will have to pay to access servers with good retention
Some content is not on usenet (mostly p2p releases, scene releases are usually always available)
DMCA takedowns may mean some content is unavailable
The learning curve is steeper than torrents or direct downloads
Choosing a Provider:
Firstly if your ISP offers a news server then use it, they are free. Here are some that are offered. (Remember you must be a client of the ISP to use their server, an afrihost client can’t use the mweb news server and vice versa.) [If anyone can confirm retention or max connections that would be great].
Web Africa
Address: news.wa.co.za
Connections: 5?
Port: 119
SSL: NO
Internet Solutions
Address: news.is.co.za
Connections: 10?
Port: 119
SSL: NO
MWEB *****DISCONTINUED*****
Address: news.mweb.co.za
Connections: 3?
Port: 119
SSL: NO
Afrihost
Address: news.afrihost.co.za
Connections: 10?
Port: 119
SSL: NO
SAIX (Telkom)
Address: news.saix.co.za
Connections: 3?
Port: 119
SSL: NO
You do not need to enter a username or password, these should be left blank. The retention on local news server is between 100 and 200 days I’ve found. But note there is a difference between locally cached content and content that must be fetched from other servers. Popular content will be cached on the ISP’s local news server and will be available at full line speed; less popular or older content may need to be fetched from other international servers. This may affect download speeds depending on the ISP. IS and Afrihost downloads international content at full line speed while Mweb limits the speed to around 50kbps. I can’t comment on other ISP’s.
When it comes to international providers you need to look at retention and price, but also the location of the provider, it is best to use a European and an American provider to have the best redundancy. You also need to decide on buying block data or a monthly subscription. The monthly subscription usually allows unlimited data but might have a speed limit; the block data should not have a speed limit but will have a certain amount of data that can be used. A longer retention is required for downloading older files but if you are just looking for current content a shorter retention time is fine.
If you are downloading SD content etc. using a terabyte block of data could last you years and will work out cheaper. If you download a lot then a subscription service is best. It is recommended to use a subscription service as your main provider and a block account as a backup and for missing articles.
This image shows the various providers and who their backbone providers are, it is also recommended to select providers with different backbones. This will help with missing articles and avoiding DMCA’d content.
http://i.imgur.com/kU7k9.png
What Else Do I Need?:
Once you’ve signed up with a provider and you have received your username, password and connection details you will need an NZB download program. I recommend SABNZBD, it’s easy to use, has a browser based interface so can be accessed remotely and it integrates with other great programs such as sickbeard and couchpotato (guide on this later).
You will also need NZB files and thus you will need access to an nzb indexing site, the better ones with advanced features are invite only and may require a donation to access the better features. Firstly some free sites:
http://nzbindex.com/
http://www.binsearch.info/
http://www.nzbtvseeker.com/
http://nzbid.org/browse
http://www.newshost.co.za/
http://www.nzbclub.com/
Now for some invite only sites, locally there is:
http://www.newztown.co.za/
http://www.nzbsa.co.za/
International:
http://www.usenet-crawler.com
You will need to find someone with an invite to get access to these sites; of course there are many more sites available.
Once you have access to an NZB indexer search for the file you want and download the NZB file, open it up in SABNZBD or your downloader of choice and away you go. I will make an advanced NZB download automation guide in due course.
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