What is usenet?

Usenet Terms You Should Know

• Backbone

  Usenet is a decentralized network dependant on the Usenet servers linked together. When a provider has a dedicated server network, it’s called a backbone. A backbone can have many servers in many locations. Here at Newshosting, because we own and operate our own server farms in the United States, Netherlands, and Germany, we are considered one of the strongest Usenet backbones in the world.

• Binary File

  A binary file is any file that’s not a text file – items like video, audio, image, and software files. The more binary retention your provider has, the more access you’ll have to the binary files you’re interested in accessing. Here at Newshosting, we have the best retention in the industry so that our users can find what they’re looking for with 4093+ days of binary retention (and growing!).

• Connections

  Connections allow you to perform multiple downloads simultaneously, and every Usenet account comes with a set amount of connections. Checking your bandwidth usage will help you determine just how many connections you should be using (say 52 instead of 60), but generally, you’ll be able to max out your download speeds with 30 – 60 connections.

• ISP Involvement

  In the early days of Usenet and the Internet, most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) provided all of their users with access to Usenet servers. However, this access is expensive, and ISPs eventually cut off this access. Today, with concerns about ISPs spying on your activity, you can enable free SSL in your Newshosting newsreader to ensure the data transfer between your system and Usenet’s servers is private and secure.

• Newsgroup

  A Usenet newsgroup is a discussion group, and is comprised of either binary or true text files. Most newsgroups will have a central theme or subject matter around which their posts focus.

• Newsreader

  Similar to how you would use a search engine to access the Internet, newsreaders are used to access, search, and download Usenet content. We recommend the Newshosting newsreader, because it has built-in search and requires zero setup.

• NZB File

  NZB files are able to automatically group files together. Because most binary files on Usenet are split into several pieces, NZBs hold the location information for the files you want.

• Retention

  Retention is the length of time measured in days that articles and posts will stay on Usenet. Older posts will download just as fast as files posted today, so the longer retention your Usenet provider offers, the more files you’ll be able to access. It’s also important to note that spooling a large amount of retention is expensive, so you want a provider who is willing to spend that kind of money on their customers. Here at Newshosting, we’re very proud to offer the absolute highest number of binary and text retention at 4093+ days – and growing.

• Server Clusters / Server Farm

  It’s important for your Usenet provider to have access to a server cluster, or server farm, specifically because of redundancy. If one server in a cluster runs into performance issues, the others can toe the line and users would neither notice or experience any service decline. Multiple server clusters also mean more room for storage and days retention, and they guarantee consistent and reliable performance.

• SSL Encryption

  Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Encryption ensures that all data passed from a Usenet provider’s servers to your computer is encrypted. Most providers will offer this protection, and here at Newshosting, we have it available to all users as a free service. It’s important to know that SSL provides you with the same level of encryption as OpenVPN – because Usenet does not require users to use a VPN to keep their Usenet downloads private and secure, SSL Encryption is one of Usenet’s greatest assets.

• Tier-1 Provider

  Being a Tier-1 provider means that you buy bandwidth directly from the ISPs to ensure the fastest possible download speeds. Here at Newshosting, we are proud to be a Tier-1 provider, and we’re always willing to spend time and money to make our Usenet service the best available.