When you want to download something, undoubtedly you are faced with a great variety of alternatives. One of the oldest and best-functioning sites is Usenet, a portal that allows you to download from a single server, making it one of the fastest and safest ways to download from the internet. Compared to other alternatives, however, it is slightly more complicated and requires the payment of a small fee, even if it is worth it: Usenet has a lot of resources, it is safe and, thanks to its strict policies, the risk of piracy it's really very low. This article will guide you step by step in the process of downloading Usenet and will explain how to enjoy the vast community that it will make available to you.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Set Up Accounts and Computers Correctly
Step 1. Create a Usenet account
Visit Usenet.net and choose one of your offered rate plans:
- Plan A: $ 19.99 per month (about € 17.5) ($ 9.99 the first month, about € 9); free for 5 days, 10GB trial version, unlimited access, unlimited speed, 30 connections, 256-bit SSL encryption.
- Plan B: $ 14.99 per month (about € 13) ($ 7.49 the first month, about € 6.5), free for 5 days, 10GB trial version, unlimited access, unlimited speed, 15 connections.
Step 2. Get a news client
The news clients (also called newsreaders) take care of sorting and searching the different groups existing on Usenet. The groups are sorted by topic, author and other relevant information. Some newsreaders are free, others have to subscribe: a quick search on the internet will help you understand what is right for you. Among the suggested clients we can mention News Bin Pro, Grabit and Mozilla Thunderbird.
Step 3. Get to know NZB files
All major Usenet publications are in NZB format.
- NZB files are packages that contain references to files published on Usenet and that simplify the download process by eliminating the headers and simply providing the content (headings related to the topic of the article, place of publication, date of creation, author, original server and path, just to name a few).
- Consider using a separate service to catalog NZB files. There are free and paid options.
- To download an NZB file, click on the box next to the file and select “Create NZB”. This way you can download it to your computer.
Method 2 of 2: Download
Step 1. Log in with your Usenet account
Step 2. Open your newsreader
Step 3. Choose from Usenet providers, also called newsgroups
For example Giganews, nzb.cc or FindNZB.
Step 4. Download the file to your computer
Search for the file you want and click on it: you will download it to your PC.
Step 5. Download the file to your newsreader
Find the downloaded file and click on it: in this way the file will start downloading in the newsreader.
Advice
- Newsgroups are Usenet communities; each has its own standards of behavior, which vary from community to community. It is advisable to consult the statute of the newsgroup in question or read the FAQ section to find out how to behave correctly.
- If you can afford to spend around a dollar a week (less than a euro), you might consider relying on a search service for your NZB files.
- Remember that newsgroups are different from each other; when communicating with other members, keep in mind the different contexts and perspectives of each community.
- Report any abuse to [email protected].
Warnings
- There have been several complaints recently that some content is disappearing from servers, apparently due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a 1988 US copyright law.
- Users are required to individually determine the legality of their downloads. Some users may have broken copyright laws and Usenet is unable to monitor all the information that passes through their system.
- Make sure your computer is protected by an antivirus.
- Usenet charges its fees in advance. If you want to cancel your subscription, do it the previous month. If you are trying to use the free trial but you already know you don't want to sign up, remember to unsubscribe immediately.
