Veridas 25GB ADSL plans - Usenet access?

You can always use Google Groups and be ISP independent. Depends on the functionality you need though, but for basic Usenet surfing Google Groups does the job and it works from any machine. What's the reason to avoid third party servers? I've heards good reports about several of the dedicated Usenet servers which charge a small fee, might be worth it if you are series user and download lots of binaries etc.

Dave :)

Do you know about

? although those figures seem good to what I saw last night.

Google is free but slow. Others cost a token, except those with binaries (~$US15/month I've been told).

Yep, if you can not send communications to them now, then I would avoid them because it doesn't get any better.

Looking at some of the discussion forums will offer a better idea .. certainly worth a look.

On 18 Aug 2005 17:48:58 -0700, "David L. Jones" put finger to keyboard and composed:

In the past I've used Deja News and Google Groups but both were slow. I've also had a terrible experience with (n)One.Net's poor news service, so I know just how bad ISPs can be. I've also used free third party servers, but these were also unreliable. BTW, I don't require access to the binary NGs, just to the text based ones.

- Franc Zabkar

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On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 10:58:14 +1000, atec put finger to keyboard and composed:

Thanks. It looks like Veridas ISPs get a bad rap from almost everyone. The most respected providers appear to be Internode, Westnet, Netspace and iinet.

- Franc Zabkar

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On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 10:54:41 +1000, Terry Collins put finger to keyboard and composed:

I dislike web based newsgroups and email. Is there any way to access Google Groups using a news reader?

I don't need binaries.

I managed to access the Veridas website using an alternative browser (Mozilla) but there was no useful info. Furthermore, the fellow who answered their 1300 number knew very little at all except to say that they did operate a news server at news.veridas.net. Being a wholesaler, he directed me to their resellers who he said would pass on my request to Veridas's support team. Why he couldn't be bothered to do that for me there and then was a mystery.

Last night (after hours) I rang several of the resellers. All but one had an answering machine. The ISP with a human interface sounded very helpful but never followed up with a promised email. Two email enquiries to their sales and support team remain unanswered.

Sadly I think it will only be a matter of time before Usenet is supplanted by moderated, web based, ad infested, commercially oriented forums, all requiring yet another username and password.

- Franc Zabkar

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Could always pay the small amount for news.individual.net

10EUR a year.

Rock solid reliable service.

For an isp tpg

I've been using them for a couple of years.

1.5Mb / 256kb

news server is okay but not fantastic only keeps a cople of weeks of posts at the longest. Also can access pipenetworks new servers.

They've been reliable so far, only problem I've had is due to Telstra.

If you do get ADSL get a proper modem/router with firewall (spi and nat) not one of the usb ones especially if you want to be able to connect more than one computer. But when you are not using the net unplug the phone cable into whatever modem regardless of what isp you go with.

Good idea to run a software firewall program as well as having a modem/router with firewall.

kerio or zone alarm or something similar

Alex

"Franc Zabkar"

** Hmmm .... 25 GB = 200 Gbits 512 kbps x 24 hours = 44.2 G bits

.......... Phil

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 12:19:59 +1000, "Alex Gibson" put finger to keyboard and composed:

If I'm going to do that, then I'd be better off paying the extra to a more established ISP.

I lasted one day with them on dialup.

For a while I was considering Exetel. They have no official news server but their users recommend pipenetworks or reader.news.telstra.net. Exetel's ForumAdmin directs you to

but this URL is dead.

I'm currently on ADSL with Optus. Good service but pricey.

- Franc Zabkar

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That's 25GB/month, not /day.

I'm on Optus cable, but was thinking of switching to ADSL because it's easier to run (light-weight) servers. TPG looks like a good cheap option...?

Why ? they beat most Australian ISPs newservers. Keeps articles dating months back.

Quite a few people who post in aus.electronics use them.

pipenetwork new servers don't keep more than a few days articles

I have no complaints with tpgs service.

Alex

Been good for me. Alex

I pay about $20 a year for news.individual.net. It's a german based text only news service that used to be free. It's good because I have my newsreader on my laptop and regardless of which ISP I use I don't lose all my messages.

Fraser

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 22:15:01 +1000, "Alex Gibson" put finger to keyboard and composed:

I'm happy with 1 week retention. For older postings I refer to Google Groups. I periodically compare the Optus news server with Google and always find that Optus's newsfeed is complete. I don't know about binaries, though.

OK, you've convinced me. If I go with a cheaper ISP with a poor news service, I'll definitely give news.individual.net a try.

OK, so maybe I'm being unfair. When I tried them several years ago I was having trouble completing most of my large (> 1MB) downloads. IIRC, TPG were promoting an all-you-can-eat service, so perhaps their network was uncharacteristically congested.

- Franc Zabkar

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Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

** I know.

But it takes only 4.5 days to eat up 200Gbits.

.............. Phil

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 10:38:13 +1000, Franc Zabkar put finger to keyboard and composed:

Latest update:

The newsmaster at veridas.net turned out to be quite helpful. In response to my question regarding the volume of postings, he offered the following:

aus.electronics since Feb 5,538 sci.electronics.repair since December 20,190

The archive at Google Groups lists 8360 and 28800 respectively. That's about 70% coverage.

- Franc Zabkar

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"Franc Zabkar"

** That is really very poor.

Individualnet lists about 6450 since Jan 28th.

........... Phil