I have cable access at home and in the office - approx 1mile apart and using the same ISP although one is a residential account and one is a business account. Usenet access from home (where I am writing this) works great. Usenet access at work stopped working some 6months back, saying I require authentication.
So I phone up the business customer services. They have never heard of news servers, usenet or NNTP, so put me on to technical support.
Technical support guy has never heard of news servers, usenet or NNTP, asks around the office, nobody else has either. All he can suggest is being put through to sales.
Sales guy seems rather bemused that I am talking to him, did I try customer services? [he has never heard of news servers, usenet or NNTP either, but does write these strange words down to try and find out more].
WTF? I am using their $%&^ing news service by sending this post. Is this just a fantasy? Is it called something different now? Do I need to ask to speak to the oldest person in the office?
Seems I cannot get the problem at work fixed until I know how to phrase the question in a way they understand.