Usenet Servers Compared 2014

Back to [Part 1 - Introduction]

This is an update to the Usenet guide I wrote a while back, you can find the introduction discussion linked above. This post will help you to understand the best options in 2014 for Usenet providers.

Lets walk through the steps involved in signing up for a Usenet subscription
This, as always, remains the easiest part of getting started with Usenet!

First you need to choose a Usenet subscription service that suites you.

Beginners Guide to Usenet [Part 4 - Configuring Third Party Applications!]

This is part 4 of my series on getting started with Usenet...

Beginners Guide to Usenet [Part 1 - Introduction]
Beginners Guide to Usenet [Part 2 - Signing up for a Usenet Subscription]
Beginners Guide to Usenet [Part 3 - Install & Configure sabNZBD+]

By now you have already finished setting up a Usenet subscription and installed your download client! At this point you have finished setting up Usenet at the most basic level. You might be tempted to call it a day, to settle for what you have accomplished here, and to continue finding and downloading your media by hand like you did with torrents.

I am here to tell you that this is no way to live your life!

The ultimate goal here is to have all of your TV, Movies, and Music automatically downloaded by scheduling application. We want the TV downloader to know when your favorite shows air, we want the Movies released by your favorite director to download automatically, and we want the new albums by your favorite bands to download as soon as they are available.

In the olden days we might have organized your downloaded content using something like Belvedere for Windows, or Hazel for Mac. This method was complex and easily broken by failure in your personalized Macros. It worked well for very specific tasks, but lacked the flexibility that I wanted when it came to media organization.

Enter Sickbeard...

Beginners Guide to Usenet [Part 3 - Install & Configure sabNZBD+]

You have already read and digested:
Beginners Guide to Usenet [Part 1 - Introduction]
Beginners Guide to Usenet [Part 2 - Signing up for a Usenet Subscription]

Next you need to install the program that you will be using to download files from Usenet.

Beginners Guide to Usenet [Part 2 - Signing up for a Usenet Subscription]

Back to [Part 1 - Introduction]

Lets walk through the steps involved in signing up for a Usenet subscription
This is the easiest part of getting started with Usenet!

First you need to choose a Usenet subscription service that suites you.

Beginners Guide to Usenet [Part 1 - Introduction]

You are probably already well versed in the methodology and culture of bittorrent downloading. The torrent community has been rapidly gaining in popularity since the rise of high speed home internet more than a decade ago, a fact which has not been lost on the media industry, nor to which have they turned a blind eye.
The war on internet piracy has been long and hard, but the battle rages on. For every torrent site taken down, another pops us in its place.

I am not here to discuss the politics or legality of internet piracy.
I am here because many of you are concerned over privacy, anonymity, convenience, and freedom.

Many of you are looking for freedom from the constant surveillance by your ISP. Many of you are looking for anonymity, fearing an $80,000 fine for being caught downloading. Many of you are here because your favorite torrent site has been taken down, and you want something more secure. Many of you are here because you have tried for years to get invites to private trackers, and failed.

Many of you are here because the last line in your search for freedom has found you standing nervously at the door of Usenet, and wondering if you should go inside.

The world of Usenet is poorly documented and can be very confusing at first. The biggest hurdle for newcomers is understanding how Usenet differs from torrents.

Lets dive right into the subject and help you sort out exactly what to do!