The term "Usenet" is the common abbreviation for Unix User Network, a globally distributed network that originated long before the World Wide Web (the "Internet" via browser as most people know it). More specifically, it was developed at Duke University in 1979. The network is an independent service on the Internet and enables the exchange of information in text and binary form in so-called newsgroups. Usenet is often compared to a digital "bulletin board".
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As early as the early 1980s, Usenet represented a significant collection of knowledge, primarily for the scientific community, but also increasingly for private individuals. Since 2004, Usenet has become the focus of many users, primarily because of the possibility of exchanging files quickly and easily via binary newsgroups. The actual function - discussion in text form - on the other hand, has been pushed back further and further and replaced by forums on the World Wide Web. The pioneer of the "modern" Usenet in Germany at that time was UseNeXt - a provider that many today use synonymously with Usenet. UseNeXt is, however, only one of many providers offering access to the Usenet.
How does Usenet work?
The Usenet is an association of many news servers that are distributed decentrally around the world. These constantly synchronize and store content redundantly - making the network much less susceptible to censorship than the WWW, for example, where content is usually only stored on one server. To exchange information, a user posts a message to the appropriate newsgroup and ideally receives one or more replies. He can also attach files to his messages, the so-called binaries.
What do I need to get started?
In addition to Internet access, you need two things:
- Usenet access: You need an account with a Usenet provider of your choice. You will receive the necessary access data (user name, password, host, port, number of connections) from this provider.
- Newsreader: In order to be able to connect to the network, you need not only Usenet access but also a tool with which you can search the Usenet, post content and download it. Comparable to the browser in the Word Wide Web, this is the newsreader in Usenet. We have compiled a list of the best free newsreaders for you.
What are the advantages?
There are numerous advantages:
- Usenet is extremely fast, content can usually be downloaded at Full DSL speed or beyond. Customers of Usenext, for example, expect a data rate of up to 800 Mbit/s.
- Anonymity: What you read or download on Usenet is completely anonymous and cannot be viewed. Caution: It's a different story when writing and uploading content - see the section "Am I anonymous on Usenet?".
- In conjunction with the right software, Usenet is very easy to use
- Huge amount of content
Which Usenet provider is the best?
It depends very much on the personal needs and requirements of a user - therefore it is difficult to give a general recommendation for all users. If you are looking for an easy entry into Usenet with a very good price-performance ratio, we can recommend UseNeXt. If you absolutely do not want to commit to a provider for a longer period of time, you can try prepaid Usenet, for example. If you need an extremely large download volume and are already very familiar with the service, we can recommend Giganews with its low flat rate tariffs. These points are important for all providers:
SSL encryption included:
- High retention: How long is the content stored? A retention of 1,000 days is standard today, the market leader UseNeXt even offers more than 3,800 days (=more than 10 years).
- High speed: The data rate should not be below the maximum download speed of your internet access. Otherwise you will not be able to use the full potential
- Seriousness: Unfortunately, there are also black sheep in Usenet. For example, providers such as Firstload or Gigaflat are not to be recommended.
How expensive is Usenet?
The days of completely free access to the Usenet are unfortunately over. When the focus was primarily on text contributions, access to this content was included with many Internet providers. The increasingly popular binaries, i.e. the attached files, caused significantly more costs due to their size and access could no longer be offered free of charge. Today, Usenet access including binary Usenet is available for as little as a few euros per month. For example, with German providers such as Prepaid Usenet, you can get access for as little as 5€, depending on the package; 100 GB costs 25€, for example. American providers such as Giganews also offer flat rates for the equivalent of about 11€ per month. However, you can test almost all providers for free and usually receive a certain data volume for a certain time, which you can then consume. During the free trial period, you are guaranteed not to incur any costs. The best test accounts at a glance:
- 30 GB at UseNeXt
- 10 GB with Usenet.nl
- 10 GB with prepaid Usenet