In the past, setting up a Usenet service could be pretty tricky. Not so these days, particularly not if you plump for an outfit such as Newshosting – operated in partnership with Easynews – which boasts a dead simple client.
This service is aimed at novices to the Usenet world, offering easy-to-use software for Windows, Mac and Linux. The Newshosting Usenet Browser is simplicity itself to set up, with no configuration necessary; you just sign in with your password and away you go.
What it does
Newshosting’s browser might be user-friendly, but it also offers powerful integrated search functionality, including filters for audio, video, documents, software and images too, so hopefully finding the right content won’t be too hard or time-consuming.
As well as this, the browser also lets you preview files and thumbnail images for added convenience. There's even an option to set up an automated search function to plough through thousands of newsgroups hunting for relevant content.
Performance
Newshosting is one of the best platforms on the market when it comes to retention. It currently offers 3,095+ days of binary retention and 1,400 days of content retention, covering more than 100,000 newsgroups with a 99% completion rate.
You can have access to 60 connections as well. The company owns server facilities in the US and Europe, meaning you can expect good performance in terms of download speeds.
Security is a core focus here, too. Newshosting provides all its users with 256-bit SSL encryption, which ensures connections are always secure. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t have to worry about your personal data being shared with third-parties, because the company owns its servers. If you want more peace of mind in terms of privacy, you can use Newshosting’s premium VPN software.
Data options
Price-wise, Newhosting is relatively reasonable. The cheapest package costs $10 (£8, AU$13) a month, and for that, you get a 50GB data rollover, 30 connections and access to the firm’s exclusive VPN service.
The middle-tier package costs $12.95 (£10.40, AU$16), and it’s probably the better option to go for. That’s because it boasts unlimited data transfer. If you’re looking for something more powerful, you’ll want to check out the XL Powerpack, which will set you back $15.83 monthly (£12.70, AU$20.60) and gives you the full quota of 60 connections.
Before you go ahead and commit to a plan, though, you’ll be happy to hear that you can access a free trial. That’s not something you get with every provider. Sign up, and the company will give you 30GB of data to use within two weeks. You’ll have plenty of time to check out all the features and see if the platform is right for you.
Final verdict
Newshosting offers ample retention time and a solid range of plan choices, plus the platform does well in terms of security. And there’s a free trial option to test the water. There have been some questions raised about customer service (mainly the lack of live 24/7 support) and payment options, but it’s definitely one to consider.
