| Rank | Provider | Highlights | Retention | Trial | Groups | Conn | Score | Price | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|
|
1753 Days |
|
120,000 | 50 |
|
$20 USD |
Read Review |
| 2 |
|
|
1743 Days |
|
120,000 | 20 |
|
$10 USD |
Read Review |
| 3 |
|
|
1743 Days |
|
120,000 | 30 |
|
$9.99 USD |
Read Review |
| 4 |
|
|
1500 Days |
|
120,000 | 20 |
|
$9.99 USD |
Read Review |
| 5 |
|
|
1743 Days |
|
120,000 | 60 |
|
$9.99 USD |
Read Review |
| 6 |
|
|
1742 Days |
|
90,000 | 20 |
|
$11 USD |
Read Review |
| 7 |
|
|
1743 Days |
|
120,000 | 30 |
|
$9.99 USD |
Read Review |
| 8 |
|
|
1724 Days |
|
107,000 | 50 |
|
$10 USD |
Read Review |
| 9 |
|
|
1200 Days |
|
107,000 | 50 |
|
$15 USD |
Read Review |
| 10 |
|
|
700 Days |
|
NA | NA |
|
$6.95 USD |
Read Review |
Quick Summary: Here is our list of top Usenet providers for 2011:
- Giganews-with incredible retention numbers and excellent newsfeed quality Giganews is the top recognized Usenet service provider.
- Astraweb - for $11 a month, awesome retention and an almost cult like popularity Astraweb delivers on the goods..
- UsenetServer - for $10 a month and excellent retention its one of the best price deal around
What to Consider When Selecting A Usenet Provider
Some of the people who frequent our site are hardcore Usenet users, they will be on it often, and proudly. These users will know exactly whatthey will need from their service, so can easily find the exactly right service and package for them. But selecting a Usenet provider isn’t always so clear and easily determined by the users who don’t browse Usenet as much, or even the beginning user, there are a lot of new terms to learn, and access isn’t always a one button affair. We’re here to help you decide which Usenet provider best suits your needs. There aren’t many criteria to look at, here are the ones that will affect your enjoyment of Usenet the most:
- Retention – This is how long the provider keeps the files, whether binary, or text, around for your use. The longer the retention of the provider, the more chances you will have of finding the files you want.
- Number of Connections – This is how many connections you will be able to have at the same time. More is better…to a point. It does no good to have 50 connections available if your ISP won’t allow that much usage at one time. But the best rule of thumb is 8 or more, you don’t have to use them all.
- Security – SSL is necessary fir insurance against those prying “eyes.” 128 bit is great,and good for the average user, but 256 is the best available, and many are using it.
- Servers – How many servers do they have, and where are they. Distance from the server can dramatically affect download speeds, so you want a service that has servers in every country you will be in…or at least close. Most servers are in the U.S. and Canada, but more are popping up all over Europe, the Mid-East, and Far East.
- Cost – For some, this goes without saying, but you want to get certain features, and the pricier providers may not have the features you want or possibly features you don’t want to pay for.
- Inclusions – What is included in the package, and what will you need. Some providers will give you a special Uenet browser, others offer online storage, and there are separate search providers.
These are some of the main aspects of a Usenet provider that should be considered by a potential customer. And many of the providers can customize their plans to suit the customers needs. For the experienced, it’s never hard, you have your favorite. We hope this has made it a little easier for the average Usenet user.
