Torrents v Newsgroups v Rapidshare.....

[compostcorner]

I'm stuck in limbo at the moment after not renewing my ongoing Newsgroup package, and I know we've had threads about best packages, worst provider ect... but I'm stuck for choice.

I used 'UseNEXT' as my downloading method and paid about £6 per month (a full year up front) for the last 3 years and my sub ran out. Due to some sort of extra security on me credit card, this 'Visa-Verification' shite, my usual payment to continue for another year failed to go through on all the occasions I tried.

So, I'm asking for decent advice on where to go next. I don't think I'll move back down to torrents so forget that as an option. Even though it's in the thread title. I'd like to continue with the Newsgroups method. UseNEXT gave me a nice front-end search engine type program included in the price. I simply typed in what porn, I mean what MP3 I wanted, a list appeared, and I clicked and downloaded the smutt, I mean song.

I'm also wondering about things like 'RapidSHARE'. I know RapidSHARE is one of many types of companies that give you a 'limited' free but slow download of files, whilst parting with some dosh lifts the limit and you also get faster speeds. So I'm under the impression that you give up some money each month, you use a search engine, pick what you want, and download from RapidSHARE. They too having masses of stuff available.

So, I don't mind stumping up a few quid each month. It must be safe, as in me not getting cut off by my ISP due to being rumbled. And I don't really wanna have to worry about paying for some 3rd party software in order to download stuff. I've noticed one or two Newsgroups point you to software packages that show you whats available and allows you to download. That one is useless without the other. Like I mentioned earlier, UseNEXT had their own software that did all the listing and searching.

So whats doing the rounds these days? Whats decent and whats not?

And what sort of prices/speeds/available downloads are the norm?

[sgandtg]

astraweb, $10 monthly for unlimited if you're happy with a 1 meg d/load speed, $10 monthly if 25 gig is enough or $15 for unlimited (the last two will max out your connection). Personally, I pay $15 for unlimited.
grabit (nzb client, free to use)
Use http://www.binsearch.info/ for free or subscribe to http://v3.newzbin.com/ for 25p per week (they do a half price sale every december, I buy a years worth for about £7).

Easy as.

[lynx]

astraweb, $10 monthly for unlimited if you're happy with a 1 meg d/load speed, $10 monthly if 25 gig is enough or $15 for unlimited (the last two will max out your connection). Personally, I pay $15 for unlimited.
grabit (nzb client, free to use)
Easy as.

The special still works, unlimited for $11 P/M

http://www.news.astraweb.com/specials/kleverig-11.html

Remembering that astraweb also support ssl on all accounts.

[sgandtg]

Just checked, I'm paying $11 not $15 as previous.

Forgot about the promo.

I'm sure Rik is still on astraweb.

[Rik]

I still recommend Astraweb (Just) but there are quite a few problems with authentication errors etc.

I will be watching things closely and jumping to Supernews which is apparently just as good for a similar price.

Any of you other AW users been experiencing problems lately? I think AW may have been a victim of their own success, lets hope im wrong and these issues iron out soon.

[Matt]

No rpoblems here..

[Matt]

wow my spelling sucks when Ive had a couple...

[niallquinn]

Newhosting here, $14.95 a month, SSL, unlimited, 470days retention, 30 connections allowed. Coupled with Newsleecher with Supersearch for 2.99 a month.

NQ.

[sgandtg]

No probs with astraweb here

[hold the Bells]

The special still works, unlimited for $11 P/M

http://www.news.astraweb.com/specials/kleverig-11.html

Remembering that astraweb also support ssl on all accounts.

I'm on this and its fine, just the same speeds as Giganews buts costs $20 a month less.

Only thing I noticed is that it will lock up and time out the conections from time to time when downloading.

After moving to their US server this has more or less stopped.

[Mr Jolly]

I use Astraweb, but don't use SSL anymore due to GRABIT crashing all the time with it, and the fact that the ISP has throttled the dear life out of the ports it uses.

[bellman]

Astraweb here on the $11 all you can eat special.
The only downside to Astraweb versus Giganews is that i miss there accelerator when listing complete news groups, although that is a minor issue as most of my stuff is derived from NZB's in anycase.
Try merlins portal for a free user friendly NZB site http://www.merlins-portal.net

[frankster200]

easynews for their very simple-to-use web interface and search engine with direct download links and zip manager

[Sbt]

easynews for their very simple-to-use web interface and search engine with direct download links and zip manager

+ 1

[compostcorner]

easynews for their very simple-to-use web interface and search engine with direct download links and zip manager

Yeah. UseNEXT has a similar deal. Everything downloaded in .zip/.rar is auto unzipped and stuffed into a 'Wizard' folder, missing PAR's are found before committing to download, which I'm sure all the other programs do also.

I got a mail from them almost a week ago. Well, I found it earlier today in my junk email folder. Offering me a 15% discount to come back. If I pay for a full year up front mind. They are offering me 12 x 1 month each giving me 25GB. I was never one for 'unlimited' as I sort of downloaded everything I ever needed back in the days of P2P with the likes of 'Morpheus' and the old torrents after that. I used to have 15GB last time and found it hard to use that likes. So $9.33, less 15% for 25GB per month for a year, takes it to around a fiver a month in UK money. And no extra payments for additional readers.

I did think seriously about going to Astraweb and Newshosting but the differences between them, although quite noticable, and the fact I didn't wanna have to download software and that, I thought I'd take the UseNEXT offer. And continue where I left off with an extra 10GB per month and a few quid less to pay.

Cheers guys.