What are Usenet backbones, why do they matter, and how to choose the right one(s) for you?
Here’s your complete guide to Usenet backbone servers.
Let’s start by answering the question: what are Usenet backbones?
Backbones are basically the ground level of Usenet servers which provide access to newsgroups and the posts found in newsgroups.
If you’ve come across the term “Tier-1 Usenet provider”, this means the provider has direct access to a Usenet backbone. Other providers get their access as resellers of these parent backbone providers.
An example of this would be Giganews, which is a Tier-1 provider with its own backbone, while Supernews is a reseller of the Giganews backbone.
In other words, as the operators of Usenet’s backbone servers, these providers are the foundation that makes everything possible, from reading and posting in newsgroups to downloading binaries.
[+] 'Usenet Backbones' contents (select to expand)
What Makes Usenet Backbones Different?
Usenet Backbones Checklist
There are several key factors to consider when comparing Usenet backbones:
Of course, there’s one other variable: price. But this is dictated more by the specific provider and not the backbone. Even providers on the same backbone can vary a lot in price.
Paying for different Usenet accounts on the same backbone is a waste of money. So, diversify!
Usenet Provider Map: List of Backbones
Here are the best Usenet backbone providers available today including their resellers and vital statistics (in alphabetical order):
Abavia |
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Resellers: XS News, Bulknews, Cheapnews, XS Usenet, StingyUsenet Retention: 2,300+ days Block Accounts: Yes Servers in: Europe Takedowns: DMCA |
Giganews |
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Retention: 1,100+ days Block Accounts: No Servers in: USA and Europe Takedowns: DMCA |
Omicron |
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All four of the following backbones are owned by Omicron, but they’re still separate backbones, with slightly different features. Eweka Reseller: Retention: 4,900+ days Block Accounts: No Servers in: Europe Takedowns: NTD Highwinds Media Resellers: Newshosting, UsenetServer, EasyNews, Frugal Usenet, BlockNews, Newsgroup Ninja, Astraweb Retention: 4,900+ days Block Accounts: Yes Servers: USA and Europe Takedowns: DMCA Base IP Reseller: TweakNews, XLNed, Sunny Usenet, Pure Usenet, UsenetBucket Retention: 4,200+ days Block Accounts: Yes Servers: Europe Takedowns: NTD |
Usenet.Farm |
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Reseller: Retention: Up to 3,000 days Block Accounts: Yes Servers in: EU Takedowns: NTD |
UsenetExpress |
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UsenetExpress Resellers: UsenetExpress, NewsDemon, theCubeNet, ThunderNews, UsenetPrime Retention: 3,000+ days Block Accounts: Yes Servers in: USA and Europe Takedowns: DMCA NewsgroupDirect Resellers: NewsgroupDirect, MaximumUsenet Retention: Less than 100 days (backfilled by UsenetExpress) Block Accounts: Yes Servers in: USA and Europe Takedowns: DMCA |
ViperNews |
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Reseller: Retention: Up to 1,500 days Block Accounts: Yes Servers in: EU Takedowns: NTD |
Usenet Tree: A Visual Map of Backbones
Here’s a very cool table showing Usenet Providers and Backbones. It’s a little out of date but still fairly accurate.
Full-size version (zoom in / pinch to read the fine details). Courtesy of TobiDax under CCA4.0
Usenet Providers with Multiple Backbones
In recent years, we’ve seen a new trend in the Usenet world. While the majority of providers are consolidated onto just a handful of backbones, there have also been a few providers who have connected themselves to multiple backbones.
Usually they have a backbone with shorter retention which grabs any files it can get. But if it fails or just needs to get something older, it can then use its second (or even third) backbone to grab it.
It’s a lot like setting up your NZB downloader with multiple providers. Only this is a bit easier and a lot cheaper, since you’re getting all of these backbones on a single subscription (or block).
Here’s a list of the providers that currently offer multiple backbones:
Frugal Usenet: Newshosting (HW)+ Usenet.Farm + BlockNews (HW)
Frugal’s main backbone is a lower-retention version of Highwinds Media via Newshosting, but they also offer a higher-retention Highwinds block from BlockNews with some plans.
NewsDemon: Independent + UsenetExpress
NewsDemon currently has its own very low-retention backbone, but it gets most of its retention from the UsenetExpress backbone.
NewsgroupDirect: Independent + UsenetExpress + Supernews + Usenet.Farm
NGD also has an independent backbone supplemented by UsenetExpress. But its “Triple Play” plan also includes access to the Giganews backbone (via Supernews) and the Usenet.Farm backbone.
MaximumUsenet: NewsgroupDirect + UsenetExpress
MaximumUsenet is now on the NGD backbone, supplemented by UsenetExpress.
Which Usenet Backbone Should I Use?
So, which backbone is the best for you?
A good setup is to get an unlimited account with a provider on one of the high-retention Omicron backbones.
From there, most Usenet veterans also like to get a backup block account. Why? Because it helps them pick up content that their primary provider might miss, often due to take-downs. Plus, there’s no penalty if you don’t use the block plan much, since you’ve already paid an upfront fee for a set amount of data and can take as long as you want to use it all up.
Read more about the best unlimited and block account combinations for maximizing your download completions.
But the bottom line is this: Paying for accounts with two Usenet providers on the same backbone (say, for example, Newshosting and NewsgroupNinja) is a waste of money.
And always make sure your main vs block accounts use different backbones, and preferably different takedown protocols too (DMCA vs. NTD).
Wrap Up
Usenet backbones (and providers) are changing all the time.
Retention keeps increasing, block accounts get cheaper, and occasionally a new Usenet backbone provider comes along. And of course, there’s the steady ebb and flow of Usenet provider acquisitions in the market which has consolidated dozens of providers onto a few backbones, eliminating backbones like Astraweb in the process.
But hopefully you now have a pretty good idea of the options that are out there – and which ones are right for you.
Are there any backbones we missed? Did something change since we posted this? Let us know in the comments!
