Easynews FAQ

1. General Easynews & Easynews Account Questions

2. Easynews Billing

3. Credit / Debit Pre-Authorization

4. Easynews HTTP(Web)

5. Easynews NNTP

6. Global Search 2.0

7. Easynews Abuse

8. General Usenet Topics

9. Refer-A-Friend

1. General Easynews & Easynews Account Questions
1.1 What Is Easynews? [top]
Question: What Is Easynews?
Answer: Easynews is a premium Usenet service and has been in business since 1995. Our NTTP and Web-based services offer some of the best retention, completion and speeds in the industry. We are confident that you will find Easynews to be one of the best and most useful Internet services available anywhere.

For more information on Usenet please see:


1.2 Monthly subscription plans (cost, gigs, retention, loyalty, rollover and max gigs available) [top]
Question: What do I get from Easynews with my monthly subscription?
Answer: Easynews offers 3 separate service tiers:
  • Classic
  • Plus
  • Big Gig
Each account tier allows for rollover gigs. Rollover gigs are unused gigs that are rolled into the next billing cycle. There is an upper cap on how many gigs an account can have available. Please see the table below for a full breakdown of cost, gigs, retention, loyalty and maximum gigs available information for each tier.

Tier Cost Billing Cycle Gigs Retention Loyalty Gigs Max Gigs Available
Classic $9.98 (USD) 30 days 20GB per cycle 150 Days 1 bonus gig for every year of continuous signup 500GB
Plus $14.97 (USD) 30 days 40GB per cycle Up To 200 Days 2 bonus gigs for every year of continuous signup 1000GB
BigGig $29.94 (USD) 30 days 150GB per cycle Up To 200 Days 12 bonus gigs for every year of continuous signup 3750GB


1.3 What methods of payment does Easynews accept? [top]
Question: What methods of payment does Easynews accept?
Answer: Easynews currently accepts:
  • On-line payments via credit card
  • Paypal
  • Payments via postal mail
Accounts signed up on-line via credit card are monthly recurring charges until cancelled by the customer. Easynews accepts the following credit cards:
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Discover
  • American Express
Easynews also accepts payments via postal mail. We require that these payments be sent in the form or a cashier's check or money order. The address is:
  • Easynews Holdings Inc
    Dept AT 953031
    Atlanta, GA 31192-3031


1.4 NNTP vs. HTTP [top]
Question: What is the difference between Easynews' NNTP and HTTP servers?
Answer: Our NNTP servers contain a full list of all our carried newsgroups – both discussion groups and alt groups. A user must use a newsreader to access files via the NNTP protocol.

The HTTP (web) server allows access to Usenet via a traditional web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox and Chrome. The web server can be accessed by logging into http://www.easynews.com and proceeding to the Main Members Area.


1.5 Easynews Support [top]
Question: How do I contact Easynews Support?
Answer: Support is available 24/7 365 days a year. You can contact Easynews Support at http://support.easynews.com/contact.phtml.


1.6 Retrieval of Easynews username and password [top]
Question: How do I retrieve my Easynews username and password?
Answer: If you have forgotten your username and/or password, please try to reset them using our "Forgot Password" page. Please note that to use this tool effectively, you must have an email address provided in your account profile that matches the email address you are inputting on the form.

If this method fails to work for you, please contact support.


1.7 Easynews password Scrambled [top]
Question: Why was my Easynews password scrambled and how do I retrieve it?
Answer: The reason your Easynews password was scrambled was because your account has been accessed from more than 15 different domains since your last password change.

A quick and easy way to access your new Easynews password is to use the password retrieval tool or you can contact us with your Easynews username and either the last 8 digits of the credit card used on the account or the answer to your security question (if you provided one). We can verify and release your account information to you.


1.8 Easynews Terms of Service [top]
Question: Where can I find the Easynews Terms of Service (TOS)/Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)?
Answer: You can find the Easynews TOS/AUP at the following link: https://www.easynews.com/agreement.phtml.


1.9 Easynews Privacy Policy [top]
Question: Where do I find Easynews' Privacy Policy?
Answer: The Easynews Privacy Policy can be found at http://www.easynews.com/privacypolicy.html


1.10 Accessing Easynews From Multiple Computers [top]
Question: Can I access Easynews from multiple computers?
Answer: Yes, you can. Logging in from multiple computers from the same domain has no effect on your Easynews account. However, Easynews does log domains used when you log in. If your account is accessed by more than 15 different domains, Easynews will scramble the account password as a security precaution.

If this occurs, you can retrieve your password at http://www.easynews.com/getpass.phtml or contact us. Please include your username and either the last 8 digits of the credit card used number on the account or the answer to your security question (if you provided one).


1.11 Sharing Easynews Accounts [top]
Question: Can I share my Easynews account with a friend or family member?
Answer: We are sorry, but Easynews accounts are not meant to be shared. This violates our Terms of Service and is grounds for account termination.


1.12 Password Hacking/Compromises [top]
Question: How do people attain/hack passwords?
Answer: There are 3 basic ways hackers get your username/password.
  1. Hackers brute force a website. This involves someone trying thousands of username and password pairs until they get one that works. This is also called a "dictionary attack" since they are essentially using variations of dictionary-type words until one works.
  2. Hackers successfully hack into a website and "steal" a master username and password list. Hackers combine the results of both 1 and 2 to make password lists that they trade and update regularly.
  3. Hackers share their compiled password lists and use them against thousands of websites looking for hits -- successful logins. This method is the most effective and the most insidious.
More Easynews accounts are compromised by method #3 than any other method. We have very sophisticated anti-hack measures in place to prevent #1 and #2.

To prevent #3 from happening to your account, pick a password that is very hard to guess. Use letters, digits and special characters. Most importantly, use a password that is unique to Easynews. Do not use the same password on numerous websites! You may also want to scan your computer for any keylogging viruses or spyware that log and send usernames and passwords via email.


1.13 Easynews Dial-Up Users [top]
Question: Can dial-up users use Easynews?
Answer: Yes they can. However, dial-up users won't receive the same high speed benefits from our broadband connections that other high speed users will experience. They will, however, benefit more from our substantial retention time.


1.14 Easynews and Mac Users [top]
Question: Can Mac users use Easynews?
Answer: Yes they can. There are several groups on our servers devoted to Mac users. Our site is compliant with Mac OS's and news clients.

*** Hogwasher users, make sure the XOVER option in your server settings is disabled. If you forget to disable it, you will encounter all sorts of strange behavior.


1.15 Prompted To Re-enter username and password [top]
Question: I keep getting prompted to re-enter my username and password over and over again. What is wrong?
Answer: To avoid being prompted to re-enter your username and password continuously, please ensure that you have cookies turned on (or your browser is set to accept cookies) and javascript is enabled.

Another possible cause is outdated cached information or cookies. This can happen if you've previously logged in with a different account or have changed your password. Clear your browser's cache, restart the browser, and try again.

If this is still happening you may be entering an incorrect username and password combination. If you want to verify you are using the correct information, please contact support@easynews.com and supply the last 8 digits of the credit card used on the account. We will verify the account and release the information to you.


1.16 PeerGuardian problems [top]
Question: PeerGuardian seems to block Easynews' IP address (140.99.99.99) by default. What can I do?
Answer: Just add the Easynews IPs to your "permanently allow" list:

140.99.99.90 - www.easynews.com
140.99.99.99 - members.easynews.com
69.16.186.8 - news.us.easynews.com
69.16.177.8 - news.eu.easynews.com
69.16.186.10 - secure.news.us.easynews.com
69.16.177.10 - secure.news.eu.easynews.com
69.16.186.9 - proxy.news.us.easynews.com
69.16.177.9 - proxy.news.eu.easynews.com
69.16.169.115 - support.easynews.com

Start up PeerGuardian, start a command prompt, ping to each of those IPs, right-click in PeerGuardian and choose "permanent allow".


2. Easynews Billing
2.1 Easynews Billing [top]
Question: How do I contact Easynews Billing?
Answer: You can contact Easynews Support for billing issues via email at our contact us page.


2.2 Secure Credit Card sign-up [top]
Question: Is my credit card secure with Easynews?
Answer: Yes. No vital credit card information is transmitted in the open. If you click on the link to change your credit card information, it will take you to a secure page. The account history only details billing dates. Any information that contains your credit card will be secure. Our practices are certified by national watchdog groups. Feel free to check out our Privacy Policy.


2.3 Secure PayPal sign-up [top]
Question: How does the PayPal signup process work?
Answer: The PayPal process works similar to the credit card process. When you join Easynews and choose to pay with the PayPal option you will be taken to the PayPal site where you log into your PayPal account. Once logged in you will be prompted to approve the monthly billing agreement. If you are eligible for the free trial you will not be charged at this time. Once the account billing cycle begins you will be charged for your account type on a monthly basis per the agreement. Should you decide to add additional gigs the appropriate fees will be charged to your PayPal account. If you decide to cancel your account or the billing agreement you will not be charged again, but you will no longer be able to access your Easynews account.


2.4 Confirmation Email [top]
Question: I tried to sign-up for Easynews, where is my confirmation email? Was I still charged?
Answer: The automated confirmation email contains a link that takes you to the final phase of the sign-up process. If you do not receive this email, you will not be charged. You may see a temporary authorization or hold by your bank. This temporary authorization is only settled if you receive the confirmation email and click on the link in the email to complete the sign-up process. If you do not do this, your temporary authorization will fall off and you will not be charged.

When signing up, be sure to check your spam/bulk/junk mail folders. Our message might have been filtered as spam. If you do not have the confirmation email in any of your folders, you will have to sign-up again. Be sure to use the same username and password that you used when attempting to sign-up the first time. Remember, you will only be charged when you click the link in the confirmation e-mail. Any other charges are temporary authorizations and will fall off when your bank clears temporary authorizations.


2.5 Multiple Charges from Easynews [top]
Question: Why am I receiving multiple charges on my monthly statement from Easynews?
Answer: If you are receiving multiple charges from Easynews on your monthly statement, there are either multiple accounts opened for that credit card or additional gigs were purchased during the same billing cycle. If you want to inquire if you have multiple accounts, please contact support and provide the last 8 digits of the credit card that is being charged.


2.6 Credit Card Declined During Sign-up [top]
Question: My credit card was declined when trying to sign-up, what do I do?
Answer: In most cases, a card was declined due a problem with the information you entered or due to a flag rejecting (certain) Internet transactions that your credit card provider has placed on your card. Double check all information you have filled out in the form to ensure it EXACTLY matches the information provided on your statements, such as the card's expiration date and security code.

If you reside outside of the United States, please attempt to use 00000 as your zip code if your card is declined using your normal postal code or if you don't have a postal code.


2.7 Voice Authorization Error When Signing Up [top]
Question: What does "Transaction declined. Authorization with Address Verification. Approval from the card issuer's voice center is required to process this transaction" mean when I am trying to sign-up?
Answer: This error message means that your credit/debit card issuer requires the merchant (in this case Easynews) to call and validate that you are present, in person and trying to use the card. Since this is an automated transaction, we are unable to call and verify you are present, in person. You will want to call your card issuer and inquire why they are blocking this attempted transaction or to see what holds may be present on your card.


2.8 Purchasing More Gigs [top]
Question: How do I purchase more gigs for Easynews?
Answer: You can only purchase additional gigs if you are over the gigs available limit for the current billing cycle.

If you are over your gig limit for the current cycle, you can log into www.easynews.com and you will be notified that you have exceeded your gig limit for the current cycle. You then have the option to wait until the account rebills as scheduled or manually purchase more gigs now. There will be a button that appears to purchase additional gigs. Upon clicking this button, your credit card will be charged for the appropriate tier and you will receive 30 days of service and the proper amount of gigs.


2.9 Easynews Reset Date Changing [top]
Question: Why does my rebill date keep changing by 2 days?
Answer: This will occur if we receive a bank decline on your credit card.

We attempt to charge your credit card a total of three times. These attempts will occur every two days, thus pushing back your account renewal date by two days. If on the third attempt the credit card is still declined, our system will cancel the account. Please contact your bank regarding the decline response on the credit card. You may have to update your credit card details to reflect your current information if a new card was received and you never updated this information in your account profile.

If a cancellation occurs and you want to continue using Easynews, please sign-up again and make sure that you use the same username and password so the account is reactivated.


2.10 Updating a Credit Card [top]
Question: How do I update my credit card information?
Answer: You can update your credit card information by going to our account edit page.


2.11 Easynews Account Not Yet Reset On Rebill Date [top]
Question: Today is my rebill date, why hasn't my account been reset?
Answer: The server has thousands of accounts that it has to process, which includes resetting the billing, cancellations, and gig counters. The system does this in a random order. You have two options to choose from:
  1. You can either wait until the system resets your account.

    2. or

  2. You can manually purchase more gigs. This will renew your cycle for a new 30 day period. Manually purchasing more gigs is the same as the system resetting your account. If you choose to purchase more gigs the system will recognize that the account has been charged and reset. It will not charge you twice.


2.12 The Autobuy Tool [top]
Question: What is the autobuy tool and what does it do?
Answer: Normally, if a user exceeds their gig limit, they are locked out of their account until the rebill date or until they manually purchase more gigs.

You can set your autobuy feature to purchase gigs automatically and avoid an account lockout scenario. You can edit your account settings by entering the number of times you would like your credit card to be automatically charged once you hit your gig limit in the Autobuy field.

The counter will count down from the number entered (1 - 10) each time the system autobuys gigs when your gig limit is reached until it reaches zero. When Autobuy reaches zero, you will need to reactivate the autobuy feature if you want to continue using it.

**IMPORTANT** Turning autobuy to zero DOES NOT cancel the account or suspend billing. If you do not want to be billed again, you will need to contact us or cancel your account on-line.


2.13 Valid Forms of ID for Mail In Customers [top]
Question: What type of ID is required for a mail-in subscription?
Answer: Any picture ID that is issued by a state or federal government is valid. This includes a driver's license, a state ID, a passport or a military ID. We are sorry, but no company IDs or privately issued IDs are valid.


2.14 Understanding Easynews Gig Account/Gig Amounts/Gig Bank [top]
Question: What is my "gig bank"? Is it accurate?
Answer: Easynews uses a type of ledger system for gig accounting. Your "gig bank" is the total number of gigs you have purchased, received from gig earning opportunities or have received for free from us. Your gig bank will be increased every time your account is renewed unless the limit for your tier is reached.

Your "total usage" is the total amount of gigs downloaded.

Your "gigs available" is the total amount of gigs you have available to use at any given time.

We use the following equation to determine how many gigs can be used for an account at any given time:
  • (gig bank) - (total usage) = (gigs available)
If an account is cancelled for any reason, its gig bank information will be stored for one year. You can sign-up within one year from the date of cancellation and use your old username and password to restore your account with the gigs still intact.

To reset your gig bank counter, (this has no effect on your actual available gigs) please edit your account details. Resetting your account will set your current "gigs available" as your gig bank and set your "total usage" to zero. No gigs will be lost.

Our gig counter only charges for gigs that were requested and subsequently sent out by our servers. Please note that the gig counter is accurate and proven to not overstate the total amount of gigs transferred. If you are noticing a gig total that you feel is inaccurate, there are a few reasons this may be occurring.

Your account may have been compromised. When logging into the Main Members Area, you will see a domain list of domains that have accessed your account. If there are domains that you do not recognize, your account may have been compromised. We suggest running a virus scan, a spyware/adware scan and then change your password.

If the domains are all domains you use to access the account, then it may be a port issue. The default web port is port 80. If your ISP uses proxy or cache servers, this could be the root of the problem. These types of servers are notorious for not supporting resuming downloads and causing other problems with downloads resulting in more gigs being used to download than originally intended. We strongly suggest using one of our alternate port options.


2.15 Earn Gigs Progams [top]
Question: How do I earn free gigs with Easynews?
Answer: You can earn free gigs 3 different ways:
  • Participate in the WCG Project
  • Refer a friend to Easynews
  • Take a weekly survey and give us feedback
The WCG Project uses idle CPU processes to assist in the processing of complex applications. You have the ability to earn 1GB for every 15 days of proessing time earned. Please go to the WCG Homepage for a complete description of the WCG Program. If you join this program, you MUST JOIN THE EASYNEWS TEAM. If you do not join the Easynews Team, you will not be able to redeem credits for free gigs with us.

If you refer a friend to Easynews, follow the instructions at our Refer-a-Friend page to learn how to earn free gigs for the referral.

You can also earn free gigs by taking our Weekly Survey. By offering your feedback, you can earn 500MB each week.


2.16 Easynews Earn Gigs Error [top]
Question: I get an error message when I try to retrieve gigs from WCG Gig Redemption Page. What is the problem?
Answer: If you are being told that you cannot redeem gigs because you are not an Easynews Team Member, you did not join the Easynews WCG Team when signing up for the program. You will have to join the Easynews Team. Unfortunately, the credits earned will not be redeemable as they were not earned under the Easynews Team Stats. You will start earning credits that are redeemable with our system once you join the Easynews Team.

If you are getting a login error, please double check your login. The Earn Gigs Login Page requires your WCG username and password and your Easynews username to be entered twice.


2.17 Earning Gigs for Two or More Different Easynews Accounts [top]
Question: Can I earn gigs with WCG for 2 different Easynews accounts?
Answer: Yes, you can redeem free gigs into any Easynews account you put into the Easynews username field. In order to be able to do so, your WCG account(s) must be part of the Easynews Team. You must also make sure that you type in your Easynews username twice and WCG username and password correctly, as they are all case sensitive.


2.18 Limits On Earning Free Gigs [top]
Question: Is there a limit on the free gigs you can earn or redeem using when participating in the WCG Program at a given amount of time?
Answer: No there is not. You can earn as many gigs as you can. Faster computers will process 15 days worth of work much faster. We do not limit the number of gigs earned as an Easynews Team member.

Although we do not directly limit the amount of gigs you can redeem at one time, you can only redeem whole gigs. Partial gigs will have the decimal place ignored. Please be careful. If you attempt to redeem 1.5GB, the system will interpret this as 15GB. This is not an Easynews script. This script is run by WCG and we do not have the ability to change this form functionality.

Please note that if you are at your tier's gig limit, the redemption of additional gigs will not be added and will be lost. Always be sure to check your account stats before redeeming gigs.


2.19 Cancelling an existing Easynews Account [top]
Question: How do I cancel my Easynews account?
Answer: You may cancel your Easynews subscription at https://www.easynews.com/cancel/

You will have the option to cancel your account effective immediately or at the end of the current billing cycle. If the link is not working for you, you can also contact support so we can assist you. Please specify if you would like your account cancelled immediately or at the end of billing. Please include your Easynews username and either the last 8 digits of the credit card that is used for the account or the answer to your security question (if you supplied one).


2.20 Updating your Easynews Account Profile [top]
Question: How do I edit or update my Easynews account profile?
Answer: You can update your Easynews account profile by logging into http://www.easynews.com/ and clicking "Account information" link in the Vintage interface or by clicking either the "Profile" or "My Account" links in the Easynews 2.0 interface.

Within the Profile, you are able to update your payment information, change your password and email or do other account management activities such as upgrade and set up your autobuys.


2.21 Recreating a Cancelled Account [top]
Question: My account was cancelled (either by me or by Easynews). How can I recreate my account with the same user name and gigs?
Answer: You can resume a previously existing account by signing up at https://www.easynews.com/signup/. However, instead of using new membership information when filling out the sign-up form, use your old username and password in the appropriate fields.

If you want a new password, you can change it after the account is created by going to https://www.easynews.com/edit/.

Re-creating your account within a year of the account being cancelled gives you access to your old account and it will include any previously unused gigs. If you sign back up within 60 days of your previous cancellation date, you will maintain your loyalty counter."


2.22 Downgrading Your Account [top]
Question: What happens to my gigs if I switch to a lower priced plan?
Answer: In the event you decide to downgrade your subscription from either Plus or Big Gig, there will be a down-conversion of gigs.

An account will only down-convert if you have more gigs than the purchase you are making, so if you have 19 gigs left as Big Gig and down-convert to Classic, you'll still have 19 gigs + 20 purchase gigs for a total of 39 gigs.


3. Credit / Debit Pre-Authorization
3.1 Pre-Authorization [top]
Question: What is a Pre-Authorization?
Answer: A pre-authorization is a temporary hold of a specific amount of the available balance on a credit / debit card. The pre-authorization is NOT a charge and you are not responsible for paying for it.


3.2 Debit Card Pre-Authorization [top]
Question: What is a debit card pre-authorization hold?
Answer: When you use your debit card to conduct a credit transaction (you do not enter your PIN), the amount is placed on hold and removed from your available balance immediately. The hold is usually released approximately 72 hours after account cancelation if that cancelation takes place within the free trial period or when the transaction clears, whichever comes first. The actual length of time for the release will depend on your individual debit card.


3.3 Credit Card Pre-Authorization [top]
Question: What is a credit card pre-authorization hold?
Answer: The amount is placed on hold and removed from your available credit limit immediately. The hold is usually released approximately 72 hours after account cancelation if that cancelation takes place within the free trial period or when the transaction clears, whichever comes first. The actual length of time for the release will depend on your individual credit card.


3.4 PayPal Pre-Authorization [top]
Question: What is a Paypal pre-authorization hold?
Answer: The amount is placed on hold and removed from the available credit limit on the credit card linked to your PayPal account immediately. The hold is usually released approximately 72 hours after account cancelation if that cancelation takes place within the free trial period or when the transaction clears, whichever comes first, however the hold may take up to 29 days to clear. Please check with Paypal to determine how your account will be specifically effected.


3.5 Debit Card vs. Credit Card Pre-Authorization [top]
Question: How does a debit card pre-authorization differ from a credit card pre-authorization?
Answer: Because a debit card is tied to a bank account the preauthorization removes funds from the available balance immediately where as a credit card removes those funds from a credit line. Because the check card deals with cash and not credit the amount of the preauthorization will not be available to you even though it has not yet been removed from your bank account. Example: if a bank account has a $2000 balance and a $10 preauthorization has been made only $1990 will be available for access. After the preauthorization has been released the $10 will once again be available.


3.6 Pre-Authorization Amount [top]
Question: How much is the Pre-Authorization?
Answer: We pre-authorize all credit / debit cards for the cost of a single month of the selected plan type for all accounts that are in a free trial period.


3.7 Timing of Pre-Authorization [top]
Question: When is the Credit / Debit Card Pre-Authorized?
Answer: All credit / debit cards are pre-authorized when you finalize the account creation.


3.8 Pre-Authorization Release [top]
Question: When does the Pre-Authorization Get Released from the Credit / Debit Card? 
Answer: The hold is usually released approximately 72 hours after account cancelation if that cancelation takes place within the free trial period or when the transaction clears, whichever comes first. The actual length of time for the release will depend on your individual credit / debit card.


3.9 Faster Release of Pre-Authorization [top]
Question: Can the Pre-Authorization be Removed Sooner?
Answer: This again depends on your credit / debit card company. We are unable to remove pre-authorizations directly; we can only place them on. We have found that most credit/debit card companies remove the preauthorization within 72 hours of our actual charge being posted. However if your particular company does take longer and you would like to take steps to have it removed sooner, you will need to contact your lending institution.


4. Easynews HTTP (Web)
4.1 Downloads Not Resuming [top]
Question: Why won't my downloads resume?
Answer: Our servers are http 1.1 compliant. Therefore resuming downloads are supported on our end. In most cases, a proxy server or cache server is between you and us. These types of servers use http 1.0, which does not support resuming downloads. To correct this, be sure to use one of our alternate port options when downloading from the web and be sure to always use a download manager.

Our port options on the web interface are:
  • Port 81: http://members.easynews.com:81 or the "on port 81" link on the zip manager page
  • Port 443 (SSL): https://members.easynews.com or the "SSL download" link on the zip manager page
Many web browsers claim to support resuming, however this ability is usually only partially implemented. Thus, Easynews recommends using an actual separate download manager. Two download managers that we recommend are:


4.2 Slow Speeds with Easynews [top]
Question: Why are my speeds slower than expected?
Answer: If you are experiencing slow speeds with Easynews, there is probably an issue with the connection between you and us. While the route from you to Easynews (your outbound route) isn't as important to your download speeds as the connection from Easynews to you (your inbound route), an unreliable or slow connection from you to Easynews can affect your download speeds because we will not be receiving your requests for additional data as fast as required to maximize your connection.

To attempt to get better speeds, please use our traceroute tool to examine the route between us and you.

This is a reverse trace of the connection going from us to you (your inbound route). Once the trace is complete, you will see your current route's details and any packet loss and/or latency along your current inbound connection, as well as a link at the bottom to re-route your connection. Click that link or go directly to our re-route tool.

Our re-route tool will offer several optional routes to choose from. You can click on any route to change your inbound route in real time and see if there is any improvement. Changing a route while being active on Easynews will not adversely affect your connection and is a actually a great way of seeing differences between the route options in real time. Route changes will be in effect for 10 days or until your ISP issues you a new dynamic IP address, whichever comes first.

If you are still having speed issues after taking the suggested steps above, send a copy of your reverse traceroute from each route option and a copy of a traceroute from you to us (your outbound route). To acquire a trace of your outbound route, follow these steps:
  • For Windows systems
    • Click on [Start]
    • Type "command"
    • Press enter
    • Type "tracert members.easynews.com"
  • For Unix or clone systems
    • Get to a shell prompt
    • Type "traceroute members.easynews.com"


4.3 Easynews Secure Site [top]
Question: Does Easynews have a secure site?
Answer: Yes we do. If you want to access Easynews' HTTP (web) server through a secure connection, you can use the address: https://members.easynews.com/ for the Vintage users or https://members.easynews.com/2.0/ for the latest version of Easynews.


4.4 Easynews Global Search [top]
Question: What is the Global Search and what is the link to it?
Answer: The Easynews Global Search is a way for our users to search the Usenet via a web interface versus using a traditional newsreader.

The Global Search is only available to members after logging in at https://www.easynews.com/login


4.5 Easynews Backlog Status [top]
Question: Where do I find the Easynews backlog stats?
Answer: You can find the Easynews backlog stats at the following link: http://www.easynews.com/howmuch.phtml.


4.6 Zip Manager [top]
Question: How do I use the Zip Manager?
Answer: The Zip Manager is a file management tool for Easynews users. It allows for the addition of multiple files to a single zip queue enabling the user to download all the queued files at once.

To add files to the zip queues, a user can check the boxes next to a file in the group indexes or global search results and click the "zip" button. This action will send the selected files to the selected zip queue. The user can download the queue by selecting one of the download options:
  • The "Download" link - Downloads via the default web port, port 80
  • The "On port 81" link - Downloads via port 81
  • The "SSL Download" link - Downloads via port 443 using SSL
  • The "SSL on port 81" link - Downloads via port 81 using SSL
The resulting file is a .zip file that will allow users to extract the contents using various zip tools. For more information on zip files, check out WinZip.


4.7 CRC Errors with ZIPs from ZIP Manager [top]
Question: Why am I getting CRC errors when trying to open ZIPs from the ZIP Manager?
Answer: When a file is removed due to retention or Terms of Service violations, it also is removed from the ZIP queue. If you are downloading the ZIP file at the moment, this can corrupt the ZIP file.


4.8 Zip Manager Queue Is Empty After File is Queued [top]
Question: I just added a file (or files) to a ZIP queue, but the queue is still empty, what's wrong?
Answer: If queued files do not appear, there is likely a cache issue with your ISP or PC. First, check the top of the ZIP manager page for any messages. If there are no messages regarding why the files were not added, clear your temporary internet files (called the "cache" in most browsers) and delete your cookies. We suggest using our other port options to bypass any proxy or cache servers that your ISP may be using that may contribute to this problem.

Click the "refresh" link on the zip manager page then try to add the zip again. It should now appear in the default zip queue.


4.9 Zip Queue Empty but Stating It Is Locked [top]
Question: I am trying to add to an empty ZIP queue, but the ZIP manager is telling me that the queue is locked.
Answer: This problem is a result of a cached page. This is either at the browser level or the ISP level. Clear your temporary internet files (or "cache" as most browsers call it) and delete your cookies. Click the "refresh" link on the zip manager page then try to add the ZIP queue again.


4.10 Addition of Newsgroups to Easynews' servers [top]
Question: How do I request the addition of a newsgroup to Easynews' servers?
Answer: You can request a group to be added to the Easynews' servers at https://members.easynews.com/addgroup.


5. Easynews NNTP
5.1 NNTP Server Addresses [top]
Question: What are the NNTP server address options?
Answer: To use a server address that will geolocate you to the nearest farm, the NNTP server address options are as follows:
  • news.easynews.com listens on port 119
  • proxy.news.easynews.com listens on ports 21, 22, 23, 25, 53, 80, 110, 8000 and 8080
  • (SSL Encrypted) secure.news.easynews.com listens on ports 21, 22, 23, 25, 53, 80, 110, 119, 443, 563, 8000 and 8080
The US server address options are as follows:
  • news.us.easynews.com listens on port 119
  • proxy.news.us.easynews.com listens on ports 21, 22, 23, 25, 53, 80, 110, 8000 and 8080
  • (SSL Encrypted) secure-us.news.easynews.com listens on ports 21, 22, 23, 25, 53, 80, 110, 119, 443, 563, 8000, and 8080
The EU server address options are as follows:
  • news.eu.easynews.com listens on port 119
  • proxy.news.eu.easynews.com listens on ports 21, 22, 23, 25, 53, 80, 110, 8000 and 8080
  • (SSL Encrypted) secure-eu.news.easynews.com listens on ports 21, 22, 23, 25, 53, 80, 110, 119, 443, 563, 8000, and 8080


5.2 Newsgroup List [top]
Question: What newsgroups does Easynews carry?
Answer: A full list of groups on our NNTP servers can be found at http://www.easynews.com/list-all-groups.phtml

This displays the entire list of the newsgroups we have available on our nntp servers.


5.3 Headers and Your Easynews Usage Limit [top]
Question: Do headers count as part of my usage limit?
Answer: Headers do not count toward your usage.


5.4 10061 Error Using the NNTP Server [top]
Question: I am getting a winsock error 10061, how do I fix this?
Answer: This error is usually attributed to your outbound connection being limited by either your ISP or an internal firewall/security setting. Double check your settings to ensure that you are able to connect to us directly using telnet. To test via telnet:
  • Open a command line prompt
  • Type "telnet" and hit enter
  • Type "open news.easynews.com 119" and hit enter
You should be greeted by a welcome banner asking you to authenticate. This means that you can connect to our news servers directly and you should be able to double check your newsreader setup. If you cannot connect, a firewall or your ISP is blocking access on this port. If it is a firewall, update your firewall settings to allow traffic over the selected port. You can also retest this with all of our port options until you find a port that you are able to use. Upon a successful telnet, use that address and port option in your newsreader settings.


5.5 503 Error When Logging Into NNTP Server [top]
Question: Why am I receiving a "503 error: 61169FY" or "503 too many login attempts" error when logging into the NNTP server?
Answer: This error is reported when there are several failed log in attempts with an incorrect user name and password combination via the NNTP server. If this occurs, your account and IP address will be blocked. Please do not try to access your account during this lockout period or more time will be assessed to the lockout. During this time you will still have access to our HTTP (web) server. You can contact support to double check your login information and have this lockout removed.


5.6 General Posting Guidelines [top]
Question: What are some basic suggestions for people who are posting to groups on Usenet?
Answer: Here are some general suggestions to becoming a good poster:
  • You may not want to post using your real name. Once your message is posted to our server is spreads through Usenet to thousands of other servers with potentially millions of viewers. Some suggestions for user names include just your first name or a nickname.
  • You should not post using your actual e-mail address. Spammers may send unsolicited e-mail to your address. If you desire to be contacted, you can confound your e-mail address by placing a word or two into it that are obvious to remove (example: joeNOSPAMuser@easyREMOVEnews.com). Alternately, you can enter a non-existent e-mail address and just provide your e-mail address in some form in your message itself (example: joeuser at Easynews dot com). If you do enter a fake e-mail address, make sure that you end it with ".invalid" or your mail might get addressed to a mail server you didn't know existed.
  • Watch the activity in the newsgroup of your interest for a while before posting. Don't be too quick to start throwing out loads of posts for the 'benefit' of the group. Most of those who do this end up in everyone's kill filter because they're going against group norms. Look for a copy of the newsgroup FAQ/charter (or request one) and find out what is acceptable or unacceptable. Group FAQs are often posted to the group every few weeks. You can also often find web pages dedicated to the group. Use your favorite search engine to find these.
Most newsgroups will have a bunch of people who are very helpful and willing to answer your questions. When you're ready to post a file, test post to a group like easynews.test or alt.binaries.test. By posting to a test group, you won't clutter up the regular group. Start with something small until you get the hang of it. After you've practiced posting go ahead and post to the actual group. The same rules apply to posting text messages. Post to a test group such as easynews.test or alt.test first and make sure your message appears okay. Then go ahead and post to your actual target group.


5.7 Unable to Post Via Easynews [top]
Question: Why can't I post through Easynews?
Answer: Posting is disabled by default on all Easynews accounts. This is the same for newly created and accounts that have been reopened. To see if your account is eligible to have posting enabled and to have it turned on, contact support and include your username and either the last 8 digits of the card used on the account or the answer to your security question (if you supplied one) for account verification.


5.8 E-mail Server For Posting [top]
Question: Why do I need an e-mail server to post?
Answer: Many programs (such as Agent) will not allow you to post until an e-mail server has been configured. This is because many newsreaders double as e-mail clients. If you do not plan to use your client for e-mail, simply enter an invalid server, such as "noserver.invalid.com".


5.9 Posting Limit [top]
Question: How do I get my posting limit increased?
Answer: To ask to have your posting limit increased, contact support with your username and either the last 8 digits of the credit card used on the account or the answer to your security question (if you supplied one) for account verification. We will review the account and decide if a posting increase is possible.


5.10 Top-Posting and Bottom-Posting [top]
Question: What are top-posting and bottom-posting?
Answer: Top-posting and bottom-posting are terms applied to where a reponse to a text-message appears. Top-posting means that the reply appears above the message that is being responded to. This allows the new content to be seen at the top of a message. Bottom-posting means the response is beneath the original message. This allows a message to be read top-to-bottom. Bottom-posting is the accept standard when posting responses to messages via Usenet.


5.11 Posting File Size Limit [top]
Question: What is the largest size a post to Easynews can be?
Answer: Easynews has a very large file size that can be accepted. However, for maximum propagation (sending of your post to the rest of Usenet), you shouldn't post any single segment above 500KB, as many servers have post size limits much lower than 500KB.

Various posting programs can count file size in various ways. For reference:
  • 500KB is 512,000 bytes or characters
  • If using UUEncoding, use no more than around 7,000 lines
  • If using MIME-encoding, use no more than around 6,000 lines
  • If using yEnc, post segments that are 1,800 to 3,600 lines


5.12 Posts Not Showing Up [top]
Question: Why is my post not showing up?
Answer: Your message should appear within 5 minutes of posting. However, depending upon the route it takes, it could take several hours before becoming visible to you in the Newsgroup globally. Your message leaves your computer and is passed from server to server as it propagates through Usenet and is available via other Usenet providers.

There could also be a delay if the group is moderated. In cases where groups are moderated, a moderator must approve the post before it appears. The time it takes for a post to be reviewed by a moderator varies from group to group. If a moderator rejects a post, it will not appear in the group and will not be propagated.


5.13 Cancelling Posts [top]
Question: How do I cancel a post?
Answer: Easynews, like most News Service Providers, does not honor cancels. This is due to the fact that cancel requests are easy to forge and therefore could be used for malevolent purposes. Easynews does, however, propagate the cancel requests to other servers.


5.14 Posting error -- "441 Posting Failed ("From" Header not in Internet Syntax.)" [top]
Question: I am trying to post and am getting the "441 Posting Failed ("From" Header not in Internet Syntax.)" error.
Answer: This error means that you are not using a properly-formatted e-mail address when you are posting. You do not have to use your real e-mail address. In fact, using your real e-mail address is discouraged because using your real e-mail address in a post makes it easy for it to be added to a spam list. You can confound your real address if you'd like people to contact you. For example, "myusernam@easynews.com" could become "myFAKEusernam@easyNOSPAMnews.com".


5.15 STunnel and Easynews [top]
Question: How do I set up STunnel for use with Easynews?
Answer: Here are instructions to set up STunnel:
  • Go to http://www.stunnel.org/. Download STunnel and install the program on your system. If you are using Windows, get the Windows Binaries and OpenSSL Libraries from this page: http://www.stunnel.org/download/binaries.html
  • In the directory you have stunnel installed in, create a text file called 'stunnel.conf' which contains these lines:
    • # sample config file for connecting to easynews.com
    • client = yes
    • [nntps]
    • accept = localhost:119
    • connect = secure.news.us.easynews.com:563 (or secure.news.eu.easynews.com:563)
    • # end of sample config
  • Start the secure tunnel. In the directory that you have installed stunnel, type this line stunnel-#.##.exe , where #.## is the current version number you downloaded. (Always keep stunnel running when you are using the news client)
  • In your newsreader settings, set your news server address to 'localhost' (without the quotes).
Note: Stunnel 3.X used command line options for setting up the server, but Stunnel 4.X uses a configuration file for settings.


6. Global Search 2.0
6.1 About Global Search 2.0 [top]
Question: What is Global Search 2.0?
Answer: Global Search 2.0 is the new default search engine for the latest Easynews interface and new users. Older users can opt in to this search method in their preferences.


6.2 Global Search 2.0 Benefits [top]
Question: What are the benefits of Global Search 2.0?
Answer: The benefits of Global Search 2.0 include:
  • Searches 4x faster on average.
  • The keywords and subject field implement stemming. Stemming is the breaking down of search terms into their root word. Searching subject for "running" will give you results for "run", "runs", "running", "run's" etc.
  • Cross-posts are collapsed into a single search result making the 'Remove Duplicates' option redundant (it was removed).
  • New option 'Spam Filter' excludes items that have been posted more than 100 times (including crossposts).
  • Global Search 2.0 allows us to service a lot more queries faster. This results in a lesser strain on the hardware and much faster search results.


6.3 Supported Search Methods [top]
Question: What search methods are supported by Global Search 2.0?
Answer: The supported search methods for Global Search 2.0 include:
  • A B C - This will search for A and B and C. By default, just leaving space between your terms makes them be AND'd together.
  • A|B|C - This will search for A or B or C. Make sure to not have white space between the | and terms, otherwise it will interpret that to be AND'd together.
  • ABC ! DEF - This will search for ABC excluding DEF. You can enter any positive terms on the left of the ! and any negative on the right of the !.
  • ! DEF - This will search for anything excluding DEF. You cannot do a negate only search, so you would need to have a positive term in one of the other fields.


6.4 Non-Supported Search Methods [top]
Question: What search methods are not supported by Global Search 2.0?
Answer: The non-supported search methods for Global Search 2.0 include:
  • "A B" - This will search for A[[:space:]]B. This is how you would want to do an exact phrase with the terms just having one space between them.
  • ABC* - This will search for ABC.* , meaning ABC followed by nothing or anything(i.e. ABC, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP).
  • ABC? - This will search for ABC. , meaning ABC followed by any one character(i.e. ABCD, ABCE).
  • Regular expressions are not supported


6.5 Additional Notes On Global Search 2.0 [top]
Question: Are there any additional notes I should be aware of while using Global Search 2.0?
Answer: Additional usage notes include:
  • All fields except for 'groups' are case-insensitive.
  • Sort options are limited to (Relevance, Extension, Size, Date & Time, Filename, Video Codec, Audio Codec, Image Size, A/V Length, Bitrate, Sample rate, Frames per sec)
  • "Collapse Sets" option not available.


6.6 Reverting to Vintage Global Search [top]
Question: Can I revert to the Vintage Global Search?
Answer: If you wish to revert to the Vintage Global Search platform you can do so by going into preferences, under the Search tab, and changing your "Preferred Search Platform" preference.


7. Easynews Abuse
7.1 Easynews Abuse [top]
Question: How do I contact Easynews Abuse?
Answer: Easynews Abuse handles all correspondences and inquiries via email. You can contact Easynews Abuse via email at abuse@easynews.com.


7.2 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) [top]
Question: What is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)?
Answer: The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a document passed in 1998 covering copyright and intellectual property rights in the digital age. The DMCA itself can be read at http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf

You can find more information at:


7.3 Easynews Copyright Policy [top]
Question: What is Easynews' Copyright Policy?
Answer: For information regarding the Easynews copyright policy, please click on the following link:
http://www.easynews.com/copyright.html.


7.4 Easynews Child Porn Policy [top]
Question: What is Easynews' policy on child porn?
Answer: For information regarding the Easynews policy regarding child porn, please click on the following link: http://www.easynews.com/childpolicy.html.


7.5 Easynews Spam Policy [top]
Question: What is Easynews' policy on SPAM?
Answer: Easynews's formal Spam policy can be read at https://www.easynews.com/agreement.phtml#spam.


7.6 Reporting Violations to Easynews [top]
Question: How do I report Usenet/Easynews violations?
Answer: If you are reporting a Usenet or Easynews violation (flooding/spamming, Child Pornography, copyright/DMCA, etc.), please e-mail the complaint to the appropriate address: Please include the message header or sample of the message headers for the post(s) in question.


8. General Usenet Topics
8.1 Starting Your Own Newsgroup [top]
Question: How do I start my own newsgroup?
Answer: For information on how to start your own newsgroup, please click the following link: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/creating-newsgroups/part1/


8.2 General Net Traffic [top]
Question: How do I check the general internet traffic?
Answer: To check the general internet traffic, please click the following link: http://www.internettrafficreport.com/main.htm.


8.3 .RAR Files [top]
Question: What are .RAR files and how do I use them?
Answer: In short, a RAR file is a container file that contains one or more files in it in compressed form. RAR files can be used to split a large file into many smaller, easier-to-download files, or to put a set of many small files into a single, larger, easy-to-download file.

For a full definition of .RAR files, please visit the following link: http://www.rarlab.com/rar_file.htm

To handle .RAR files, you will need a program such as:


8.4 .PAR2 Files [top]
Question: What are .PAR2 files and how do I use them?
Answer: For a technical definition of what PAR2 files are, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parchive

To handle PAR2 files, download QuickPAR at http://www.quickpar.org.uk/

See the official PARchive home page at http://parchive.sourceforge.net/

PAR2 files are parity data that can be used to recover missing or damaged files in a set, such as a set of RAR files or images. PAR2 files use blocks instead of files. You simply need enough blocks to recover and replace all of the missing or damaged blocks. This allows you to recover incomplete files or build entirely missing files. Block sizes vary from set to set, but can be anywhere from a few KB for small sets to several MB for larger file sets (videos, for example).

The file name pattern for .PAR2 files is: FileSetName.vol###+###.par2

The first ### is the number of the first block in the PAR2 set. The second ### is the number of blocks in that file. The first number is only significant in the case that you wan to find a full set of PAR2 files. For example, let's say you have the following files:

Filename.vol00+01.par2
Filename.vol01+02.par2
Filename.vol03+04.par2
Filename.vol15+08.par2

The first file starts at block 0 and contains 1 block. The second file starts at block 1 and contains 2 blocks. The third starts with block 3 and contains 4 blocks. The fourth file starts with block 15 and contains 8 blocks. In total, you have 15 (1+2+4+8) blocks of recovery data. You can also conclude from the pattern in the filenames that a PAR2 file is missing, possibly named Filename.vol07+08.par2. Because the number of recover blocks are in the file name, you can actually download the file set, see how many blocks are needed, and then download at least that many recover blocks worth of PAR2 files.


8.5 .001, .002, .003, etc. Files [top]
Question: How do I use .001, .002, .003, etc. files?
Answer: Files with this extension may be on of two types: Files with no preceeding extension (filename.001, filename.002, etc) are Rar files. These files can be extracted using WinRAR.

Files with a preceeding extension (filename.jpg.001, filename.jpg.002, etc) are split files. They can be recombined using a program such as MasterSplitter or HJSplit.


9. Refer A Friend
9.1 Overview [top]
Question: How does it work?
Answer: Your Refer-A-Friend referrer URL contains a key that uniquely identifies you.

When someone else opens that URL in their browser, the key is automatically stored in their browser as a cookie. If they later create an account, the last step in the account creation process will be to tie the new account to you as a referral.

For more information and details, please visit the Refer A Friend page!
9.2 Refer-A-Friend URL [top]
Question: What is my Refer-A-Friend URL?
Answer: Go to the Refer A Friend page to find out!
9.3 Referrals [top]
Question: Can I see a list of my referrals?
Answer: Sure! Just go here!
9.4 Qualified Referrals [top]
Question: What is a 'Qualified' referral? How do my referrals become 'Qualified'?
Answer: Your referral will achieve qualified status 45 days after his or her first payment, and if he or she remains active during that time.

You can check on your referrals by going here.
Question: Why am I not getting credit for my referrals?
Answer: Credits are awarded to your Refer-A-Friend account after your referrals achieve qualified status. To prevent abuse, all referral accounts must be new accounts.
9.5 Clicks [top]
Question: What is a click?
Answer: Your 'Click' count is the number of unique people that have clicked on your referrer URL. More specifically, it is the number of times your ref_key was set in someone's browser.
9.6 Rewards [top]
Question: What kinds of rewards can I get?
Answer: You can redeem your credits for free months of service or more gigs! Please see the rewards page for more details!
9.7 MySpace [top]
Question: What about MySpace?
Answer: We don't recommend adding your referral URL to your MySpace page. Links to easynews.com from MySpace do not currently work.
9.8 Issues [top]
Question: Something is wrong or broken! Help?
Answer: Please talk to a member of our helpful and friendly support staff, we are available 24 hours! Go to our support page for more information.
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