Who’s really hosting that Usenet provider’s Newsgroups? (Updated 3/25/2012)

Once a year (or so) we do an exhaustive research project to figure out which of the consumer Usenet companies are actually using shared resources and which are stand-alone. It’s based on IP back-tracing to server farms, company ownership research, and a good bit of just talking to service owners and the back-end companies themselves. Not everyone is up front about how their operations work and who uses what, but we feel good that the table below is fairly accurate as of the time we put it together.

As the bar for minimum usenet quality levels continues to rise, fewer and fewer newsgroup companies have the resources to compete in the usenet field on their own. In order to maintain the kind of discussion thread history (i.e. retention days) that users demand, hosting companies must maintain terrabytes of disc space and channel even more bandwidth. The simple fact is: There are only a handful of independent usenet providers out there anymore, and their newsgroup retention levels and system uptime just can’t compare to the big three.

Chances are that any Usenet company you see advertised on the ‘net is actually just re-selling access to one of the big three: Readnews, Giganews, or Highwinds. In fact, a fair number of the companies listed for one of the back ends are either owned by or tightly related to the back end Usenet host. All three providers have their strengths and weaknesses. Where possible we always recommend cutting out the middleman and going directly to the source. For Highwinds and Giganews you can buy from one of their closely owned or managed companies. For Readnews you can choose among a couple of their long-standing resellers who have a solid reputation for service.

Oh, so you noticed? XSNews on the list too? Right now we’re not sure what is going to become of them – we’re only on the outside looking in, but it appears they have been pulled in to a Dutch lawsuit in some way, so we’re unsure of their future, as it appears most of their prior resellers have become concerned as well. For the sake of the Usenet family, we truly hope they prevail!

So without further adieu, here is our list of Usenet Newsgroup providers and the back end service providers for each:

Usenet Service Companies sorted by Back End Provider

We get flack from the back end Newsgroup providers every time we update this database, but it’s really useful for users who are looking to switch to a new Usenet service and want to make sure they get one with the back end they prefer.

Backend Server or status Sold via (Direct or reseller)
ALTOPIA altopia.com
Euroaccess xlned.com
FDC Servers.net (?) nntpserver.com
FDC Servers.net sonic-news.com
FDC Servers.net teranews.com
Giganews airnews.net
Giganews giganews.com EU, US
Giganews powerusenet.com
Giganews rhinonewsgroups.com
Giganews speakeasy.net (ISP)
Giganews Supernews.com – EU, US
Giganews Usenet.net
Highwinds alt.binaries.com EU, US
Highwinds bubbanews.com US
Highwinds easynews.com EU,US
Highwinds ensnews.com EU, US
Highwinds eweka.nl
Highwinds firstload.com EU
Highwinds flashnewsgroups.com US
Highwinds forteinc.com
Highwinds iload-usenet.com EU
Highwinds iusenet.com US
Highwinds maximumusenet.com EU, US
Highwinds meganetnews.com US
Highwinds newsdemon.com EU, US
Highwinds newsgroup-binaries.com US
Highwinds newsgroupdirect.com US
Highwinds newsguy.com US
Highwinds newshosting.com US, EU
Highwinds newsrazor.net EU
Highwinds nntpjunkie.com US
Highwinds simonnews.com EU
Highwinds sonic-news.com EU, US
Highwinds teranews US
Highwinds thenewsgroups.com EU, US
Highwinds theusenet.com EU, US
Highwinds thundernews.com EU, US
Highwinds tigerusenet.com EU, US
Highwinds titannews US
Highwinds uncensorednewsfeed.com EU, US
Highwinds usenet-access.com US
Highwinds usenetguide.com US
Highwinds usenetserver.com
Highwinds yottanews.com US
Integra Telecom newsrazor.net
Mithral Comm & Desgn octanews.com
NOVIA Corp newscene.com
PC extreme BV news-service.com – NL based
Readnews blocknews.net EU, US
Readnews fastusenet.org
Readnews newsreader.com
Readnews newsservers.net
Readnews ngroups.net
Readnews stealthnews.com
Readnews uncensorednewsfeed.com
Readnews usenet.se
Readnews usenetcentral.com
Readnews usenetmonster.com
Readnews usenet-news.net
Readnews usenetnow.net EU, US
Readnews usenetrocket.com
Redirected to others newsfeeds.com
Reflected Network newsgroups.com
Reflected Network newsgroups.com
Reflected Network uncensorednewsfeed.com
RSP Infrastructure, LLC hitnews.eu
Searchtech Ltd astraweb.com EU
SOL.NET megabitz.net
Virtual Interactive Ctr newsville.com
XEEX astraweb.com US
XS News BV binverse.com
XS News BV download2day.nl
XS News BV eurofeeds.com
XS News BV smsusenet.com
XS News BV usenext.com
XS News BV xsnews.com
thumbnails GoGoUsenet.com
thumbnails thumbnailednewsgroups.com
thumbnails ucache
thumbnails usenetbinaries.com
thumbnails xusenet
thumbnails diiva.com
thumbnails newscat.com
CLOSED 100proofnews.com
CLOSED 1usenet.com
CLOSED active-news.com
CLOSED alibis.com
CLOSED allthenews
CLOSED anonymousnewsfeed.com
CLOSED athenanews.com
CLOSED buzzardnews.com
CLOSED claranews
CLOSED core.com
CLOSED corenews.com
CLOSED cox.net
CLOSED eternews.com
CLOSED euronews.com
CLOSED eurousenet.com
CLOSED fastusenet.com
CLOSED goliathnews
CLOSED guba.com
CLOSED iusenet.com EU
CLOSED mammothnews.com
CLOSED maximumusenet.com
CLOSED news2me.com
CLOSED news4u2.com NL
CLOSED news4u2.com NYC
CLOSED news4u2.com Phoenix
CLOSED newsdome.com
CLOSED newsfeeds.eu
CLOSED newsfusion.net
CLOSED onlynews.com
CLOSED orangeusenet.com
CLOSED Randori – closed
CLOSED razornews.com
CLOSED rushnetwork.net
CLOSED slurp.net
CLOSED ultrafeed.com
CLOSED usenet.com
CLOSED Usenetvault.com
CLOSED usenet-xxl.com

 

 

Newsgroup Back End Providers sorted by Usenet Advertiser

Like-wise, we get flack from the Usenet services every time we update this database, but it’s really useful for users who want to see where their service is really coming from before they decide to make any changes.

Sold via (Direct or reseller) Backend Server or status
100proofnews.com CLOSED
1usenet.com CLOSED
active-news.com CLOSED
airnews.net Giganews
alibis.com CLOSED
allthenews CLOSED
alt.binaries.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
alt.binaries.com US east Highwinds – US – reseller
altopia.com Altopia
anonymousnewsfeed.com CLOSED
astraweb.com EU Searchtech Ltd
astraweb.com US Searchtech Ltd
athenanews.com CLOSED
binverse.com XSNews
blocknews.net EU Readnews.com AMS
blocknews.net US Readnews.com US
bubbanews.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
buzzardnews.com CLOSED
claranews CLOSED
core.com CLOSED
corenews.com CLOSED
cox.net No Usenet
diiva.com thumbnails
download2day.nl XSNews
easynews.com US Highwinds – US – EN
easynews.com EU Highwinds – EU – EN
ensnews.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
ensnews.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
eternews.com CLOSED
eurofeeds.com XSNews
eurofeeds.com XSNews
euronews.com CLOSED
eurousenet.com CLOSED
eweka.nl Highwinds – Eweka
fastusenet.com CLOSED
fastusenet.org Readnews.com US
firstload.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
flashnewsgroups.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
forteinc.com Highwinds – US – Reseller
giganews EU Giganews
giganews US Giganews
GoGoUsenet.com Thumbnail
goliathnews CLOSED
guba.com CLOSED
hitnews.eu Hosted at RSP Infrastructure, LLC
iload-usenet.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
iusenet.com EU CLOSED
iusenet.com SSL US Highwinds – US – reseller
mammothnews.com CLOSED
maximumusenet.com CLOSED
maximumusenet.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
maximumusenet.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
megabitz.net Hosted at SOL.NET
meganetnews.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
news2me.com CLOSED
news4u2.com NL CLOSED
news4u2.com NYC CLOSED
news4u2.com Phoenix CLOSED
newscat.com thumbnails
newscene.com NOVIA Corp
newsdemon.com (US) Highwinds – US – reseller
newsdemon.com (EU) Highwinds – EU – reseller
newsdome.com CLOSED
newsfeeds.com Redirected to others
newsfeeds.eu CLOSED
newsfusion.net CLOSED
newsgroup-binaries.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
newsgroupdirect.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
newsgroups.com Hosted at Reflected Network
newsguy.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
newshosting.com US Highwinds – US – NH
newshosting.com EU Highwinds – EU – NH
newsrazor.net Hosted via Integra Telecom
newsrazor.net EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
newsreader.com Readnews.com US
newsservers.net Readnews.com US
news-service.com – NL based killed by BREIN
newsville.com Hosted via Virtual Interactive Ctr
ngroups.net Readnews.com AMS
ngroups.net Readnews.com US
nntpjunkie.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
nntpserver.com FDC? nntpserver.com
octanews.com Mithral Comm & Desgn
onlynews.com CLOSED
orangeusenet.com CLOSED
powerusenet.com Giganews
Randori – closed CLOSED
razornews.com CLOSED
rhinonewsgroups.com Giganews
rushnetwork.net CLOSED
simonnews.com Highwinds – EU – reseller
slurp.net CLOSED
smsusenet.com XSNews
sonic-news.com FDC Servers.net
sonic-news.com FDC Servers.net
sonic-news.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
sonic-news.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
speakeasy.net (ISP) Giganews
stealthnews.com Readnews.com US
Supernews – EU Giganews
Supernews – US Giganews
teranews FDC Servers.net
teranews Highwinds – US – reseller
thenewsgroups.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
thenewsgroups.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
theusenet.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
theusenet.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
thumbnailednewsgroups.com thumbnails
thundernews.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
thundernews.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
tigerusenet.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
tigerusenet.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
titannews US Highwinds – US – reseller
ucache thumbnails
ultrafeed.com CLOSED
uncensorednewsfeed.com Readnews.com US
uncensorednewsfeed.com Reflected Network
uncensorednewsfeed.com EU Highwinds – EU – reseller
uncensorednewsfeed.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
usenet.com CLOSED
Usenet.net Giganews
usenet.se Readnews.com AMS
usenet-access.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
usenetbinaries.com thumbnails
usenetcentral.com Readnews.com US
usenetguide.com US Highwinds – US – reseller
usenetmonster.com Readnews.com US
usenet-news.net EU Readnews.com AMS
usenet-news.net US Readnews.com US
usenetnow.net US Readnews.com US
usenetnow.net EU Readnews.com AMS
usenetrocket.com Readnews.com US
usenetserver.com Highwinds – US – UNS
Usenetvault.com CLOSED
usenet-xxl.com CLOSED
usenext.com XSNews
xlned.com Hosted Via Euroaccess
xsnews.com XSNews
xusenet thumbnails
yottanews.com US Highwinds – US – reseller