[merged] binary newsgroups on NTL - Page 3

Foo Fighter · 22-02-2005, 07:41

I use astranews, can't fault it seems to have better retention than clara and much cheaper

sherer · 22-02-2005, 09:01

i've never really understood why we should have to pay for a binary usenet provider..

it's like signing up to broadband with NTL and then paying gmail for an e-mail account and BT for HTTP..

NTL should be providing this and should be fixing these problems..

JediMaster · 22-02-2005, 09:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAZZA

I've just had a long chat with a NTL tech support guy, who semed very friendly and helpful (and Welsh

).

All Welsh are HELPFUL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie_Bubble

God, why so touchy?

Sorry I only ment to say I need more than Text Service...

http://www.easynews.com/ $9.98 for 10 Gigabytes or 30 days, which ever comes first.

I am using my friends account untill NTL sort it out or tell us it is Gone for Good

Musicman · 22-02-2005, 10:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAZZA

If you call the status line (0800 052 4315), there is no mention of the binaries, the NTL guy was surprised about this as he was sure there would be one. There are a few messages about a lot of upgrades to Broadband today (Tuesday) and some email upgrades too.

Don't know about the phone line, but as of 10:00 this morning it is menthion here: -

http://www.ntl-isp.ntl.com/ServiceStatus/

PAZZA · 22-02-2005, 10:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musicman

Don't know about the phone line, but as of 10:00 this morning it is menthion here: -

http://www.ntl-isp.ntl.com/ServiceStatus/

At last, NTL admit it! That should mean that itll be definatly back (and hopefully soon), no points to NTL for how long its taken though, I was starting to think it got a low priority!

I know NTL has a lot of critics and a few people have some real issues with them, but im in general a happy customer and they have given me 3 modems so far (and this was all their errors, I didnt ask for them) - has anyone had more than 3 out of them? Is there a record?

WHOOOOOOOOOO! Ive been missing the MP3s
__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by sherer

i've never really understood why we should have to pay for a binary usenet provider..

it's like signing up to broadband with NTL and then paying gmail for an e-mail account and BT for HTTP..

NTL should be providing this and should be fixing these problems..

Many ISPs dont supply newsgroups, look at AOL for example! I do agree they should, the binaries do cause large bandwith usage so I suspect that is a lot to do with it!

IanUK · 22-02-2005, 12:09

I've never understood these bandwidth 'issues' that people keep mentioning ?

Surely if NTL own their own network and their customers use their own newserver (thus never leaving their network) then its far cheaper for them than not providing a newsserver and thereby forcing customers to use an external server (Easynews/Giganews/Newshosting etc) and then pulling the bandwidth from outside their network which must cost them more money ?

absl · 22-02-2005, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAZZA

I've just had a long chat with a NTL tech support guy, who semed very friendly and helpful (and Welsh

)

You're just so damn funny.

PAZZA · 22-02-2005, 14:47

Ive just looked at the service status page, NTL have now fixed the binaries, newsfeeds are being syncronised (which I suspect will take a few hours). Ive refreshed one binary and it now has files from the 20th, so its on its way! Be happy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by absl

You're just so damn funny.

I cant help it, just a natural talent I guess

poolking · 22-02-2005, 17:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanUK

I've never understood these bandwidth 'issues' that people keep mentioning ?

Surely if NTL own their own network and their customers use their own newserver (thus never leaving their network) then its far cheaper for them than not providing a newsserver and thereby forcing customers to use an external server (Easynews/Giganews/Newshosting etc) and then pulling the bandwidth from outside their network which must cost them more money ?

Even so the data pipes are only so big, so some savings on bandwidth have to made somewhere, can you see NTL putting more pipes in with how much money they've lost?

chunt · 22-02-2005, 18:37

Have to agree with Ianuk.
When the Ntl News servers are down I have to go else where which is costing them bandwidth.
When I use theie news server it costs them noght.
They dont need biger pipes otherwise they would offer a beeter service to atract custmers rather than upping the megs to compeat.

IanUK · 22-02-2005, 19:56

Quote:

Even so the data pipes are only so big, so some savings on bandwidth have to made somewhere, can you see NTL putting more pipes in with how much money they've lost?

Thats not what I was talking about and is a different issue.

I was merely pointing out that surely their OWN bandwidth is cheaper than someone elses, and is presumably why they run their own newserver and Web Proxies - to keep as much bandwidth usage as possible internally.

The proxies are useless though

Keytops · 22-02-2005, 20:33

Quote:

The proxies are useless though

Their 'fixing' of faults doesn't seem much better either. I can't even connect to the [text] newsgroups now...

Matth · 22-02-2005, 20:51

I did wonder if NTL had been hit by a "usenet death penalty", as the last thing I saw on one binaries group was my NFILTER rule picking off a lot of abuse with NTL server msgid's.

And there can be a fault in the feeds for one set of groups, rather than an outage of the whole news server.

The bandwidth issues are complex...

If you use an external server, the all traffic used is external - only the traffic actually used though, but for each person using it.

If you use the ISP server, then it's one lot of external traffic for all groups covered, used a lot or a little.

As for other servers though _ Im beginning to be tempted by the idea of a dollop of Astraweb.
http://news.astraweb.com/plans.html
Unless you seriously expect to do more than 25Gb per month, better to buy it in chunks (no speed limit, no connection limit. no expiry), than on the montly plan.

Clara's 10Gb/month at 30 quid for the year is not bad, but unless you get to use more than 50% of that, the 65Gb Astraweb, and a renewal if needed, works out cheaper.

From what I hear though, Astraweb are not quite division one, but a lot better than many. If you really want superservers, you have to pay super prices.

PAZZA · 22-02-2005, 21:30

NTL binaries now seem to be working 100%, Im leeching with Grabit, refreshes seem fine too.

Does anyone have full list of the NTL news servers thats can be used?

Thanx

astra_lestat · 22-02-2005, 23:34

My is still out of service.