Usenet? Yes Usenet!
You always wanted to know what Usenet is and how to connect to it? Then you've come to the right place. Because today we want to show you a simple way how you can connect to it.
What is the Usenet?
Let's start with the basics. The commonly known term "Usenet" stands for "Unix User Network". You can think of Usenet as a second global Internet. It is, so to speak, a second network which existed long before the WWW. The Usenet can be subdivided into the normal Usenet and the "Binary Usenet". The normal Usenet is meant to exchange messages in so-called newsgroups, in the other version you can additionally attach binary files, that means you can exchange files. The possibility to exchange files makes the Usenet really interesting.
Finding the right news server
In order to connect to the Usenet, you need a suitable news server, and there are 3 different types.
- Open news servers (open to all, mostly read-only)
- Free news servers (open but mostly only usable with registration)
- Paid news servers (access must be paid)
A very detailed list of open and free news servers I found on the page "Top Usenet". There you have an extensive and detailed list with corresponding news servers. A few examples for news servers would be:
- University of Hohenheim - news.uni-hohenheim.de
- Mozilla - news.mozilla.org
Free Usenet Newsreader Software
Now that we have found a News Server we are interested in, we want to connect to it. To connect to a Usenet news server we need a so called newsreader. This is software or client with which we can connect and retrieve the information stored on the server.
- Sabnzbd - Free, many functions, constantly developed
- Newsbin - trial version available, very good newsreader
- Agent - trial version available, browser + search
- Grabit - Free, browser + search, great newsreader
Connect to Sabnzbd Usenet Reader
Now we're getting down to the nitty gritty :) We will now connect to Usenet using the free software "Sabnzbd". After we have downloaded and installed the program. Start the setup. A browser window opens with the following content. After the language selection we have to enter the server access data. In this example we have entered the free Mozilla server. Here you can of course enter your corresponding data. If everything is correct you can test with a click on "Check server". In case of success green, in case of failure red. After that the setup is already finished. Congratulations you have successfully connected to a Usenet server.
Of course you will find here best usenet provider for movies - besides general information about the topic also the best providers.
Why is the Usenet so popular?
Of course free movies, series, games and porn! This has a few simple reasons. Since files can be exchanged in binary Usenet, 
this is exploited for many not-so-legal types of downloads. Many paid Usenet providers also advertise that you can download anything you want without limit. This includes movies, series, games and even porn. However, there are also many black sheep among such offers, who want to foist a virus on you disguised as a series, for example. So if you use such an offer, you should rather look twice and check the downloaded files with anti-virus software beforehand. Due to the sheer number of newsgroups, you can find just about anything on Usenet. It is a paradise for downloaders.
There are a lot of paid Usenet providers, I will only give a small list of the different providers here:
- Usenet.nl
- Firstload
- GigaNews
- Usenext
Conclusion
In conclusion, Usenet is a very interesting place. Once you understand how Usenet works, it is very easy to use and opens up exciting possibilities. If you really want to get to know the full range of Usenet, you should take a look at a provider like Usenet.nl. With this in mind, have fun trying it out.