PCTechNotes

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 10:01 PM PDT

Usenet is an incredible downloading technology with a rich history of over 30 years. It was the early pioneer of social media.

Usenet has had a long and successful history.

Access to Usenet today is offered mostly by premium providers. But they are not all the same. When selecting a Usenet service you should be aware of what's out there.

Here are the most important things you should look for when finding a Usenet provider:

1. You need a way to search the newsgroups.

Accessing Usenet can be a difficult task to many. You need a search engine to surf the newsgroups, which are the discussion groups that make up Usenet.

Searching the newsgroups can be a pain so it's best to find providers that offer all-in-one downloading. The search function will allow you to easily browse files in one place, click, and download. It's as easy as that.

Any provider that offers all-in-one Usenet access will offer this feature. No more having to go several different places to get the content you want.

2. Picking a provider with uncapped speeds can allow you to download as fast as your connection will allow.

Usenet is stored on a network of commercial grade servers. Providers give access to these servers via direct connections. The data is moved from the server to your computer with no middle man.

Other download technologies restrict your download speeds and force you to share your connections with other downloaders. Usenet doesn't have to do this. You can go straight to the source and get what you want.

With Usenet you can download a file as fast as your internet connection will allow. You can grab large files in just a few minutes. You have the freedom to download at your bandwidth's full potential.

3. Retention is important.

Perhaps one of the most important features you should consider is retention time. This refers to the amount of time files are stored on the servers. The longer the retention the longer they store the files.

As server technology advances larger amounts of data can be stored in much smaller spaces. The servers that host Usenet are constantly increasing their space, which means they are able to retain files for longer periods.

Provider's retention times are always increasing but you should always be aware of what is out there and how long you will have access to files.

Selecting a Usenet provider can be tricky. There are a lot of options these days and it can be confusing to weed through them.

Many providers offer free trials to give consumers a test drive with their product. When selecting your provider make sure they offer a search function, uncapped speeds, and have long retention times.

About the Author: Jared Scott is an Internet junkie and Usenet fanatic. You can almost always find him online.