Veridas 25GB ADSL plans - Usenet access?

[Franc Zabkar]

I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug>


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[David L. Jones]

Franc Zabkar wrote:

I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

You can always use Google Groups and be ISP independent. Depends on the
functionality you need though, but for basic Usenet surfing Google
Groups does the job and it works from any machine.
What's the reason to avoid third party servers?
I've heards good reports about several of the dedicated Usenet servers
which charge a small fee, might be worth it if you are series user and
download lots of binaries etc.

Dave

 

[Terry Collins]

Franc Zabkar wrote:

I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive

Do you know about http://www.broadbandchoice.com.au ?
although those figures seem good to what I saw last night.

but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Google is free but slow.
Others cost a token, except those with binaries (~$US15/month I've been
told).

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug

Yep, if you can not send communications to them now, then I would avoid
them because it doesn't get any better.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[atec]

Franc Zabkar wrote:

I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug


- Franc Zabkar
Looking at some of the discussion forums will offer a better idea ..

certainly worth a look.

http://whirlpool.net.au/

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On 18 Aug 2005 17:48:58 -0700, "David L. Jones" <altzone@gmail.com>
put finger to keyboard and composed:

Franc Zabkar wrote:
I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

You can always use Google Groups and be ISP independent. Depends on the
functionality you need though, but for basic Usenet surfing Google
Groups does the job and it works from any machine.
What's the reason to avoid third party servers?
I've heards good reports about several of the dedicated Usenet servers
which charge a small fee, might be worth it if you are series user and
download lots of binaries etc.

Dave

In the past I've used Deja News and Google Groups but both were slow.
I've also had a terrible experience with One.Net's poor news
service, so I know just how bad ISPs can be. I've also used free third
party servers, but these were also unreliable. BTW, I don't require
access to the binary NGs, just to the text based ones.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 10:54:41 +1000, Terry Collins
<terryc.bling@woa.com.au> put finger to keyboard and composed:

Franc Zabkar wrote:
I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive

Do you know about http://www.broadbandchoice.com.au ?
although those figures seem good to what I saw last night.

but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Google is free but slow.

I dislike web based newsgroups and email. Is there any way to access
Google Groups using a news reader?

Others cost a token, except those with binaries (~$US15/month I've been
told).

I don't need binaries.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug

Yep, if you can not send communications to them now, then I would avoid
them because it doesn't get any better.

I managed to access the Veridas website using an alternative browser
(Mozilla) but there was no useful info. Furthermore, the fellow who
answered their 1300 number knew very little at all except to say that
they did operate a news server at news.veridas.net. Being a
wholesaler, he directed me to their resellers who he said would pass
on my request to Veridas's support team. Why he couldn't be bothered
to do that for me there and then was a mystery. <shrug>

Last night (after hours) I rang several of the resellers. All but one
had an answering machine. The ISP with a human interface sounded very
helpful but never followed up with a promised email. Two email
enquiries to their sales and support team remain unanswered.

Sadly I think it will only be a matter of time before Usenet is
supplanted by moderated, web based, ad infested, commercially oriented
forums, all requiring yet another username and password.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 10:58:14 +1000, atec <atec77@xxxhotmail.com> put
finger to keyboard and composed:

Franc Zabkar wrote:
I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug


- Franc Zabkar
Looking at some of the discussion forums will offer a better idea ..
certainly worth a look.

http://whirlpool.net.au/

Thanks. It looks like Veridas ISPs get a bad rap from almost everyone.
The most respected providers appear to be Internode, Westnet, Netspace
and iinet.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Alex Gibson]

"Franc Zabkar" <fzabkar@optussnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:me9ag1ps8jto4mhl8q30kfg6jk8jgbj20p@4ax.com...

I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug

Could always pay the small amount for news.individual.net
10EUR a year.

Rock solid reliable service.


For an isp tpg
http://www.tpg.com.au/products_services/adsl_pricing.php?type=residential
I've been using them for a couple of years.
1.5Mb / 256kb

news server is okay but not fantastic only keeps a cople of weeks of posts
at the longest.
Also can access pipenetworks new servers.

They've been reliable so far, only problem I've had
is due to Telstra.


If you do get ADSL get a proper modem/router with firewall (spi and nat)
not one of the usb ones
especially if you want to be able to connect more than one computer.
But when you are not using the net unplug the phone cable into whatever
modem
regardless of what isp you go with.


Good idea to run a software firewall program as well as having a
modem/router
with firewall.

kerio or zone alarm or something similar



Alex

 

[Phil Allison]

"Franc Zabkar"

I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps,

** Hmmm ....

25 GB = 200 Gbits

512 kbps x 24 hours = 44.2 G bits




........... Phil

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 12:19:59 +1000, "Alex Gibson" <news@alxx.net> put
finger to keyboard and composed:

"Franc Zabkar" <fzabkar@optussnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:me9ag1ps8jto4mhl8q30kfg6jk8jgbj20p@4ax.com...
I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug


Could always pay the small amount for news.individual.net
10EUR a year.

If I'm going to do that, then I'd be better off paying the extra to a
more established ISP.

Rock solid reliable service.


For an isp tpg
http://www.tpg.com.au/products_services/adsl_pricing.php?type=residential
I've been using them for a couple of years.
1.5Mb / 256kb

I lasted one day with them on dialup.

news server is okay but not fantastic only keeps a cople of weeks of posts
at the longest.
Also can access pipenetworks new servers.

For a while I was considering Exetel. They have no official news
server but their users recommend pipenetworks or
reader.news.telstra.net. Exetel's ForumAdmin directs you to
http://www.free-newsservers.com/, but this URL is dead. <shrug>

They've been reliable so far, only problem I've had
is due to Telstra.


If you do get ADSL ...

I'm currently on ADSL with Optus. Good service but pricey.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Clifford Heath]

Phil Allison wrote:

25 GB = 200 Gbits
512 kbps x 24 hours = 44.2 G bits

That's 25GB/month, not /day.

 

[Clifford Heath]

Franc Zabkar wrote:

I'm currently on ADSL with Optus. Good service but pricey.

I'm on Optus cable, but was thinking of switching to ADSL
because it's easier to run (light-weight) servers. TPG
looks like a good cheap option...?

 

[Alex Gibson]

"Franc Zabkar" <fzabkar@optussnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:tdpdg159kcge8vj836n8jvgso1bja0t0ci@4ax.com...

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 12:19:59 +1000, "Alex Gibson" <news@alxx.net> put
finger to keyboard and composed:


"Franc Zabkar" <fzabkar@optussnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:me9ag1ps8jto4mhl8q30kfg6jk8jgbj20p@4ax.com...
I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug


Could always pay the small amount for news.individual.net
10EUR a year.

If I'm going to do that, then I'd be better off paying the extra to a
more established ISP.

Why ? they beat most Australian ISPs newservers.
Keeps articles dating months back.

Quite a few people who post in aus.electronics use them.

Rock solid reliable service.


For an isp tpg
http://www.tpg.com.au/products_services/adsl_pricing.php?type=residential
I've been using them for a couple of years.
1.5Mb / 256kb

I lasted one day with them on dialup.

news server is okay but not fantastic only keeps a cople of weeks of posts
at the longest.
Also can access pipenetworks new servers.

For a while I was considering Exetel. They have no official news
server but their users recommend pipenetworks or
reader.news.telstra.net. Exetel's ForumAdmin directs you to
http://www.free-newsservers.com/, but this URL is dead. <shrug

pipenetwork new servers don't keep more than a few days articles

They've been reliable so far, only problem I've had
is due to Telstra.


If you do get ADSL ...

I'm currently on ADSL with Optus. Good service but pricey.

I have no complaints with tpgs service.

Alex

 

[Alex Gibson]

"Clifford Heath" <no@spam.please.net> wrote in message
news:4306eab6$0$21701$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

Franc Zabkar wrote:
I'm currently on ADSL with Optus. Good service but pricey.

I'm on Optus cable, but was thinking of switching to ADSL
because it's easier to run (light-weight) servers. TPG
looks like a good cheap option...?

Been good for me.
Alex

 

[Fraser Johnston]

"Franc Zabkar" <fzabkar@optussnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:hhvcg1d8e8fcsdfnt1rtla52r564ftg878@4ax.com...

I managed to access the Veridas website using an alternative browser
(Mozilla) but there was no useful info. Furthermore, the fellow who
answered their 1300 number knew very little at all except to say that
they did operate a news server at news.veridas.net. Being a
wholesaler, he directed me to their resellers who he said would pass
on my request to Veridas's support team. Why he couldn't be bothered
to do that for me there and then was a mystery. <shrug

Last night (after hours) I rang several of the resellers. All but one
had an answering machine. The ISP with a human interface sounded very
helpful but never followed up with a promised email. Two email
enquiries to their sales and support team remain unanswered.

Sadly I think it will only be a matter of time before Usenet is
supplanted by moderated, web based, ad infested, commercially oriented
forums, all requiring yet another username and password.

I pay about $20 a year for news.individual.net. It's a german based text
only news service that used to be free. It's good because I have my
newsreader on my laptop and regardless of which ISP I use I don't lose all
my messages.

Fraser

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 22:15:01 +1000, "Alex Gibson" <news@alxx.net> put
finger to keyboard and composed:

"Franc Zabkar" <fzabkar@optussnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:tdpdg159kcge8vj836n8jvgso1bja0t0ci@4ax.com...
On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 12:19:59 +1000, "Alex Gibson" <news@alxx.net> put
finger to keyboard and composed:


"Franc Zabkar" <fzabkar@optussnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:me9ag1ps8jto4mhl8q30kfg6jk8jgbj20p@4ax.com...
I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug


Could always pay the small amount for news.individual.net
10EUR a year.

If I'm going to do that, then I'd be better off paying the extra to a
more established ISP.

Why ? they beat most Australian ISPs newservers.
Keeps articles dating months back.

I'm happy with 1 week retention. For older postings I refer to Google
Groups. I periodically compare the Optus news server with Google and
always find that Optus's newsfeed is complete. I don't know about
binaries, though.

Quite a few people who post in aus.electronics use them.

OK, you've convinced me. If I go with a cheaper ISP with a poor news
service, I'll definitely give news.individual.net a try.

Rock solid reliable service.


For an isp tpg
http://www.tpg.com.au/products_services/adsl_pricing.php?type=residential
I've been using them for a couple of years.
1.5Mb / 256kb

I lasted one day with them on dialup.

news server is okay but not fantastic only keeps a cople of weeks of posts
at the longest.
Also can access pipenetworks new servers.

For a while I was considering Exetel. They have no official news
server but their users recommend pipenetworks or
reader.news.telstra.net. Exetel's ForumAdmin directs you to
http://www.free-newsservers.com/, but this URL is dead. <shrug

pipenetwork new servers don't keep more than a few days articles

They've been reliable so far, only problem I've had
is due to Telstra.


If you do get ADSL ...

I'm currently on ADSL with Optus. Good service but pricey.

I have no complaints with tpgs service.

Alex

OK, so maybe I'm being unfair. When I tried them several years ago I
was having trouble completing most of my large (> 1MB) downloads.
IIRC, TPG were promoting an all-you-can-eat service, so perhaps their
network was uncharacteristically congested.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Phil Allison]

"Clifford Heath"

Phil Allison wrote:
25 GB = 200 Gbits
512 kbps x 24 hours = 44.2 G bits

That's 25GB/month, not /day.

** I know.

But it takes only 4.5 days to eat up 200Gbits.



............... Phil

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 10:38:13 +1000, Franc Zabkar
<fzabkar@optussnet.com.au> put finger to keyboard and composed:

I'm considering switching to a 25GB ADSL plan with one of the many
resellers of Veridas DSL services. Unfortunately many of these appear
to be small players who don't know much, if anything, about Usenet. At
$40 per month for 25GB at 512Kbps/128Kbps, the plans are attractive
but I have no way of assessing Veridas's Usenet support without
committing to either a long term contract or an early exit penalty, or
both. I'd prefer to avoid third party news servers if at all possible.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these ISPs, eg Australis,
Aztec, VTI, Wild Internet, Schaelec? I tried visiting the Veridas
website (http://www.veridas.net/) but it crashes my browser. Maybe
that's a bad sign. <shrug


- Franc Zabkar

Latest update:

The newsmaster at veridas.net turned out to be quite helpful. In
response to my question regarding the volume of postings, he offered
the following:

aus.electronics since Feb 5,538
sci.electronics.repair since December 20,190

The archive at Google Groups lists 8360 and 28800 respectively. That's
about 70% coverage.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Phil Allison]

"Franc Zabkar"

Latest update:

The newsmaster at veridas.net turned out to be quite helpful. In
response to my question regarding the volume of postings, he offered
the following:

aus.electronics since Feb 5,538
sci.electronics.repair since December 20,190

The archive at Google Groups lists 8360 and 28800 respectively. That's
about 70% coverage.

** That is really very poor.

Individualnet lists about 6450 since Jan 28th.



............ Phil