Frequently Asked Questions


What is the Usenet?

Usenet is an Internet discussion system that pre-dates the modern Internet. Very similar to the experience of current “forum” style websites, the Usenet is a distributed system contained on hundreds of non-centralized servers. The Usenet consists of Newgroups, which are topical based categories spanning many diverse subjects. The Usenet, however, is much broader than a normal forum, connecting millions of people simultaneously across the world. Messages (referred to as “articles”) are posted by users on a Usenet server such as NewsRazor. Once posted, NewsRazor propagates this message to other Usenet servers in a peer-to-peer fashion until your post is spread across the world, allowing you to interact with a widely diverse group of people on virtually any subject matter.

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Why pay for access to the Usenet?

The Usenet is built on two concepts: Completion, the amount of information available on the Usenet, and Retention, the amount of time the information is available to download by other users. The growth of Usenet from its humble beginnings has spurred us at NewsRazor to work towards providing the highest quality access to the Usenet available – ensuring that you can access what you want, when you want it. We are hard at work to guarantee your messages reach your audience in a speedy and reliable fashion Of course, being on the cutting edge of technology requires a great deal of resources, from vast amounts of disk storage to the latest in processing servers, not to mention tremendous amounts of bandwidth. As a primary Usenet provider, we require a very large infrastructure to store and deliver articles across the entire Usenet.

 It is with you in mind that we strive to perfect our performance, offering competitive Retention and Completion at very reasonable prices.

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What can I access on the Usenet?

Imagine a room filled with millions of different people, each creating and sharing their own ideas – working collaboratively and in unison. The Usenet was created around the idea of sharing information, acting as a forum for many diverse people from across the world to use. With over 90,000+ newsgroups already formed, the Usenet provides the ultimate in information and idea sharing on almost any topic imaginable at blazing speeds.

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Is the Usenet anonymous?

We at NewsRazor believe that your personal information should as private as possible. Our Privacy Policy is maintained to keep you – and your information safe from prying eyes. At NewsRazor, there is no log of where you post from or what you download. Simply the best access to the entire, unfiltered Usenet we can offer!

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How much does this service cost?

We use a multi-tiered system to cater to your Usenet needs. Some users may just be interested in learning about the Usenet, or want to experience firsthand our fast connections and completion. Others may need full, unrestricted access to the over 90,000 newsgroups available.

Whatever it is you need, you can be sure we have an affordably priced package for you! Check out our Pricing page for more information.

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Are there limits on the amount I can download?

We have many tiered accounts available for whatever purpose you need. If you’re just getting started, you may only need 3 gigabytes of access. The download limit is applied to your account, and resets every billing cycle.

But don’t worry though – You can always recycle or upgrade your account through the My Account page! Remember, Titanium accounts have UNLIMITED access to the entire Usenet.

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Are my downloads tracked?

With our metered accounts, the only thing tracked is the total amount of data you have downloaded per month. There are no limits on the number of articles you can download or receive. Remember, you can upgrade to a Titanium Razor package and NEVER worry about limits again!

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Are there any long term contracts?

No! At NewsRazor, we believe you should be able to access your information when you want it – without hassle or worries. There are never any long-term contracts to sign, or hidden charges. You can start or stop your account at any time on a month to month basis.

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Do I have to use a specific reader?

No. Unlike some other Usenet providers, we support all your favorite readers. You can enjoy the experience you're used to with the speed and security you’ve always wanted. We recommend readers from www.newsrover.com, www.newsbin.com, or www.forteinc.com. For a free reader try Xnews from xnews.newsguy.com.

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Where do I sign up?

If you're interested in experiencing the fastest, most reliable access the Usenet has to offer, head on over to our Pricing page and check out what packages we offer!

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Help! I can't log on to the news server!

First, check to see if any of these items may be preventing you from connecting:

User Name Your user name should be in all lower-case letters . (For example, it should be entered as "bob", not "BOB" or "Bob")
News Server Your news reader software should have the news server host set to news.newsrazor.net, on port 119.
Firewall /
IP Blockers		 If you are running a firewall or IP blocking software, it may need to be configured to allow connections to our news server/port. Consult your software documentation for instructions on how to add hostnames and ports to your connection list

If you are still experiencing difficulty accessing the service, please contact technical support at support@newsrazor.net.

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What is a "502 Authentication Error"? How do I fix it?

Usually, a 502 authentication error occurs when there is a problem with your account credentials. Most likely, you entered your username or password incorrectly. Try updating your information and try again.

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Why is my Connection Slow?

If you are experiencing slow speeds, we advise you take our Speed Test to locate the fastest and most reliable connection to our servers.

If this does not resolve the issue, there may be an issue with your Newsreader. Check the configuration settings and make sure you have the connection limit set to match your connections available in your plan. This should improve speeds drastically if it’s disabled.

If you continue to have slow connection speeds, please contact our technical support department at support@newsrazor.net

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I tried updating my connections and got a "400 Too Many Connections" error! What is this?

We only allow a maximum of 10 connections per account to each of our server groups. The 400 Error basically results when your newsreader tries to connect to more than 10. Don’t worry though, just cancel your task and wait a bit before restarting it. It may take a few minutes for the servers to realize the connections were cancelled.

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Now I have a "10061 Connection Refused Error!" How do I resolve this?

Don’t worry! A 10061 Connection Refused error simply means that the server has reached its maximum capacity for the moment. Wait a few moments and then reconnect – our servers will automatically connect you to an available server.

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I received a "480 Authentication Error" when I logged on. What does this mean?

A 480 authentication error means your newsreader software is not properly configured with your personal credentials. Please verify your software to make sure your username and password are entered accurately.

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Can I connect to NewsRazor with more than one IP/Computer at the same time?

Unfortunately not. NewsRazor only allows a single owner and IP per each account. Please read the Terms of Service for more information regarding accounts.

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I've lost my Username or Password. How can I recover it?

If you have lost your Username or Password, it can be retrieved by accessing the My Account page. On the page, select the “I’ve lost my Username” or “I’ve lost my Password” button and follow the steps listed.

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How can I change my password? How do I update my billing information?

All personal information can be changed on the My Account page. You can also change billing information or your service plan.

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I have another question that wasn't answered here. Who can I contact for assistance?

We are sorry we could not address your question here. If you still need assistance, please contact our technical support at support@newsrazor.net.

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How are Titanium Unlimited Accounts billed?

Our Titanium Unlimited accounts are billed every 30 Days from the date that you sign up. In the My Account area you can see when the next billing calendar date will fall.

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How are Limited Accounts Billed?

Our regular Limited Accounts are billed on regular 30 day intervals, unless you have the Auto-Refill option enabled. With Auto-Refill enabled you will be billed once you have used up your allotted Gigabyte budget. This can happen before the next normal billing date arrives so remember to check your account download budget in the Usage Stats section of the My Account page.

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What happens when I reach my download limit for the month?

Once you have reached your download limit for the month your Usenet access will be temporarily interrupted until the next billing cycle. Once your credit card has been successfully billed, you will have the respective number of gigabytes included with your plan automatically added to your account. Although your access to our Usenet servers is temporarily frozen, you still can login to your My Account page and check the status of your account. If your account limit has been reached, a notice will appear at the top of the screen that will allow you to manually refill your account.

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What is the Auto-Refill option?

Limited Accounts give you a limited number of downloadable Gigabytes per month. By default, when you use up your limit you access to the NewsRazor servers gets temporarily suspended until the next scheduled payment is made in your plan. The Auto-Refill option allows you to have our billing system automatically renew your account whenever your Gigabyte budget is exhausted. When this happens, your credit card will automatically be charged again at the normal rate of your plan and your service will not be interrupted. When your account is Auto-Refilled your next billing date will be reset to 30 days after the date of renewal.

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What are Roll-Over Gigs?

At NewsRazor we do not have a "use-it-or-lose-it" mentality. Why pay by the gigabyte if you just lose them at the end of the month? If you do not use your allotted gigs before the end of your billing cycle they are “rolled” over to the next month’s billing cycle. As long as your account is in good standing, you can keep rolling your unused gigs forward indefinitely and use them when you like.

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Where can I modify my account settings, change my service plan, change my password, and update my contact and billing information?

You can access and update all of your settings and information by logging into the My Account page using the username and password you selected during the signup process. From there, you can change your account password, change or upgrade your service plan, set your account options such as Auto-Refill, change your billing information and change your contact email address. You can also access your order history to see all of your previous credit card transactions. If you are on a limited usage plan, you can track your usage statistics on the Usage Stats section.

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What happens when I change my service plan?

When you change your service plan in the My Account page from one limited plan to another, you will be shifted to the new plan immediately and your card will be charged for the plan amount. Any remaining gigs from your previous plan will automatically rolled into your new plan. As well, when you change plans your billing cycle will start over and your next billing date will be in 30 days. This applies for upgrading from a limited plan to one of our unlimited plans as well, however, any leftover gigs will not be retained since the new plan has no limit.

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