So basically Usenet in its raw form is used for distribution of information and it is/was used as a sort of forum. Think proto-reddit: bulletin boards with threads. It can be used to transmit and share data also, however, which is what we want to do here.
The boon of Usenet compared to torrents is that you have a bunch of servers hosted by providers that have all the data on their servers, so you don’t run the risk of exposing your IP or any other identifying information, in addition to your connection being encrypted by default. Additionally, you don’t download from a bunch of seeding users but from a single server, so connections are more stable and download speeds are better too.
To access Usenet, there are two main constituents you need to setup or know: a provider, ie. the host that allows you to access Usenet in the first place and that stores the data on their own servers, as well as at least one indexer, ie. a way to search and download the data. The good thing is that Usenet is decentralised, so you can use whatever provider and indexer that suits you and you will get access to Usenet. There are some differences between them based on the backbones the providers use (period of retention of data, server locations, takedown types - DMCA or NTD and how often that happens etc.), but they all work in the same basic way. I’ve personally not delved that deep into Usenet, so someone else can likely tell you better what backbones mean and why they should matter to you - they haven’t for me up until now.
Usually, Usenet is used in conjunction with so-called Arr-Stacks - a collection of individual Arr-programs that allow you to manage and download different types of media: Sonarr for shows, Radarr for movies, Lidarr for music as well as a program that manages their downloads, like NZBGet or Sabnzbd, stuff like that. These can be run on a single regular machine as is but most automate them and set them up on a server. That way, you can add a show via Sonarr, have it downloaded automatically via preset filters, and have it be available with your media playback program of your choosing - like Jellyfin or Plex - without any further input of yours.
All of this comes at a cost - unfortunately and literally - since you usually subscribe to these individual servers. However, compared to your average streaming service, it comes out to way cheaper. Most indexers have regular sales where you can snag deals like 50€/year, sometimes even cheaper. Plus, since you pay for access, you guarantee that people make sure that things work and are secure for the most part.
NZBGeek, Drunkenslug or Ninja Central as your indexers (most of these have instructions or manuals on how to use Usenet too; some restrict account creation to invites only, so creating an account can be tricky sometimes. you shouldn’t run into issues creating an account with Geek, tho - if you only want to have one indexer, this is usually the one to get)
Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Prowlarr (a program that combines all your Arr programs in one and let’s you monitor them from one place) to get whatever media you’re looking for
Jellyfin for playback of your media
This is a really basic breakdown, and I’m sure there’s a bunch missing from it, but this should give you a basic idea of what you want to do, what it is, how to set things up. Let me know if this helps and if you have any questions.
I implore you to have a look at a guide or two I mentioned before. These do a better job of explaining things.
Hey, this is way more detailed and this does help me understand, or at least it gives me a start and a little bit more context. It still sounds really complicated and I still don’t get it but I guess this is a very technical thing that I’ve got to do a lot of reading to understand. But based on some of the comments, I don’t think I’m actually smart enough to do this. Sorry, I’m just going to move along.
It’s definitely hard to digest at first - I know it took me a couple of days to get things working for sure. A VPN + qbittorrent is definitely easier to set up and have a good time with.
Okay, I get what you mean.
So basically Usenet in its raw form is used for distribution of information and it is/was used as a sort of forum. Think proto-reddit: bulletin boards with threads. It can be used to transmit and share data also, however, which is what we want to do here.
The boon of Usenet compared to torrents is that you have a bunch of servers hosted by providers that have all the data on their servers, so you don’t run the risk of exposing your IP or any other identifying information, in addition to your connection being encrypted by default. Additionally, you don’t download from a bunch of seeding users but from a single server, so connections are more stable and download speeds are better too.
To access Usenet, there are two main constituents you need to setup or know: a provider, ie. the host that allows you to access Usenet in the first place and that stores the data on their own servers, as well as at least one indexer, ie. a way to search and download the data. The good thing is that Usenet is decentralised, so you can use whatever provider and indexer that suits you and you will get access to Usenet. There are some differences between them based on the backbones the providers use (period of retention of data, server locations, takedown types - DMCA or NTD and how often that happens etc.), but they all work in the same basic way. I’ve personally not delved that deep into Usenet, so someone else can likely tell you better what backbones mean and why they should matter to you - they haven’t for me up until now.
Usually, Usenet is used in conjunction with so-called Arr-Stacks - a collection of individual Arr-programs that allow you to manage and download different types of media: Sonarr for shows, Radarr for movies, Lidarr for music as well as a program that manages their downloads, like NZBGet or Sabnzbd, stuff like that. These can be run on a single regular machine as is but most automate them and set them up on a server. That way, you can add a show via Sonarr, have it downloaded automatically via preset filters, and have it be available with your media playback program of your choosing - like Jellyfin or Plex - without any further input of yours.
All of this comes at a cost - unfortunately and literally - since you usually subscribe to these individual servers. However, compared to your average streaming service, it comes out to way cheaper. Most indexers have regular sales where you can snag deals like 50€/year, sometimes even cheaper. Plus, since you pay for access, you guarantee that people make sure that things work and are secure for the most part.
An example setup could look like this:
This is a really basic breakdown, and I’m sure there’s a bunch missing from it, but this should give you a basic idea of what you want to do, what it is, how to set things up. Let me know if this helps and if you have any questions.
I implore you to have a look at a guide or two I mentioned before. These do a better job of explaining things.
Edit: https://www.usenetradar.com/usenet-providers-vs-usenet-indexers-whats-the-difference/ this explains the difference between providers and indexers a little better and also gives some recommendations
Hey, this is way more detailed and this does help me understand, or at least it gives me a start and a little bit more context. It still sounds really complicated and I still don’t get it but I guess this is a very technical thing that I’ve got to do a lot of reading to understand. But based on some of the comments, I don’t think I’m actually smart enough to do this. Sorry, I’m just going to move along.
It’s definitely hard to digest at first - I know it took me a couple of days to get things working for sure. A VPN + qbittorrent is definitely easier to set up and have a good time with.
I really regret joining this site to talk to people. If I’m lonely I should talk to Chat GPT or something like that. I feel like absolute garbage.
You good buddy? Did anything about our interaction rub you the wrong way?
It wasn’t you, you were the one being helpful, but I didn’t understand what you said anyway
Hey, I left a pretty detailed comment about this if you want to check it out