Friday 25 January 2008

News Server Ports

I just noticed that some ISPs block a few news server ports. As a result, we can't download using that port. This problem occurred to me when my accommodation hall changed its ISP recently. This problem can be solved by using different port. ISP can't block all ports.

I used usenet for my news server. Basically, usenet have 3 servers :
  • US (Atlanta): us.Usenet-News.net
  • Europe (Amsterdam): eu.Usenet-News.net
  • SSL encrypted: ssl.Usenet-News.net
Usually we use server which closest to us. The standard nntp port is 119. For EU server, we also can use port 443.

For the US server we can connect using the alternate ports 8000, 23, 25, 1720 or 3128.

For the SSL server we can connect using the standard nntps SSL port 563, or alternate ports 443 or 8080.

Note that to use SSL, we need to have a SSL enabled newsreader (Alt.Binz newsreader that SSL capability) or an ssl proxy installed on our client computer.

If you can't download, it means your ISP is capping the port you are using. You may then try to use an alternate port instead of the standard port 119 and 563. Try to use the SSL server.

Please consult with your news server provider if problem persist.

See also my previous posts about this issue:
1- News Server: An alternative to Torrent
2- Problems with news server

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