Newsgroup Reader

[DDHarris]

Can someone recommend a free Newsgroup Reader other than Windows Mail - that runs well with Vista Home Premium? Unless I am mistaken, Windows Mail only runs Microsoft Newsgroups ??

Thanks,

DD

 

[Brink]

Re: Reader

Hi DD,

You can use the free Windows Live Mail instead. It has a built-in newsreader like Windows Mail.

http://www.vistax64.com/windows-live/92348-windows-live-suite-downloads.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[garysgold]

Hi DDHarris,

Welcome to the forums.

Windows mail can be used for other newsgroup servers. You need the server address and access. If you do a google for 'newsgroups', you'll find many. Unfortunately many charge for use. Many software programs have devoted newsgroups. For instance news.mozilla.org.
Obviously for all things mozilla. To set up an account, in WM, Tools/Accounts. Click on add, select 'newsgroup account' NEXT. Name you want posted 'next'. Email address (not sure if this can be left blank, but it isn't wise to display your real address unless you love spam). Next. In 'News NNTP server' type (cut/paste) 'news.mozilla.org' (no quotes). Next and Finish. Should get a window saying your not subscribed to any lists and offer to download a list for you to choose from.

Hope this is useful info.
Gary

 

[DDHarris]

Thanks, Gary and Brinks!! I've figured out how to add the newsgroup to my Windows Mail, but now I am having a problem downloading the available newgroups to subscribe to. I keep getting error messages like "Cannot connect to the server" or a "408 Error" - got a clue what I'm doing wrong?

 

[johngalt]

A lot of news groups readers use the default port 119 to send and receive information - check to see that your AV suite / firewall is not blocking this port....

 

[garysgold]

Hmmm, looked up the 408 error. It is a timeout error. Could be caused by a very busy server. Only thing I know to maybe help (I've had this prob. with email years ago) is to go into the account and click on the advanced tab. Increase the server timeouts. Maybe try it when internet traffic isn't peak. Sorry, I don't have any other ideas. Check and make sure the server name is correct?

Gary

 

[johngalt]

If you want to be able to verify you can make connections to your newsgroup server, you can run a standard telnet client to verify that you are able to connect or not....

Using Telnet to Read E-mail and News

HTH

 

[garysgold]

Don't want to hijack DDHarris's post, but I don't get anything when I type in telnet at cmd. prompt(admin), run, or the start/search box. Is there a download link?

Gary

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

I use Forteinc.com Agent and APN service. Agent is great to use. You can connect to multiple news servers at one time.

 

[garysgold]

Thanks SCSIraidGURU, will check it out. Meantime I found the Vista telnet client. Control panel/programs & features/turn windows features on/off. check telnet client. Not installed by default.

Have you gotten things working yet DDHarris?

Gary

 

[johngalt]

Thanks Gary - seems telnet was installed by default on Vista Ultimate 32bit, unless I just forgot that I had to manually enable it way back when as well...

@Mike - Yeah, Agent is one of the best Usenet readers out there - and considering Forte has changed hands a couple of times, the fact that they are still around *and* still making Agent is a plus in my book. I was going to recommend it but I wasn't 100% sure if someone was *reading* or grabbing binaries.... 8)