Free Newsservers

[sander]

Fine:
reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl (free account needed)
newszilla6.xs4all.nl (low throughput, low retention)


Service has been ended:
news.ipv6.eweka.nl

[sander]

I've written a python script to check the newsservers' status:

Code: Select all

sander@vadmin648:~$ cat newsserver-lijstje.txt | awk '{ print "python check-newsserver-for-sabnzbd.py " $1 }' | /bin/sh
reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl OK

newszilla6.xs4all.nl OK

news.ipv6.eweka.nl No connection

nova.planet.nl Access denied

news.kpn.nl Access denied

freebin-auth.readnews.com No connection

sander@vadmin648:~$ 

[sander]

Script:

Code: Select all

import sys
import telnetlib

newsserver = sys.argv[1].rstrip('\n')
print newsserver, 


try:
	tn = telnetlib.Telnet(newsserver,119,5)
	waarde = tn.read_until("\n",3)
	#print waarde 
	#print waarde.find("201")   # 201 dreader28.news.xs4all.nl NNRP Service Ready - [email protected] (no posting).
	#print waarde.find("502")   # 502 news.kpn.nl: Access denied to your node - [email protected]

	if waarde.find("20")==0 :
		# print "OK\n"
		tn.write("group alt.binaries.boneless\n");
		waarde2 = tn.read_until("\n",3)
		print "OK connection, response on binary request is:", waarde2

	# if waarde.find("50")==0 :
	else :
		print "Connection not OK, response: ", waarde
		
	tn.write("quit\n")
except:
	# zware fout, bijvoorbeeld niet bestaande server of geen NNTP daemon
	print "No connection\n"

Some more (hopefully useful) output:

Code: Select all

sander@vadmin648:~$ cat newsserver-lijstje.txt | awk '{ print "python check-newsserver-for-sabnzbd.py " $1 }' | /bin/sh
reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl OK connection, response on binary request is: 480 Authentication required for command

newszilla6.xs4all.nl OK connection, response on binary request is: 211 2000001 1069539753 1071539753 alt.binaries.boneless

news.ipv6.eweka.nl No connection

nova.planet.nl Connection not OK, response:  502 news.kpn.nl: Access denied to your node - [email protected]

news.kpn.nl Connection not OK, response:  502 news.kpn.nl: Access denied to your node - [email protected]

freebin-auth.readnews.com No connection

news.readfreenews.net OK connection, response on binary request is: 211 1 367598 367598 alt.binaries.boneless

sander@vadmin648:~$

[sander]

hourly update via crontab: http://wattcher.015.info/newsserver.txt

[deaddraw]

I haven't seen this one posted, it's slightly annoying but worked perfectly for me every time I used it:

http://www.just4today.net/

IPv4, 2 connections (535kB/s), username and pass changes daily so you have to update it, about 12 day retention.  I had no problems with this server up to the point I subscribed to Astraweb a few weeks ago.  (Heart Astraweb.)

[sander]

After some more programming, it will show the max number of connections and some more verbose output. See below.

Python script attached.

Code: Select all

$ cat newsserver-lijstje.txt | awk '{ print "python nmc3.py " $1 }' | /bin/sh

reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl OK connection, response on binary request is: 480 Authentication required for command , max number of connections is 25
newszilla6.xs4all.nl OK connection, response on binary request is: 211 2000001 1074074830 1076074830 alt.binaries.boneless , max number of connections is 4
news.ipv6.eweka.nl server unreachable; no connection at all
nova.planet.nl connection achieved, but then immediately refused maybe because of failed authentication
news.kpn.nl connection achieved, but then immediately refused maybe because of failed authentication
freebin-auth.readnews.com server unreachable; no connection at all
news.readfreenews.net OK connection, response on binary request is: 211 1 367598 367598 alt.binaries.boneless , max number of connections is 3
news.telesweet.net OK connection, response on binary request is: 411 No such group alt.binaries.boneless , max number of connections is 25
news2v6.telesweet.net OK connection, response on binary request is:  , connection achieved, but then immediately refused maybe because of failed authentication
$

[sc0re]

I get many errors downloading movies through reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl, I get lots of unfinished files and errors. newzilla6 free server works absolutely perfect for last 5 months with no errors. Is this just me, or is there others getting errors using that server?

[sander]

Hey Sander can you update your output to http://wattcher.015.info/newsserver.txt too please?

Done.

[sander]

Hey Sander can you update your output to http://wattcher.015.info/newsserver.txt too please?

Done.

Thanks, this is really cool, OP updated.

In your .txt it might be nice if it would break it up into working / non-working lists.
Also it would be nice to detect/report if the server is ipv6 or ipv4.

Done. See http://wattcher.015.info/newsserver.txt (or IPv6-only: http://wattcher6.015.info/newsserver.txt)

[sander]

Does reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl require a free login? Or a paid login?
Looks like newszilla6.xs4all.nl and news.readfreenews.net are the only ones working right now.

xsnews: free account via http://www.xsnews.com/ipv6/ipv6_aanvraag.php

And xsnews is fantastic: unlimited speed, and long retention.

[sander]

BTW: some python help is needed: should I make the 'try'-part smaller and put more stuff outside the try-statement, or is it OK like this? It works, but is this the best way to do it?

Code: Select all

try:
	allinfo = socket.getaddrinfo(newsserver,119)

	ipv6=ipv4=0

	for x in allinfo:
		if x[0] == 10: ipv6=1
		if x[0] == 2 : ipv4=1

		
	if ipv4 and ipv6: text = "IPv4 and IPv6"
	if ipv4 and not ipv6: text = "IPv4-only"
	if ipv6 and not ipv4: text = "IPv6-only"


except:
	text = "unknown server"

[sander]

And a request to all Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: please try this URL

http://wattcher.015.info/check-ipv6-refresh.html

If you have IPv6 connectivity (full or half), you can use IPv6 newsservers like reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl
If IPv6 doesn't work, you probably use some non-Microsoft firewall (or maybe a stupid, non-Microsoft virusscanner). Turn it off temporarily, and check again ... you could get into the IPv6 Walhalla, meaning free IPv6 downloads.

@forum-admin: http://[2001:1b60:1010:1:217:31ff:fec7:552d]/newsserver.txt is refused as an URL; it's incorrectly parsed into something very strange. Please solve that; it's a correct URL

[sander]

Updates:

news.just4today.net added to the list of checked servers
interpretation of the response to the binary request between ( and )

to do: better sorting; open binary servers at the top!

Example:

Code: Select all

Wed Mar 31 23:52:52 CEST 2010



good: news2v6.telesweet.net -- IPv6-only -- max number of connections is 4 . Binary response  (Not a binary server?) 411 No such group alt.binaries.boneless
good: news.just4today.net -- IPv4-only -- max number of connections is 2 . Binary response  (Account needed?) 480 Authentication required for command
good: news.readfreenews.net -- IPv4-only -- max number of connections is 3 . Binary response  (Looks good) 211 1 367598 367598 alt.binaries.boneless
good: news.telesweet.net -- IPv4-only -- max number of connections is 25 . Binary response  (Not a binary server?) 411 No such group alt.binaries.boneless
good: newszilla6.xs4all.nl -- IPv6-only -- max number of connections is 4 . Binary response  (Looks good) 211 2000001 1081207660 1083207660 alt.binaries.boneless
good: reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl -- IPv6-only -- max number of connections is 7 . Binary response  (Account needed?) 480 Authentication required for command
half good: news.kpn.nl -- IPv4-only -- connection achieved, but then immediately refused maybe because of failed authentication 502 news.kpn.nl: Access denied to your node - [email protected]
half good: nova.planet.nl -- IPv4-only -- connection achieved, but then immediately refused maybe because of failed authentication 502 news.kpn.nl: Access denied to your node - [email protected]
not good: freebin-auth.readnews.com -- IPv4-only -- server unreachable; no NNTP connection at all
not good: news.ipv6.eweka.nl -- IPv6-only -- server unreachable; no NNTP connection at all

Wed Mar 31 23:53:38 CEST 2010

[sander]

Better sorting, see http://wattcher.015.info/newsserver.txt

Code: Select all

Fri Apr  2 08:00:01 CEST 2010



absolutely good: news.readfreenews.net -- IPv4-only -- max number of connections is 3 . Binary response  (Looks good) 211 1 367598 367598 alt.binaries.boneless
absolutely good: newszilla6.xs4all.nl -- IPv6-only -- max number of connections is 4 . Binary response  (Looks good) 211 2000001 1085565623 1087565623 alt.binaries.boneless
could be good: news.just4today.net -- IPv4-only -- max number of connections is 2 . Binary response  (Account needed?) 480 Authentication required for command
could be good: reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl -- IPv6-only -- max number of connections is 2 . Binary response  (Account needed?) 480 Authentication required for command
half good: news2v6.telesweet.net -- IPv6-only -- max number of connections is 25 . Binary response  (Not a binary server?) 411 No such group alt.binaries.boneless
half good: news.telesweet.net -- IPv4-only -- max number of connections is 25 . Binary response  (Not a binary server?) 411 No such group alt.binaries.boneless
mediocre response: news.kpn.nl -- IPv4-only -- connection achieved, but then immediately refused maybe because of failed authentication 502 news.kpn.nl: Access denied to your node - [email protected]
mediocre response: nova.planet.nl -- IPv4-only -- connection achieved, but then immediately refused maybe because of failed authentication 502 news.kpn.nl: Access denied to your node - [email protected]
not good at all: freebin-auth.readnews.com -- IPv4-only -- server unreachable; no NNTP connection at all
not good at all: news.ipv6.eweka.nl -- IPv6-only -- server unreachable; no NNTP connection at all

Fri Apr  2 08:00:41 CEST 2010

[sander]

http://wattcher.015.info/newsserver.txt coming up blank for me

That can happen during the 30 seconds after the 'whole' hour; the file is then being updated.

I'll make a solution for that.

EDIT: solved. No more 30 seconds black out ... ;-)