With so many Usenet providers in today's market, a new user or even an experienced Usenet user will have problems selecting who they think is the best provider.
First- what does best mean? The term "best" can mean many things to different people.
Some Newsgroup users may define best as long retention on text groups while other may define the term based on the price and value that they receive from their Usenet account.
We will define a few features that make a Usenet provider attractive to the Usenet community.
1)Service levels- Some hardcore Usenet users always seem to want the best of everything.
Who can blame them.
Usenet providers often advertise things such as retention (how long they hold articles on the server), completion (the articles the provider has vs.
what is available on Usenet), Free SSL (security feature), and download speeds.
These are definitely important factors when selecting a provider.
Make sure you test out the service and are happy with it before you decide to stick with your choice.
2)Price - Many users care about price.
As you know, everyone loves a good deal.
However, in the Usenet world, a low price does not always mean you are getting a good service.
This does not mean just because there are discounted accounts in the Usenet market, that those providers have service issues.
It just means that you sometimes get what you pay for.
Many providers offer temporary discounts based on duration while others just offer a lifetime special price.
Some websites that review Usenet companies sometimes offer exclusive specials not offered directly from the provider.
Whatever provider you decide to choose, make sure you feel comfortable with the price you are paying.
3)Extra features- Some users think what makes a usenet provider good are the extra features that they may offer with the Usenet access.
Many providers team up with 3rd party Newsreader companies to offer a bundled package to their users.
This is a good value as those customers get a full solution just by signing up for a Usenet provider.
Other providers offer their own version of a Usenet search engine.
This type of feature makes the Usenet service easier to use by helping the user find topics and subjects of interests faster.
Some other providers go as far as to offer features such as online storage and VPN services.
If these are features you are interested in, you are in luck because you will be getting a good value account.
The most important thing is that you just find an account that is right for your needs and feel comfortable paying the price of the service.
If you are not happy, there are several other providers out there that you can try until you find one that meets your needs and expectations.