Usenet Primer: How It Actually Works

An orientation to the network, its separation of roles (providers vs indexers vs download clients), and how binaries/NZBs exist alongside the original message-board heritage.

What Usenet is (and is not)

• A 1980s-era distributed discussion system (NNTP) where servers sync articles across peers. Originally text-only; later added binaries via yEnc/MIME splits.
• There is no single “Usenet company.” Each provider runs servers and retention; indexers watch groups and build searchable catalogs; clients (SABnzbd/NZBGet) fetch articles and reassemble files.
• It is not BitTorrent: there is no swarm/peer upload; downloads come from provider servers you pay for.

Role separation (the “pachinko” model)

• Providers (e.g., Newshosting, Eweka, UsenetExpress) store articles and honor takedowns; retention and completion vary.
• Indexers (e.g., NZBGeek, DogNZB) watch binary groups, de-dup releases, and expose APIs/search; they usually require an invite/fee.
• Clients (SABnzbd, NZBGet) download via NNTP using provider creds; automation tools (Sonarr/Radarr/Whisparr/Lidarr) talk to indexers through Prowlarr and hand NZBs to the client.
• Why this matters: keeping these roles separate reduces legal coupling—indexers list, providers serve, clients fetch.

Binaries, NZBs, and retention

• Binaries are split into many articles across alt.binaries.* groups; NZB files are just XML pointers to those article IDs.
• Retention = how many days a provider keeps articles. Higher retention improves old releases; completion depends on peering/takedowns.
• Obfuscation: filenames often scrambled; indexers supply meaningful names and metadata.

Text Usenet still exists

• Classic discussion groups remain (mirrored in Google Groups and text-only feeds). They’re part of cultural history: old FAQs, source code drops, and conversations remain valuable reference material.

Safety & etiquette

• Use SSL NNTP ports (563/443) with auth; do not share provider or indexer keys.
• Mind automation limits: API hit caps on indexers and connection limits on providers.
• Respect local laws and copyrights; many groups host public-domain or permissively shared content—support creators when you can.

How this stack uses Usenet

• Prowlarr centralizes indexers and feeds them to Sonarr/Radarr/Whisparr/Lidarr.
• SABnzbd (or NZBGet) downloads from your paid provider using NZB instructions.
• Arr apps monitor your libraries, request from indexers, and hand NZBs to SABnzbd automatically.

Finding and joining indexers

• Public/paid: NZBGeek, DrunkenSlug (invite), DogNZB (invite). Each has APIs for Prowlarr.
• Community reference threads often list current indexers and mirrors; expect churn and invites.
• Keep .env up to date with API keys before running the stack.

Further reading

• Usenet (Wikipedia)
• NNTP / RFC 977
• NZB file format spec
• List of Usenet providers
• Usenet history and culture overview

High-value public archives

• Anna's Archive — open-access meta-archive for books/papers/comics.
• Emulation General Wiki — emu/ROM knowledge base.
• FMHY — free-media meta list.
• Vimm's Lair — classic console manuals/ROM preservation info.

Use these for learning and preservation; follow the laws in your jurisdiction and respect creator rights.