>
> On *28 Aug 2000 16:01:18 +0900*
> In message *[md-2] Need Feedback: ISP-Usenet-Newsreader Problem*
> *Patrick Bartek* wrote:
>
> >
> > This dilemma should challenge the little grey cells of all you system
> > administrators out there: I get inconsistent, truncated message feeds
> > from the Usenet through my ISP. They don't know why. They are
> > getting all messages, but I'm not.
> >
>
> How often do collect news? Are we talking binaries or text groups?
Daily. I frequent only text groups -- about 40 of them.
> It is quite possible that your ISP is receiving all the messages but
> has no where to put them so unless you're collecting them
> regularly they just expire on the server before you collect them and
> get over written by newer messages, I believe news feeds are currently
> running in excess of 150GB a day (and I read that stat a while ago,
> it might have doubled again since!).
The ISP doesn't download ALL the groups, just the ones that their
users are subscribed to. So, the total feed is a lot smaller,
bytewise.
>
> > This happens with MD2 (versions 0.198 & 1.4.4 unregistered), mNews (v
> > 1.3b), as well as with Quarterdeck Message Center, a dedicated Windows
> > 3.1 e-mail/news reader, I run on an old 486 notebook, which was put in
> > service for toubleshooting purposes.
>
> All of which would indicate that the problem is not your end, are the
> same messages missing on each system or is it different messages at
> random?
Mostly, the feeds are identical with each reader -- same ones missing,
same ones not.
>
> > With Outlook Express
> > (Windows98), all is fine. All messages get through. (I had a friend
> > access my account through his PC.) My ISP is running Windows NT
> > Server, the latest version, I assume.
>
> How long did s/he test for though, the best way of testing would be to
> get them on the phone and do a get new messages on the same group at
> exactly the same time to see what messages you pick up.
This was done over several days over a couple of weeks, both connected
and downloading the same groups, at the same time, while in contact by
phone. And then comparing group by group, message by message looking
for differences and similarities.
>
> > After a few weeks, the news server crashed badly while downloading.
> > Since then things have declined steadily.
>
> Well at 150GB a day, it can take a few days to catch up again.
I allowed for this.
>
> > The screwy thing is: some news groups work fine; others I get
> > truncated downloads;
>
> High traffic groups will retain the messages for a shorter period of
> time, depending on how the ISP has set the system up, let's for
> [snip]
I don't think this is the root of the problem.
>
> > some I don't get anything at all for days or
> > weeks, even though on the ISP's end, all subscribed to groups are
> > getting full news feeds. Also, at random, I'm unsubscribed to some of
> > the groups I frequent; and have to resubscribe. The SA doesn't know
> > why this is happening either.
>
> Sounds like your ISP again.
Everything seems to point to the ISP as the problem. But what?
> >
> > Also, as an addendum the above problem: my posts never make it out
> > there to Usenetland. My ISP's news server gets it, mirrors it back
> to
> > me the next time I access news, sends me a confirmation by e-mail
> (The
> > SA did this for troubleshooting purposes.) that it has been sent
> > upstream, but the posts disappear into a black hole somewhere never
> to
> > appear on anyone else's server or computer.
>
> If you're sure about this (check to see if your posts appear on deja),
> then again this is a problem for your ISP to sort out, if the posts
> are reaching their server but not propagting further it's not your
> problem, it's theirs.
Verified through Deja that the posts weren't getting through. Checked
daily over 3 days after the initial postings; and did searches as
well.
>
> > This seems to be an NT related problem. (Why am I not surprised?)
> > I've had several ISPs over the past few years -- some Unix based,
> > others NT. Had the most problems with the NT ones.
>
> Never ran NT as a news server, but I do have a fair bit of
> experience with it at work and if you set it up properly it's no
> more or less reliable than any other os. I would hazard a guess that
> the ISPs you've tried are having trouble keeping up with the volume of
> news which requires a massive hardware investment. News is probably
> the hardest thing for an ISP to get right, it is also hard for many to
> justify the cost of investing in the new hardware as (proportionally)
> not many people use it.
>
They aren't running NT as a news server just as the networking OS.
MD2 reports on downloads that the server is DNews. My e-mail
confirmations of postings is also from dnews@news.
> > So, anyone got any ideas, why this is happening and how to fix it? I
> > would normally post this problem to the Usenet in some NT network
> > group or an Amiga group, but since I can't post, I'll ask the question
> > here.
>
> There is nothing you can do short of change ISP or subscribe to a news
> service.
I was hoping to avoid changing ISPs so soon, but most likely will have
to; however subscribing to a news service is possible. Have a good
recommendation from a friend of mine -- Supernews. We'll see.
--
Patrick Bartek
NoLife Polymath Group
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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