The best Usenet Search Engines
This article is going to list some of the best Usenet search engines that are freely available on the Internet. Freely meaning that you do not have to create an account first or get invited to use them.
The Usenet is considered by many a dark side of the Internet, something that those who know do not talk about and those who do not know don't want to know about because it seems utterly complicated to begin with.
The real benefits of the Usenet in my opinion are speed, if you have a good provider that is, reliability and better privacy, because of SSL and no direct user to user connections. On the downside we have the monthly fee, a Usenet client that has to be installed and configured and a little bit of configuration in regards to the groups that you want to subscribe.
Usenet Search Engines help users find files faster. Most support the nzb protocol which combines all file information in one file that can be loaded into most Usenet clients directly to start the download. It works similar to torrent files in this regard but without any peer to peer connections. Good search engines should support advanced parameters, 200 day records, nzb creation and index most groups, at least the thousand+ important ones.
If you want to try the Usenet you could signup for a free 14 day trial at Giganews, the Usenet provider that I use for several years.
Working newsgroup search engines
Binsearch offers a general search option on its main page, and an advanced search that you can run using additional parameters.
The general search lets you enter a search term, pick the results per page and maximum age per post, and select whether you want the most popular groups searched or other groups.
If you cannot find what you are looking for, you may want to select the other option so that all groups have been searched. If that does not work as well, try the advanced search which adds more options such as searching a specific group only or filtering results by size.
You can download NZB files directly using Binsearch to load them into your client of choice. Binsearch lets you search groups as well.
Binz displays recent NZBs on its front page. Here you can use the search feature to find files posted to 2000 groups that the service scans regularly for new contents, or browse specific groups of interest instead.
One difference to Binsearch is that you cannot select multiple results at once for download, as there are no selection boxes available to do so. If you have searched for files and the results show ten, twenty or one hundred that you want to download, you will have to select them all one by one.
NZB.cc lets you search newsgroups as well, but the interface that it makes available is rather minimalistic. While some may like that, it does not display a lot of information about each upload.
NZBs can be downloaded right from the search results page, but only one at a time. There is no option to browse groups or use advanced search parameters.
NZBClub is free to use but offers member accounts as well which provide additional benefits such as adding searches to your favorites, access to a search history and bigger watch lists.
The search provides interesting options. You can hide spam, files with passwords and adult contents, and filter by group, poster, size or days.
While NZBStars offers a search, it is also sorting files into various categories such as image (which includes videos), sounds or applications.
While that may be convenient, it is displaying popups whenever you switch to a different filter. It is also worth noting that the site only searches withing the categories it provides which means that you won't find certain files here that other search engines list.
The search engine displays categories as well, but you can alos use the search, browse popular tags or take a look at screenshots posted on the site. The screenshots set it apart from other services.
This usenet search engine displays a sidebar next to the results which you can use to filter what is being displayed. You can filter by time, poster or group for example, and change the sorting options as well.
This seems to concentrate on TV shows only. You can browse shows on the site or subscribe to RSS feeds which you can add to your RSS reader of choice.
Search across all supported groups and use advanced parameters to define what is being searched and what not. Offers to limit results by size, poster, nfo content, age and other information. Can also be used to browse groups manually.
This one is a rather messy site due to the massive number of links posted on the site's frontpage. You can use the search to search across all supported groups, browse groups individually, or browse by keyword.
Archive
Newzleech [not available anymore]
I have discovered Newsleech only recently but have to admit that it provides one of the best Usenet search engines. It provides users with a general search, an option to browse groups, to browse posts and to subscribe to RSS feeds to be informed when a new post matching the criteria is made.
Search results can be filtered by group, post age and size. The results are displayed in a list showing the most important information such as name, size, group, age and completion status. NZBs are created on the fly by checking at least one search result.
Yabsearch.nl [not available anymore]
A Dutch search engine with no English interface. Supports NZB creation and advanced search parameters. Displays size, name and completion status in the results.
Most information on those search engines is redundant meaning that all seem to index new posts fast enough and tend to display the same information in their search results. It's still good to have some outs in case one of them goes down.
Another usenet search is http://theusenetarchive.com/ but instead it searches text archives all the way back to 1980 across 200,000 newsgroups.
There is another one usenet newsgroup browser: http://usenetor.net/
I have another one usenet search engine: http://nzbid.org/
Very nice usenet category nzb indexer!
Long, long ago in a land not-so-far away, Usenet newsgroup access was provided as a companion service, with no additional cost, by Internet service providers. [sigh] I don’t know when that all changed, but we are all diminished by this loss of service to the people.
I have another good one Search Engine: http://nzbfriends.com/
Hi,
Do you know the software NewZFinders ?
Is a Free Usenet Search engine !!
Search on indexing server !!
Try this !!
http://newzfinders.com
http://en.newzfinders.com
Thanks
Newzleech is now GONE! :(
Good deal.GOD BLESS.
Ok
I found http://fidogig.com. I think this is the best one I used so far.
Try general.usenetlord.net and adult.usenetlord.net
They have cool Interface for Video/Photo
oh and waakoo.com has rapidshare search now also :)
Torrents suck. Usenet wins hands down for me
Newzleech, binsearch.info, or Waakoo.com for me
I want to search for GROUPS titles, not posts within groups.. where can you search just for groups (or browse group hierarchies..)
That’s the job of the usenet client. Try Newsbin.
newzbin is the best, and you only pay 25 cents a week
but a news server costs, thundernews is the best for me (unlimited dwnld for $17 USD)
BUT ALL OF YOU QUIT TALKING ABOUT USENET ALREADY
including me lol
oh and i forgot to mention zerosec.ws its not a search engine but its a nice interface with usenet links, and torrent (for the less conscious ppl).
As for the douche thats talking about “the scene” and referring himself as a “leet haxor” …. lolololol “”|337” or “leet” shortened from “3|173” or “elite” is the “hacking language” nerds without a life use; it makes them feel important and cool.” Source Urban Dictionary All Rights reserved
Nzbindex.nl binsearch.info newzleech.com and the great nzbmatrix.com
are the ones i use. as for torrents and p2p i’m not even going to bother with an explanation to the idiots that rely on that stuff “i pitty the fools”.
c’mon says: Most people download TV shows. ( usually released within the last few weeks )
What kind of fool are you ? tv shows on usenet start getting uploaded pretty much when that show is finished airing.
I am in the uk and watch all my shows from the states and i can normally have them all downloaded before the kids get up for school the next day.
V (2009) – 1×04 – It’s Only the Beginning aired in the states only few hours ago and i can get it now.
Only idiots rely on torrents or p2p, but lets face it usenet is second best to “THE SCENE”
I wont explain anymore than that as its for leet haxors only lol
Your all gonna burn in hell for your illegal use of binaries!
Muahahahahahahahahahah
@monglo….
c’mon……usenet is not widely used because of £$$£$£.
WHY PAY ?
Most people download TV shows. ( usually released within the last few weeks )
Torrent sites can give you full speeds. ON POPULAR files. ( not just usenet servers)
Rapidshare , megaupload ect… has HOW many days retention for premium users ? ? ? ? ? (compared to usenet )
Torrents , emule , FileHosters & usenet are all different . All have good and bad points.
AS for the opinion that usenet is the best for everything…. bull…… try getting half of the stuff on usenet that you can find on private tv torrent sites with their own capping teams.
I found binsearch.info to be full of mp3 that want to install as applications :(.. newzleech has always provide me with the best results…
@Dante and on the subject of “not telling/discussing usenet/binaries in public so as to prevent a flood of retards from ruining a good thing”
I agree. And although I may be a newcommer to this specific scene (2 years giganews subscriber), I refrain from shouting to the world and expounding how my life changed when I found binary usenet.
the thing is that the people we must fear learning about binaries and leading to closer scrutiny, regulation, dismantling/destruction, etc…..
these people are the bottom of the barrel tech idiots. these are the people who were dumbfounded by computers, afraid of using microsoft word and literally terrified of excell…
UNTIL AIM, then sites like myspace
these are the people who genuinely think that a black background IRC client is the sign of a hacker (ever notice how they used to show brief glimpses of IRC as filler in those Fox news hacking reports in the 1990s and early 00s?)
most of these people are barely able to figure out how to use limewire and emule, and to them Bittorrent is almost impossible to understand.
then there are the kids, aged 14-18, who have grown up with computers and are more tech literate.
even the MOST “tech literate” of them are nothing but skiddies, who download skiddy app packs and use them to hack their friends and school’s computers using OTHER PEOPLE’s work.
these kids have no ability to access good usenet. they dont have credit cards, and even if they could use their parents, they would never be able to convince them to PAY to download stuff.
so they are confined to the trash supplied by their ISP (inevitabley comcast, cox or verizon, and nearly always worthless, devoid of copyrighted material due to DMCA takedowns, if any binary content at all
thus they see usenet and think it worthless and instead devote their time to bittorrent and rapidshare.
the end result is that usenet is already such an obscure, under used, OLD (not a BBS, but nearly) system that most people cannot be bothered to learn how to use it, set it up, and make it work efficiently.
so dont be afraid of talking about it……. just dont give a tutorial explaining why it literally owns bittorrent for all but the most obscure stuff.
if all else fails, exaggerate its difficulty.
Not to mention http://newzbin.com is now run by the cops because of all of the child porn they do there.
In my eyes, Binabled is the best: http://www.binabled.com
Binsearch appears to be censoring its results, no doubt to appease the MPAA.
Try comparing its results with, say, newzleech.
You left out http://www.bintube.com form your list. I use it most because it has better results (better grouping) and their usenet client is great.
here is some shameless self promotion, http://gonzb.com along with http://tv.gonzb.com and http://music.gonzb.com amongst other ways to try and find good stuff from the massive amount of spam that usually enter the binaries.
Martin, your binsearch.info link is still bad :]
And you should add http://nzbmatrix.com/ to the list. nzbmatrix, newzleech, and binsearch are the only three I’ve been using lately
It is probably in moderation because of your exquisite manners. I’m sorry that this article did not meet your expectations.
Why do you need more search engines on the other hand than those three mentioned?
This must be the lamest article ever on “the best Usenet Search Engines”. 3 results?! This must’ve been whole lotta work to get this out – 1/2 hour work at best. Thanks for trying – the user-comments are better than any info.
And now this is now “awaiting moderation”?! – way to go lamers – there’s no hyperlinks here, what’s the holdup?
that’s the point, flamer.
I would suggest nzbfiles I have found files on there not on Binsearch or Newzleech …
http://www.nzbfiles.org/faq.php
I found it was the only one to pick up the Dr Who newsgroup when I needed individual parts. Although Binsearch does access a.b.DrWho.
http://www.usenetlive.com
http://www.newzbox.com
New free Usenet binary search tool with NFO search capability, auto-searches, alerts and RSS feeds.
@vao: The other downside of newzbin is that new registrations are closed. You’ll have to find a current member to send an invite. And then once you’re in, yes, it’s paid.
http://www.nzbmatrix.com is also a good one.
You might also check out http://www.bindexer.com/ It doesn’t host .nfo files (I don’t think), but it’s got a nice interface and a really good search setup.
I always use binsearch.info unless its a sunday night/monday morning when they’re doing maintenance; I switch to newzleech just because its the only other one I remember ;x
Newzbin is a founder of nzb files. Also best usenet search engine. One minus: paid
http://newzbin.com
or
http://v3.newzbin.com
You’ve let out the secrets of newgroups. Now the Illuminatis will have to kill you ;)
Seriously though, I’m one of those who’d rather not tell anybody not in the know about the Usenet. Don’t want it to start popping up on populist’s radars.
But one word of caution: Virus Scan Virus Scan Virus Scan. Lots of virus out in the Usenet. Especially those free “cracked” versions of newzleech that you see posted every week on the newsgroups.
http://www.nzbindex.nl/
http://www.binsearch.info/
giganews link bad :)