Update: This program has ended. Thanks for your participation!
We’re providing our valued block customers with unlimited usenet access during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who is This For?
Our free access is available for all NGD block customers (current customers and new customers). Unlimited customers should continue to use the existing servers.
How Long Will This Last?
We’re not sure. We’re planning on at least 2 months from today (April 17). We’ll re-evaluate then.
How to Access Free Usenet
The only thing you’ll have to change in your configuration is your NNTP address. You’ll need to connect to covid.newsgroupdirect.com with your existing username and password. Everything else will stay the same.
Contact [email protected] if you run into any issues.
A T
You guys are awesome. Thanks so much.
William Jason
Great! Where is that server based? (US, EU, other?)
John Smith
Great Service!
Thank You!
H dawg
Wow guys this is amazing. Thank you for being such an awesome company. Your service has always been exceptional but this is above and beyond!
DnA
This is simply Great. Thank you for stepping up and enabling this. This type of gesture is not soon to be forgotten by me.
Block User
I’ve noticed that all the data used on covid.newgroupdirect.com has been taken off of my block account? Is this a known glitch, will the data be re-credited? Thanks.
Block User 2
I also have noticed that some of the data used on covid.newgroupdirect.com has been taken off of my block account. Will the data be re-credited? Thanks.
clemente
I received this response from NGD support staff:
“Please disable the block account while using the covid server. Otherwise your news reader will pull articles from both accounts.”
How do I disable my block account?
Has anyone solved this problem of having the block account charged while using the covid server?
Waqar
I use Newsbin and simply disabled the normal servers and just use the covid server
clemente
To be precise, on my usenet client software I have set the server to the covid server address and entered the login credentials for my block account. I am NOT using any other NGD server except for the covid server. If that satisfies the definition of ‘disabling my block account’, then the problem has not been solved.
All of the testing done since yesterday has resulted in a full deduction from my block account.
In other words, there has been nothing FREE that has been downloaded using the covid server and, to make matters worse, the download speeds are much lower than using the regular NGD server addresses.
I appreciate the generosity of the NGD management to provide a FREE service, but this is not working at the present time.
Block User
In my case I’d simply changed the host in the existing configuration from nl.newsgroupdirect.com to covid.newsgroupdirect.com. Therefore it couldn’t have been connecting to the normal server anymore, yet all downloads were still taken from my block allowance.
clemente
Thank you Block User…simply changing the server address is exactly what I did, and you have confirmed the problem that I am experiencing.
Block User 2
Same here, I only use the “covid” address and despite that my block account available data is going down
Another block user
Same problem here. I’m only using covid.newgroupdirect.com and it is consuming the data from my block account.
Another block user2
Same here, support was less than helpful giving the same crap response as clemente got.
Chris
Exact same issue as clemente. Support told me to just disable my block account while using the covid server…
Jim
Hi all – Send an email to [email protected] with your username and we’ll make sure that you get credited back for incorrectly deducted usage.
Waqar
Checked the NGD website and data does appear to be reducing, sent an email to support as suggested above
UB
Jim,
Like many other NGD users here, my data balance too has been getting deducted for using the covid server. Additionally, after exchanging emails with Support, it appears that they are unaware of the issue, or there has been a misunderstanding. Like Chris, they too have instructed me to “disable my block account.”
Please relay the information to the Support team so that they are informed of this issue.
UB
Randy
I still haven’t been able to download anything from any server since Friday. My other providers work just fine…what is going on?