Usenet requires a newsreader to access newsgroups, just as the World Wide Web requires a web browser to access websites. Since there are millions of websites, you couldn't possibly keep a list of them all on your hard drive, so the list is kept on a Domain Name Server, (DNS). When you type in a URL, your web browser consults your ISP's DNS to locate the website you want to look at. Likewise, usenet consults a list of all known newsgroups to locate the one you would like to read (or download binaries from). Usenet, however has far fewer newsgroups to keep track of, so the list of newsgroups are kept in a database file in your newsreader.

Reading Newsgroups

Just as HTML files exist on a web server, the headers and bodies of usenet messages are stored on a news server. Let's say, for example, you want to read alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.d (d stands for discussion). Simply highlight that newsgroup and download it's headers. A header isn't the full message, it's just the subject line of a message. Now that you have all the headers, double click one you'd like to read. It downloads and appears before your very eyes. Since it is text it only takes a moment. If it has a file attachment it will obviously take longer. Viola! You're reading newsgroups. You can follow the threads, reply, etc.

Since there are around 60,000 newsgroups from all over the world, you won't be interested in all of them. You may choose a few favorite ones you want to follow, and separate them into the Subscribed Groups area of your newsreader. That makes them easier to find again. When you are finished with the headers in a group, be sure to delete, or purge them. That frees hard drive space. You may choose to Get new headers whenever you like, or, if you purged something you want to reread, you can Get all headers again.

The Newsreader

Since Agent v1.93 is the most widely used newsreader, I will be pointing out its basic setup and (sometimes) overlooked settings to get you started. Since this is not intended to be an exhaustive Agent tutorial I will leave it to you and the manual for personal tweak preferences.

Agent Setup
During installation, Agent Setup will ask for your News (NNTP) server address. This is the address of your news server. Your ISP can furnish you with it's news server address, or if you have a premium news server you will use it's NNTP address. It will also ask for your Mail (SMTP) address and an email address. Enter either a fake one or a "throwaway" hotmail address. The email address is required. Without that you will be unable to post. The final item it asks for is your name. Enter your online name.

Next, you will be prompted to allow Agent to download the list of newsgroups. Make sure you are connected to the internet and click yes. This may take a few minutes. This is the point when Agent collects all the newsgroups available on your news server. Once downloaded, the list appears in the All Groups area where you will subscribe to the ones you want. You can peruse this list at your leisure after we look at a few more items.

Click Options at the top of the main Agent window and select User and System Profile.

User
Insure that your name and addresses are entered correctly. If your news server requires you to login with a username and password, enter them here. Note: You may need to enter the login info before you can download the newsgroups list.

System
Make sure your news server and email server addresses are filled in. Now click OK.

Next, click Group at the top of the main Agent window. Select Default Properties. This is where we set some vital parameters. They are global and apply to all newsgroups so you only need to set them once.

Directory
This is the directory where all files downloaded from binary groups go. You may use Agent's default directory or choose your own.

Post
The Post tab is important. Make sure the 2 middle boxes are checked. This insures your privacy and the privacy of other users. It means that any posts you make or reply to cannot be archived.

Receive Files
In the Receive Files dialog, make certain Save attachments automatically is checked. It is not active by default and it's easy to overlook this one.

Retrieve
Just a big tip here: Do not check Retrieve bodies for all new messages. You don't want to download every binary posted to usenet.

When to Purge
Purge means to delete all headers. For best control, purge your headers manually. Also, it's best to compact databases manually.

What to Purge
Purging everything at once is the simplest way to set this up.

Crossposts
Sometimes the same headers are posted to several newsgroups. You can check for crossposts here and decide whether to retrieve them or not.

It's safe to leave the Default Group Properties now

There are more preferences in Options to look at and from this point you can continue to set up Agent look and behave as you wish. There are too many things that this application can do to list here, and quite a lot of them you may never use. You will soon discover other features that will prove to be useful as you become more familiar with usenet. Some third party applications you may need, such as Powerpost for batch posting, and WinRAR for archiving and unarchiving files, are readily available both on usenet, the web. For more information on these, visit Slyck's Guide to Newsgroups.

Note: Words written in bold text denote specific terms used in Agent.

Update: Since the initial writing of this tutorial, several newer versions of Agent have been released. In my opinion, Agent v2.0 is the best. The setup is essentially the same, though a few of the menus are slightly different in appearance. If you already have Agent v1.93 set up and running, you can simply upgrade by installing Agent v2.0 over it without it affecting any of your favorite setup options. Enjoy!