How to use the map
If your primary account already covers one platform, use a second provider or block account only when it adds a materially different storage path, jurisdiction, regional platform or retention profile.
Compare block accounts →
Legacy resource · rebuilt for 2026
Back-end Usenet Provider and Usenet Resellers
The retail name on your Usenet subscription does not always identify the network that stores and serves the articles. This revived map separates retail brands, back-end platforms and reseller relationships so you can avoid buying the same coverage twice.
Original URL restored: /newsgroup-resellers.php · Data rechecked 2026-10-12
Why this old URL is back: this page was already being referenced by Usenet communities in 2013–2017 and was cited in a 2015 research report under the title “Back-end Usenet Provider and Usenet Resellers.” The old data is not being copied forward; the URL has been rebuilt around the current market.
Provider, backbone or reseller?
Provider is the brand that sells you access. A backbone or back-end platform is the infrastructure that receives, stores and serves articles. A reseller sells access that is supplied wholly or partly by another network. Those categories can overlap: a company may operate infrastructure of its own while also bundling another feed or block service.
That distinction matters most when you use a second Usenet server as a backup. Two brands can look completely different yet still have substantial article overlap. A genuinely different storage path, regional platform or takedown process has a better chance of adding useful completion.
2026 network snapshot
Usenet back-end providers and reseller groups
This is an operational comparison, not a corporate-family chart. Ownership, feeds, peering, cache rules and reseller contracts can change independently.
| Back-end / platform | Retail brands on this site | Relationship | DMCA / NTD | Diversity note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newshosting / UNS platform | Newshosting, Easynews, UsenetServer | Tier-1 platform / shared retail network | DMCA | High expected overlap between these brands. Usually choose one as a primary rather than stacking all three. |
| Eweka European platform | Eweka | European provider platform | Dutch NTD | Useful European path with a different operational profile from the main Newshosting retail platform. |
| Tweaknews / Base IP | Tweaknews | European provider platform | Dutch NTD | European service path. Do not infer independence from branding alone; corporate and feed relationships can evolve. |
| Abavia / XS News | XS News | European platform / reseller ecosystem | European takedown process | Alternative European route commonly used for backup or block diversity. |
| ViperNews backend | ViperNews | Provider-stated Tier-1 platform | Dutch NTD | ViperNews describes its backend as independent. Third-party backbone maps are not fully consistent, so recheck before buying solely for diversity. |
| UsenetExpress ecosystem | UsenetExpress, NewsgroupDirect | Tier-1 backbone + multi-network retail | DMCA | NewsgroupDirect can bundle additional access, but it should not automatically be treated as fully independent from UsenetExpress. |
| Netnews | Frugal Usenet, UsenetNow, BlockNews | Shared retail channels | DMCA / server-dependent | Netnews officially lists Frugal Usenet, UsenetNow and BlockNews as retail channels, so overlap between them is expected. |
| Fast Usenet network | Fast Usenet | Provider-stated network | DMCA | Fast Usenet describes a purpose-built global network, but public information does not expose every upstream/feed relationship. |
| Giganews | Giganews | Tier-1 / own servers, software and network | DMCA | Giganews states that it owns its Usenet backbone, server clusters and server software in North America and Europe. |
Important: “different brand” does not automatically mean “different backbone,” and “same company” does not necessarily mean identical servers, article numbering, regional storage or takedown timing.
Backbones explained in more detail
This legacy URL is the reseller map. Our current backbone guide explains retention, provider overlap and how to build a diversified Usenet setup.
Read the 2026 backbone guide →What changed since the original map?
The Usenet market has consolidated, changed ownership and rebuilt networks several times since this page first circulated. Names that appeared on older reseller charts may now be closed, acquired, moved to another platform or operating under a different arrangement. For that reason, this page does not preserve obsolete 2013–2017 classifications merely for nostalgia.
Instead, we keep the old URL—and its historical context—but treat the provider map as a living technical snapshot. Where provider claims and independent backbone maps disagree, we say so rather than presenting uncertain relationships as settled fact.
Historical references to this page
- Whirlpool forum discussion (2013) — linked this URL as a resource on providers and resellers.
- Research Project report (2015) — cited the page as “Back-end Usenet Provider and Usenet Resellers.”
- Tweakers discussion (2017) — used the page while comparing wholesale and reseller relationships.
Current verification sources
We prioritize provider documentation for infrastructure claims and use independent/community maps as a cross-check. Current sources include Newshosting network documentation, ViperNews’ Tier-1 FAQ, Netnews’ retail-channel list, Giganews’ backbone documentation, Fast Usenet network documentation and independent backbone maps for relationships that providers do not document publicly.
Transparency: We may earn a commission from some links, at no extra cost to you. Rankings are editorial.
Usenet reseller FAQ
What is a Usenet reseller?
A Usenet reseller sells access under its own retail brand while relying wholly or partly on another provider or back-end network for article storage and delivery.
Why should I care which backbone a provider uses?
If two accounts heavily overlap on the same back-end platform, the second account may add little completion. A different storage or takedown path can make a backup account more useful.
Are DMCA and NTD the same thing?
No. They are different notice-and-takedown frameworks. The practical timing and availability of articles can differ, but neither framework guarantees that a specific post will remain available.
Is this the original 2014 reseller map?
It is the original URL, but the content has been rebuilt for 2026. Obsolete provider relationships were not copied forward.