The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
Accessing the Melbourne PC User Group Newsgroups
Bob Thomas

This follows my article last month on the Melb PC Village, our local newsgroups. Since then, questions have been asked, "How do I set up to access these newsgroups?". Interest has been sufficient to warrant a dedicated article.
 
In order to access the Melb PC newsgroups you will need the following:

  1. An Internet connection (either via the Melb PC members service, or another ISP);
  2. A username and password, provided with Associate or Full Internet Subscription;
  3. A software package designed to access newsgroups;
  4. Details of the Melb PC news and mail servers for setting up the newsgroup reader software on your computer.

The source of your Internet connection will determine how you obtain a user name/password. If you are not connected to the Internet through melbpc.org.au then you won't have an appropriate username/password and you should read all the following steps in order to obtain them.

If you already use Melb PC as your ISP, then you will also have an existing username/password. This same username/password will give you access to the newsgroups. In this case go straight to Step 3.
 
Step 1. Username and Password

This applies to:

  • Members who do not already have Internet access.
  • Members who have Internet access through an outside ISP.
M embers who have existing Internet access through an outside ISP will need to apply to Melb PC for an Associate Internet Subscription which is free to all members.

Members who do not have any existing Internet access must apply for either a Full Internet Subscription with Melb PC or an Associate Internet subscription. An Associate subscription gives you access to newsgroups, access to the local intranet and to e-mail. The application form is included in PC Update and must be completed and returned to the office. This same form is used for Full and Associate Internet applications, just tick the appropriate boxes. Once this is processed the office will issue you with a username and password to use your Full or Associate subscription, and these will be used in the following steps.

Note: New subscribers who do not have existing Internet access will also need to follow Step 2.

Step 2. Set Up Your Internet Access

All new Melb PC Internet subscribers, Full or Associate, who want dial up access to Melb PC must install the Internet access software provided on the Monthly CD that is sent out with your subscription approval and username/password. Follow the instructions carefully and make sure you are able to dial up and log in to the Melb PC network.
 
If you have problems at this stage, ring the Internet Dial Help number and leave a message with your telephone and membership numbers and an iHelp volunteer will contact you.

Members who already have full Internet access through an outside ISP need not follow this step.
 
Step 3. Software

There are many software packages that will enable you to access newsgroups, and just as many opinions as to the best package to use. The browsers that you use to access the World Wide Web will also let you access newsgroups but many users prefer a dedicated package - one designed specifically for newsgroups.

The author and many other Melb PC members prefer the program "Agent" which comes in two versions - a paid for version "Agent" and a free version "Free Agent". These instructions will enable you to install "Free Agent" which is more than adequate for most users and arguably the most popular, dedicated newsgroup package available in the world today.

Free Agent is available in either a 16 bit or 32 bit version, and this basically means that if you are running Windows 3.1 you will want the 16 bit version, but for anything higher (ie. Windows 95 or 98 or above) you will use the 32 bit version.

Free Agent is on the Melb PC Monthly CD or can be downloaded from http://www.forteinc.com/agent/download.php along with full and comprehensive instructions. Make sure you choose either the 16 bit or 32 bit version as appropriate - most will choose the 32 bit version.

You should also download the User Guide and Help File, as these will answer many questions about Agent and about news-groups in general. You will find much invaluable information within the pages of the User Guide and reading it is strongly recommended. The guide is a PDF (Portable Document Format) file, which means that you will need the Adobe Acrobat reader to read it. An alternative version is also available in Word format. The Help File is an optional accessory to the main program. Included in its zip file are instructions regarding its installation.

Step 4. Installing The Software

Once downloaded, installation of the software and subsequent configuration is relatively simple provided that you follow the instructions contained in the Agent User Guide. This guide contains full and comprehensive instructions and rather than repeat those instructions here you should ensure that you read and follow the guidance of Agent's own instructions.

You will need the following information when completing the installation:
News Server:  news.melbpc.org.au
E-mail Server: smtp.melbpc.org.au
User Name:

 		This is allocated by Melb PC (from the choices you prioritised 
in your application) and is the first part of your e-mail address. 
(e.g. jsmith@melbpc.org.au would have the user name of jsmith)
Password:


 		This is provided by Melb PC and must be inserted where asked, 
ensuring that the correct case is used as passwords usually are 
case-sensitive. A lower case password typed when the Capslock 
key is on, will not work.

Username and password are only required for accessing the newsgroups from an outside ISP. In this case you must enable news server authorisation.

Once the software has been installed and the above configuration entered, you can connect to the melbpc.org.au server. Ensure Free Agent is open and follow the instructions in the manual, which will require you to download all the names of all the available newsgroups. You only have to do this once; there are many thousands of newsgroups and it takes a couple of minutes to finish. After that you can select the groups in which you are interested, download the messages and proceed to read them. You can configure the program so that rather than showing all newsgroups it will only show those you have selected, including the Melb PC newsgroups which are in their own category, prefaced by "melbpc".
 
It is not practical here to describe all the various settings and steps involved in setting up and configuring the software because they are all comprehensively detailed in the Agent manual. As with any new piece of software it will take time to learn, but it is well worth persevering. Members with Full Internet access will also find many online references to the Agent software simply by entering "Forte Agent" in Google or one of the other online search engines. Once you are connected, further help can be obtained from other Melb PC members via our local newsgroups.

Do your installation slowly, one step at a time, reading the manual as you go. It may take a little while, so don't expect things to happen instantly. An old but very true saying is... "There is no such thing as a five minute job in computing"

If any of the above steps seem beyond your level of expertise, then you may need to enlist the help of an iHelp volunteer. However, once set up you will find that accessing newsgroups is easy and simple; the initial learning curve will be overcome very quickly. I'll be looking forward to seeing you online. Good Luck!

Other Resources

The Melb PC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) http://www.melbpc.org.au/faq/ contains much information that is of help setting up an Internet connection through Melb PC and configuring your newsgroup reader software to access our newsgroups. It can also be reached from a FAQ link on the Message of the Day (MOTD) page at http://hww.melbpc.org.au/motd/. If you use another ISP, you can reach this from a link on the main Melb PC home page http://www.melbpc.org.au/.

As of the date of writing, the FAQ did not cover external access of newsgroups. Ash Nallawalla wrote an article covering this for Outlook Express in the April 2001 issue of PC Update. Ash's article is now applicable to those who don't have the full subscription. It can be accessed via the PC Update Online link on the MOTD and the Melb PC home page if you don't have that issue handy. (Why don't you? PC Update articles can often be relevant to you much later, even if not at time of issue.) An iHelp member keeps a supplemental FAQ at http://member.melbpc.org.au/~coxes/faq.html that covers aspects of external access.

iHelp volunteers are there to assist you with any Internet related problems. Log a service request on the iHelp system, which is reached from a link on the MOTD page. If you can't connect or haven't received your subscription details yet, you can phone (03) 9517 1054 or e-mail help@melbpc.org.au. These are listed on the Dial Help sheet on the back of your PC Update address mailer.

Reprinted from the April 2002 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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