How to set up Netscape for Usenet News

It is strongly recommended to use mail programs (like Pegasus Mail, Eudora, Pine, elm...) for sending and receiving Electronic Mail and to use newsreader programs (like Trumpet, WinVN, tin...) for joining discussions in Usenet News. However, you can also send mail and read and write Usenet News - with some restrictions - within Netscape.

Before you do so, you have to configure your Netscape properly.

If you want to read Usenet News, you need the name of a "News Server" (NNTP Server) which allows your computer to access the Usenet News stored there, and you have to enter that computer's name into the "News Server" field within your Netscape Preferences menu.

If you want to write (send, answer) Usenet News or to send replies via Electronic Mail, you must also enter the following fields in the Netscape Preferences:
your name (first and last name)
your E-Mail address (userid@hostname.domain)
your Organization's name
the computer which forwards your mail ("SMTP mail server")
and perhaps a "signature file" for your convenience.

Make sure that you have entered the correct values for all these fields before sending anything "to the net". If in doubt, get help from you local computer people. Missing or wrong information in these fields is considered a violation of the Internet and Usenet rules (RFC) and my lead to withdrawal of your computer usage permission or even to withdrawal of the Internet, Mail and Usenet access for all users of your organization.

For more detailled explanations, see

and the chapters for learning about which can be accessed via the Help menu of Netscape.


Hubert Partl, BOKU Wien