AutoPARs rarely complete

[coyote2]

AutoPAR rarely completes successfully; I think this started within the last week. After today's MOTD I wonder if it's the issue others are having. I'm running 6.31build1858

Is there a version# I should go (perhaps via un/re-install) back to?

[Quade]

http://www.newsbin.com/downloads/nb631RC7.exe

You could try this one. It's not the absolute latest but, it's pretty cutting edge. I have a newer one but, Dex is unavailable to generate the installer.

[TMM]

I am also having issues with AutoPARs not completing on The latest build release candidate seven in fact pretty much sense I upgraded to rc5 hardware specs are as follows operating system Windows 7 ultimate 64-bit
processor Intel core two Quad extreme edition or something very similar to that
RAM eight gig
hdd used for downloading Western Digital 2 TB 720 rpm caviar Black main OS drive OCz Vertex 3
60gb ssd




if there's any other details that I should provide please let me know

[Quade]

RC7 is up. I'd give it a try.

[coyote2]

RC7 is up. I'd give it a try.

Thank you. But so far RC7 isn't working any better for me.

[Quade]

You need to figure out what's happening then. So far people using it are telling me it's solved most of their issues. The question is why your files aren't completing.

If you hit the plus button, and look at the files, why aren't they finishing? Red or black marks?

[coyote2]

You need to figure out what's happening then. So far people using it are telling me it's solved most of their issues. The question is why your files aren't completing.

If you hit the plus button, and look at the files, why aren't they finishing? Red or black marks?

Thank you Quade. I switched machines, and I found a download that worked fine. Then I tried one of the many that hadn't worked on the first machine, and it still didn't.

<Edited>

[Quade]

It's fairly damaged on Giganews. I'll check it out. Just quick look, 4 out of 5 files are incomplete on giganews. Right click properties on the parent item will tell you how many blocks Newsbin found, how many repair blocks it downloaded and how many blocks are needed.

Source Block Count: = Number of blocks needed
Available Block Count: = How many actually downloaded.
Repair Block Count: = number of par repair blocks downloaded.

1 need 1 repair block for each missing block.

Source - Available = how many Repair blocks you need. As screwed up as this file is on Giganews, I'm not sure it's repairable. We'll see.

[16:44:35] HIGH NNTPSocket - Socket HandleError - Server: news.giganews.com SendCommand - Server Reports that a Post isn't on the server: 430 no such article

Is what Giganews is returning to me. I'll post again when it's done. When I added Astraweb. Most of the missing blocks showed up so, I'm pretty sure the files are simply missing from giganews.

Having downloaded less than 20% I'm going to guess the file is unrepairable as it downloads off Giganews.

I have one complete file out off 11 downloaded so far.

[coyote2]

It's fairly damaged on Giganews. I'll check it out. Just quick look, 4 out of 5 files are incomplete on giganews. Right click properties on the parent item will tell you how many blocks Newsbin found, how many repair blocks it downloaded and how many blocks are needed.

Source Block Count: = Number of blocks needed
Available Block Count: = How many actually downloaded.
Repair Block Count: = number of par repair blocks downloaded.

1 need 1 repair block for each missing block.

Source - Available = how many Repair blocks you need. As screwed up as this file is on Giganews, I'm not sure it's repairable. We'll see.

[16:44:35] HIGH NNTPSocket - Socket HandleError - Server: news.giganews.com SendCommand - Server Reports that a Post isn't on the server: 430 no such article

Is what Giganews is returning to me. I'll post again when it's done. When I added Astraweb. Most of the missing blocks showed up so, I'm pretty sure the files are simply missing from giganews.

Having downloaded less than 20% I'm going to guess the file is unrepairable as it downloads off Giganews.

I have one complete file out off 11 downloaded so far.

Thank you very much, I look forward to hearing the final word.

I honestly don't know very much about any of this; I just use that website search engine I mentioned (my apology is in order I imagine, since you edited it out), to get .nzb files to load into Newsbin.

Edit: Oh wait, I just checked the download's Properties, and I see it seems none of the files have all the blocks. I guess that explains it, I'm sorry!

[Quade]

I'm just glad there's a real reason.

Many people have two servers with the backup server set to fill in the blanks when the primary server can't deliver the chunks. For example, I just enabled Astraweb and it's filling in all the chunks that were missing from Giganews.

With usenet, the older the file, the more iffy the download is. That's one reason redundant servers can make things work better. PAR files can repair damaged files but, typically can only repair up to about 10% damage (it varies). Ideally you download from both servers and hope you get > 90% of the blocks so, the repair can work.

[coyote2]

I'm just glad there's a real reason.

Many people have two servers with the backup server set to fill in the blanks when the primary server can't deliver the chunks. For example, I just enabled Astraweb and it's filling in all the chunks that were missing from Giganews.

With usenet, the older the file, the more iffy the download is. That's one reason redundant servers can make things work better. PAR files can repair damaged files but, typically can only repair up to about 10% damage (it varies). Ideally you download from both servers and hope you get > 90% of the blocks so, the repair can work.

Thank you very much for the helpful info. It's got me thinking. I didn't even know two servers were possible. I don't know if I can justify spending more than the $30/month I now pay giganews. Even though I see Astraweb is an attractive $10/month. I guess I need to revisit my choices; perhaps both or just Astraweb to save me precious $.

[Quade]

Do you use all the extra's Giga provides? If not, I'd drop to a lesser tier and/or go with someone like Supernews. Supernews is just as reliable as Giga, only cheaper.

Honestly the Giganews platinum tier is all anyone needs. If you don't download 50 gigs a month, the Silver tier is just as good. Supernews unlimited retention is something like $12 a month. You don't want to use both Super and Giga together because there's no benefit (I can't really say why). You could get both a Supernews and Astraweb account for less than you're paying for your current Giganews account though.

[Badcar]

Why is the post damaged/unrepairable on Giganews?

[Quade]

[16:44:35] HIGH NNTPSocket - Socket HandleError - Server: news.giganews.com SendCommand - Server Reports that a Post isn't on the server: 430 no such article

I just know it is. I have no visibility as to why.

Usenet's not particularly reliable. It's basically an email system that's been perverting into a file distribution system. Every file on Usenet is essentially an email attachment. Since the limit of attachment sizes of 600K to 1 meg, if you post a larger file it takes more emails and assembly of the emails to actually download the file. Then you have to figure this file might have been posted to one of the lesser servers and giganews may have never gotten all of the parts.

I know it's not the download information (which came from our search server) because the missing chunks downloaded properly from Astra. That means Newsbin was asking for the correct thing but, giganews simply said "Don't got it".

It doesn't have the pattern of a DMCA takedown so, I suspect it's just bad.

You can test downloads in Newsbin with the right click "Test Download Files" function. Newsbin will check the server and see how many records the server can deliver.

[coyote2]

[16:44:35]You can test downloads in Newsbin with the right click "Test Download Files" function. Newsbin will check the server and see how many records the server can deliver.

When I right-click a row in Download List view, "Test Download Files" isn't an offered option. Where would I see it, please?

[itimpi]

When I right-click a row in Download List view, "Test Download Files" isn't an offered option. Where would I see it, please?

It appears when you right-click in a post list (or one containinga NZB file's contents). It is expected that you would use it BEFORE you add items to the Download list.

[Quade]

Yeah before. You can use the "Load NZB" button (first button on the toolbar) to load the NZB into a listing and then test if from there.

[coyote2]

Yeah before. You can use the "Load NZB" button (first button on the toolbar) to load the NZB into a listing and then test if from there.

Thank you very much. I tried that, but...where do I see the results of the Test, please?

[Quade]

It adds it to the download list. You should see the percentage result in the download list as if it was downloading.

You know you can hit the + icon and see the actual files in the set right? You eyeball the files that way too.

[coyote2]

Do you use all the extra's Giga provides? If not, I'd drop to a lesser tier and/or go with someone like Supernews. Supernews is just as reliable as Giga, only cheaper.

Honestly the Giganews platinum tier is all anyone needs. If you don't download 50 gigs a month, the Silver tier is just as good. Supernews unlimited retention is something like $12 a month. You don't want to use both Super and Giga together because there's no benefit (I can't really say why). You could get both a Supernews and Astraweb account for less than you're paying for your current Giganews account though.

I've dropped to Giganews Platinum and saved $10/month, thank you very much!

Perhaps I'll find I won't miss connections 21 to 50. If so perhaps I'll just add Astraweb.

I do need unlimited, and want to saturate my 18mbit b/w, since I average 720GB/mo and have downloaded 2TB in a month. I don't use Giga's VPN or Dumptruck or search, just the data.

Astraweb and Super does look attractive. Perhaps I'll give that a try soon.

In any case, thanks for the tips; when I googled comparisons of the best Usenet services, I got overwhelmed.

[Quade]

"Perhaps I'll find I won't miss connections 21 to 50. If so perhaps I'll just add Astraweb"

I download with 10 connections and max out my net speed (100 Mbps). You want to run as few connections as give you max speed. 50 connections doesn't buy you anything except in very rare cases.

I do need unlimited, and want to saturate my 18mbit

In the great scheme of things, this is pretty slow. I test Newsbin up to 400 Mbps to my local server (10 connections). When it's unraring and/or repairing the speed drops some because my disk gets busy. Say 200-300 Mbps. My machine is a beast so, your mileage may vary. I'd suggest trying 10 connections or less. If you add Astra, I'd run it a 10 too.

[hiphutch]

Quade,

I just ran across this topic and your posts. I have been doing giganews for a few years now, but I have been noticing more and more failed downloads because of missing blocks. Even on newer posts. I have their top package and would love to save some money especially if it gives me a better chance to complete my files. I noticed you mentioned possibly using 2 providers. Which 2 would you recommend? Does one have to be set as a primary and one as a fill, or do they both work together?

Thank you.

[alexander038]

I'm not Quade of course but i would go for 1. Astraweb(unlimited)+Blocknews(blockaccount) or
2. Supernews(unlimited)+Astraweb(blockaccount).

[Quade]

It's hard to beat Supernews. AW is pretty good too as a fill server. No server is perfect so, you have to hope that over the N servers you have, you get enough chunks to repair the file.

[hiphutch]

Thanks for the replies. If I use astraweb for a fill server, does it matter if I choose the general news, us, or european servers, or will they all have the exact same content?

[Quade]

Nothing prevents you from adding both and setting both to fill just in case.