Xnews suddenly stopped connecting

[wabbit]

Been running Xnews for several years, couple days ago it stopped
connecting to the net. I've tried deleting the program (there is no
uninstall or install routine) and downloading a fresh copy, still no
connection. I do a lot of stuff on this machine so the possibility that
some other program made a change somewhere I don't know about is present.

I've pinged the Usenet server I use and it returned packets no problem.
I've made sure my account is still good with them, no problem. I've
tried with VPN running and VPN off, still no connection. It can't even
download a list of groups, it apparently detects there's no connection
and almost instantly stops trying.

I'm sure I can use some other program for the same purpose, such as
FreeAgent or similar, but I'm already comfortable with Xnews and would
prefer to keep using it.

Would appreciate ideas on how to troubleshoot this.

[VanguardLH]

Post by wabbit
Been running Xnews for several years, couple days ago it stopped
connecting to the net. I've tried deleting the program (there is no
uninstall or install routine) and downloading a fresh copy, still no
connection. I do a lot of stuff on this machine so the possibility that
some other program made a change somewhere I don't know about is present.
I've pinged the Usenet server I use and it returned packets no problem.
I've made sure my account is still good with them, no problem. I've
tried with VPN running and VPN off, still no connection. It can't even
download a list of groups, it apparently detects there's no connection
and almost instantly stops trying.
I'm sure I can use some other program for the same purpose, such as
FreeAgent or similar, but I'm already comfortable with Xnews and would
prefer to keep using it.
Would appreciate ideas on how to troubleshoot this.

If you can ping then you have a working route between their host and
theirs. However, pinging doesn't use the same port as NNTP (which could
be different based on non-SSL and SSL connects) and uses ICMP instead of
NNTP. Could be your firewall or other security software is blocking
outbound connections on port 119 (if that's what you are using).
Disable the firewall, anti-virus, and other security software and
retest.

If you've used telnet to their NNTP server and successfully ran a "list
overview.fmt" command to show you can get in instead of just find their
host then you've shown you can establish a session. Pinging just shows
you got to their host. If TCP/IP is setup there then pinging is also
setup there but that doesn't provide their NNTP server is running or
responsive. You never identified the NNTP server. Maybe it isn't up or
responsive. Did you telnet into their NNTP server to check you could
establish a session? You never mentioned trying a different NNTP server
to see if that will work.

[wabbit]

Post by VanguardLH
If you can ping then you have a working route between their host and
theirs. However, pinging doesn't use the same port as NNTP (which could
be different based on non-SSL and SSL connects) and uses ICMP instead of
NNTP. Could be your firewall or other security software is blocking
outbound connections on port 119 (if that's what you are using).
Disable the firewall, anti-virus, and other security software and
retest.
If you've used telnet to their NNTP server and successfully ran a "list
overview.fmt" command to show you can get in instead of just find their
host then you've shown you can establish a session. Pinging just shows
you got to their host. If TCP/IP is setup there then pinging is also
setup there but that doesn't provide their NNTP server is running or
responsive. You never identified the NNTP server. Maybe it isn't up or
responsive. Did you telnet into their NNTP server to check you could
establish a session? You never mentioned trying a different NNTP server
to see if that will work.

Thanks Vanguard. I had already tried adding an exception in Windows
firewall. But just now tried turning firewall off - still same problem.
Then tried disabling Avast AV, no joy.

The only way I can produce a different result other than it nearly
instantly detects no connection is to use port 443 on one of Astraweb's
SSL servers. It still won't connect or download list of groups, but it
takes it about 30 seconds to time out.

Without using SSL I get "10049 Address not found". Using port 443 and
SSL server I don't get that error, but after about 30 seconds it times out.

I've tried several servers, both SSL non-SSL. The server I normally use
with no problem is simply news.astraweb.com.

I've not used telnet much, but gave it a shot. I connected almost
immediately on news.astraweb.com, but when I tried the list overview
command I got "480 Authentication required for command". It never
challenged me for a password or user name and I don't know how to get it
to let me login. When I tried to telnet to ssl.astraweb.com it times out.

Just tried their European server, same behavior.

[VanguardLH]

Post by wabbit

Post by VanguardLH
If you can ping then you have a working route between their host and
theirs. However, pinging doesn't use the same port as NNTP (which could
be different based on non-SSL and SSL connects) and uses ICMP instead of
NNTP. Could be your firewall or other security software is blocking
outbound connections on port 119 (if that's what you are using).
Disable the firewall, anti-virus, and other security software and
retest.
If you've used telnet to their NNTP server and successfully ran a "list
overview.fmt" command to show you can get in instead of just find their
host then you've shown you can establish a session. Pinging just shows
you got to their host. If TCP/IP is setup there then pinging is also
setup there but that doesn't provide their NNTP server is running or
responsive. You never identified the NNTP server. Maybe it isn't up or
responsive. Did you telnet into their NNTP server to check you could
establish a session? You never mentioned trying a different NNTP server
to see if that will work.

Thanks Vanguard. I had already tried adding an exception in Windows
firewall. But just now tried turning firewall off - still same problem.
Then tried disabling Avast AV, no joy.
The only way I can produce a different result other than it nearly
instantly detects no connection is to use port 443 on one of Astraweb's
SSL servers. It still won't connect or download list of groups, but it
takes it about 30 seconds to time out.

Stop trying to use your NNTP client to test. As mentioned, see if you
can telnet into their server using:

telnet <nntpserver> 119
list overview.fmt
quit

You should see a connection to their server. Alas, if they permit only
logged in sessions then I'd have to go look at the RFC for NNTP to find
out what are the login commands. I just wanted to find out if their
server *program* was running on their host to show you established an
NNTP session with their server.

Post by wabbit
I've tried several servers, both SSL non-SSL.

Does "tried" mean you could connect successfully to establish an NNTP
server and, for example, download a list of their newsgroups?

Post by wabbit
The server I normally use
with no problem is simply news.astraweb.com.

telnet news.astraweb.com 119

For me, that works okay. Their NNTP server responds, establishes a
session, and issues the "200" status code (meaning it's ready).
However, a "list overview.fmt" command fails because they require that I
login - yet that also shows their NNTP server is accepting commands.

Post by wabbit
I've not used telnet much, but gave it a shot. I connected almost
immediately on news.astraweb.com, but when I tried the list overview
command I got "480 Authentication required for command". It never
challenged me for a password or user name and I don't know how to get it
to let me login.

That it wouldn't accept commands is okay. You want to see that it would
accept commands at all.

Post by wabbit
When I tried to telnet to ssl.astraweb.com it times out.

That's because there's handshaking involved for hashed communications
that you cannot do when using telnet. That's why I only use it on
non-SSL connect testing.

Post by wabbit
Just tried their European server, same behavior.

Maybe Xnews is borked. Have you tried deleting the account definition
in Xnews and recreate it?

I don't use Xnews. In the news.software.readers newsgroup is likely
where you'll find Xnews users than can help with that particular client.

[wabbit]

Post by VanguardLH
If you can ping then you have a working route between their host and
theirs. However, pinging doesn't use the same port as NNTP (which could
be different based on non-SSL and SSL connects) and uses ICMP instead of
NNTP. Could be your firewall or other security software is blocking
outbound connections on port 119 (if that's what you are using).
Disable the firewall, anti-virus, and other security software and
retest.
If you've used telnet to their NNTP server and successfully ran a "list
overview.fmt" command to show you can get in instead of just find their
host then you've shown you can establish a session. Pinging just shows
you got to their host. If TCP/IP is setup there then pinging is also
setup there but that doesn't provide their NNTP server is running or
responsive. You never identified the NNTP server. Maybe it isn't up or
responsive. Did you telnet into their NNTP server to check you could
establish a session? You never mentioned trying a different NNTP server
to see if that will work.

Okay, after trying all this, just did a restart again and all of a
sudden (again) it's now working. Don't know exactly what happened, but
now I'm back to a working Xnews even after I started Avast and turned
the Win firewall back on.

TYVM