XLned

This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)

XLned is a Dutch Usenet provider. They have a variety of packages, which differ in download speeds and the number of concurrent connections. How does XLned perform, and is this Usenet provider a solid choice? In this review we’ll try to offer some guidance in answering these questions.

XLned subscriptions and price

You can choose from three different packages when subscribing to XLned. These packages go by the names XL Lite, XL Basic and XL Gold. Whatever package you choose, you will always have access to over 120.000 news servers and a retention time of 2000 days. Furthermore, XLned promises a completion rate of over 99%.

There are some distinct differences between the packages, so we will list the different packages and their features below.

XL Lite

XL Lite is the lightest package available, with the following characteristics:

• Speeds up to 2,5 Mbps.
• 2 simultaneous connections permitted.

XL Basic

The XL Basic package is slightly more comprehensive. It’s still rather basic do, as the name would suggest:

• Speeds up to 10 Mbps.
• 4 simultaneous connections permitted.

XL Gold

XL Gold is the most interesting option. You will get:

• Speeds up to 120 Mbps.
• 12 simultaneous connections permitted.

The download speeds offered by XL Lite and XL Basic could be insufficient for some users. The XL Gold package will probably be the most suitable choice for the majority of clients.

Payment options

There are several payment options available. It’s possible to pay by credit card, Bitcoin, Bank transfer and iDeal, just to name a few payment methods. Seeing the Bitcoin payment options always makes us happy, as it allows customers to make an anonymous transfer. At the same time, XLned does ask for name and address details during registration, which might not be appreciated by everyone from a privacy point of view. Still, we simply want to give XLned some credit for offering the Bitcoin option. There are still many Usenet providers that do not accept Bitcoin unfortunately.

Security and privacy XLned: SSL encryption but no VPN

Like most Usenet providers, a secure SSL connection is offered when you download with XLned. By using the SSL tunnel, nobody will be able to monitor what you download from the XLned servers. Although this is of course good news, we did notice the absence of a VPN service. A VPN would be a welcome addition to be able to secure the rest of our internet traffic and to stay completely anonymous online. So if you want to use a VPN in combination with XLned, you’ll have to go with an external VPN provider. A good option for this purpose is GOOSE VPN.

Visit GOOSE VPN

Excellent Dutch VPN. Fast, reliable and 30 day money-back-guarantee.
Deal: Get 30% off the Unlimited Packages by using the discount code ‘Privacy‘ during registration.

What user data does XLned store?

XLned asks for your name, physical address and e-mail address during the registration process. The need for obtaining your address information is lost to us, why would XLned want to know where we live? XLned states that the information is needed to process your order and payment. As a new subscriber you will be sent your login credentials through e-mail after finalizing the registration procedure.

XLned does not explicitly indicate what their log policy encompasses. We have some experience with Usenet Junction and UNS Holdings (where XLned falls under) and we happen to know the general log policies being applied. XLned users can rest assured that no user data is being logged. XLned will not monitor what you have been downloading from their servers.

Customer support XLned

Even though XLned is a Dutch Usenet provider, there is both Dutch and English customer support available. The information on the website is accessible in both languages as well. There is a FAQ section on the website, but with a meager 4 questions being answered it is likely you might not find the specific question and answer you’ve been looking for. If you do have a question, or require assistance, you can contact customer support through an e-mail. You can send them an e-mail on the followin address: [email protected]. We are big fans of live chats boxes, but unfortunately no such service is being offered.

One peculiar thing we remarked, is that this ‘Dutch’ Usenet provider might not be that Dutch in a way. The contact details provided on the site are as follows:

Lakahraun EHF
Sudurlandsbraut 18
Reykjavik 108 Iceland
+1-602-715-1650
[email protected]

Speed XLned

Our review team is located in The Netherlands, so obviously the results of our speed test might not be that representative for the United States, for example. All we can say is that we had good download speeds, varying between 80% to 90% of our theoretical maximum download speed. We did have the XLned Gold package for testing purposes, and download speeds would likely have been lower if we would have used a Lite or Basic subscription. If you are allergic to low download speeds, consider the XLned Gold package would be our advice. Unfortunately we cannot comment on the download speeds outside of Europe. It’s plausible there is additional speed loss for people outside of the EU.

Conclusion: Is XLned a suitable Usenet provider?

XLned is a nice Usenet provider, although it does lack some functionalities compared to some competitors. We can say XLned is very appealing to a specific audience, mainly due to the extremely low prices. For less than €3 (or $3) per month you can already get started with a Usenet account. And you won’t have to worry about a data limit either! This Lite package has substandard download speeds, but some customers are not bothered too much by this. If you are looking for a Usenet provider with good retention for a very fair price, then you should consider XLned.

Visit XLned