Speed Optimization Tips for GrabIt with Eweka

GrabIt is a popular newsreader for accessing Usenet through Eweka. To improve performance, especially when accessing articles with high article retention, follow these tips.

1. Use the Right Server Settings

Make sure you are using the correct Eweka server address:

• Server Address: news.eweka.nl

• Port: 563 (SSL enabled) or 119 (non-SSL)

• Connections: Set to a maximum of 8 to begin, then experiment with different numbers to find the optimal setting.

2. Enable SSL

Using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypts your Usenet traffic and may improve stability. To enable SSL in GrabIt:

1. Open GrabIt.
2. Right click on the Eweka server in your Subscribed groups menu and select "Server properties".

3. Check the box for SSL.

4. Click "Yes" when a popup box appears asking if you want to change to port 563 for SSL connections.

5. Check that your new settings have been updated, then click "OK"

3. Adjust Server Priority

If you use multiple servers, Eweka should be set as your primary server. In GrabIt, you can adjust priority by:

1. Navigate to the server list.
2. Select Eweka.
3. Move it to the top of the priority list.

4. Limit the Number of Connections

Using too many simultaneous connections can slow performance or cause errors. Experiment with the number of connections to find the ideal for your specific Internet connection.

1. Open GrabIt
2. Right click on the Eweka server in your Subscribed groups menu and select "Server properties".

3. Use the "Maximum allowed connections" slider to choose how many connections you want to use.

5. Monitor Bandwidth Usage

Make sure no other applications are using a significant amount of bandwidth. Streaming, large transfers, or system updates can reduce performance in GrabIt.

6. Schedule Activity During Off-Peak Hours

Internet traffic can fluctuate depending on the time of day. Running GrabIt during off-peak hours may improve speed and reliability.

7. Update GrabIt

Always use the latest version of GrabIt to benefit from performance improvements and fixes. Visit the official GrabIt website for updates.

Additional Performance Tips

Updating the settings below can help you maximize your downloading and processing speeds, but may take some experimentation to find your best setting combination. If you are not seeing the download speeds you expected please try the following:

1. For the fastest download speed, we always suggest using a wired internet connection rather than wireless wherever possible.
2. Depending on your available RAM, you can set the Batch settings in Preferences->Batch. Adjust each setting based on your available computing and internet connection speeds.

3. NAS and HDD storage devices can take longer to write to than a local SDD hard drive. Review your folder settings to ensure you are saving to the most optimal location. This can be found in Preferences->Folders.

4. The “Automatically pause batch” setting in Preferences->Advanced, will stop all downloading when your available disk space is too low. You can control the setting for available space here.

5. Error checking can add processing time and slow down your downloads. If you are on older hardware, consider deactivating the single and multipart error checks found in Preferences->Advanced

6. Limiting your cache can free up RAM for processing. You can control your cache settings inside the Preferences->History.

7. Limiting simultaneous processing may speed up your downloads. An additional option is to prevent repair and extraction from happening at the same time as batch processing. You can find this option under Preferences->Repair and Extract.

8. We suggest deactivating the “Continue downloading on article not found error”. This can be found in Preferences->Advanced.

Please note that due to differences in hardware, software and network, you may need to adjust multiple settings to find the best combination for your setup. Additional tips may be found in the Grabit forums.