SSL enablers allow you to connect any program that does not natively support SSL (eg. SABnzbd) to a server that offers SSL encryption (Giganews, UNS).
There are a handful of subscription-based SSL enablers, but there is also a free program called Stunnel that can offer the same functionality for Windows, MacOS X, and Linux.
Below are instructions for installing and configuring Stunnel for Windows. OSX and Linux users should visit
www.stunnel.org/faq for instructions on how to compile and configure Stunnel.
Stunnel setup (Windows)
1. Download the latest Windows Binaries from
www.stunnel.org/download/binaries.html and install the program.
2. After installing, go to "Start>Programs>Stunnel>Install Service". You should receive confirmation that the service is installed.
3. Next, go to "Start>Programs>Stunnel>Edit stunnel.conf" Stunnel.conf is a plaintext file with all of Stunnel's options. Make these changes:
Find the line ";client = yes" and remove the semicolon. A semicolon at the start of a line causes it to be ignored, which you want to override. Add the following lines to the bottom of the file:
[nntp]
accept = 119
connect = news.giganews.com:563 (or secure.usenetserver.com:563) (you can also use port 443)
The service name in [brackets] can be anything. The "accept =" field is the port your Usenet client connects to, generally 119. The "connect =" field is the IP/domain and port of the secure server you are forwarding traffic to. Depending on your location, you may want to use news-europe.giganews.com instead.
4. Save these changes and close stunnel.conf.
5. Go to "Start>Programs>Stunnel>Service Start" or "Run Stunnel". The program's icon should appear in the taskbar.
News Client Setup
These steps are not particular to any news client and should be simple changes in most clients.
1. Change the server address in the client settings to "127.0.0.1" or "localhost".
2. Make sure the client is set to connect to the same port used in the "accept =" field in stunnel.conf. This will almost always be port 119.
3. Save these changes. Test settings by updating headers or downloading an article. When you hover your mouse over the Stunnel icon, it should display "x session(s) active" where x is the number of connections you have configured in your client.
The news client is now connecting to Stunnel on your local machine, which STunnel detects and forwards to the secure server. There may be a detectable, but slight, decline in speed when using STunnel.
