Server does not require username/password. Now what?

[cotton]

Hi. I just switched to SABnzb after hearing rave reviews, but my connection drops after a few seconds.
The .nzb loads up fine from my hard drive, and reads out as it should in all the queue columns.
Starts out downloading +/-542.92 KB/s then gradually drops down to 0.
Error message--   Connections:  news.ipact.nl:119: 0 (Unblock) Server requires user/password.
When testing the server configuration error-- Server requires username and password.
Click "Unblock" and it starts downloading again, but slows back to 0 eventually.
I've tested several different young, old, small, large nzbs. Same outcome.

I have 1 server configured which is free with my ISP.  Always worked well; high speeds and reliability.
We know for a fact the server does not require a password. NZBDrop, SuperNZB, GrabIt work seamlessly without a username/password.  
Is it as simple as something with SABnzb where it does not allow blank username/password fields?
I'm stumped. Thanks for the help!!

Port: 119
Timeout: 120
Connections: 5
SSL: None
Backup server: None
Optional: None
Enable: Checked
SABnzbd: 0.5.0
Mac OSX 10.5.8
Firewall: Allow all incoming connections.No virus or script software.
Firefox 3.3.6
All other SABnzb settings are default.  

[shypike]

Why do you think SABnzbd doesn't accept empty username and password?
It does, my own ISP's Usenet service doesn't want them either.
Possibly the server itself behaves a bit odd.
Is this your ISP's server?
SABnzbd only sends a username and password if the servers asks for one.

It would be useful to set the logging level to "debug"
and inspect the log file after the problem occurs.

[cotton]

Yes, this is my ISP's Usenet service.  The server has been stable for downloading. Tests with other usenet readers confirms this.  But, I'd like to use SABnzb for all the obvious reasons.  Sorry, I'm a novice; is this the log you are referring to?

2010-04-21 21:58:38,123::INFO::[downloader:714] Thread 4@news.ipact.nl:119: Server news.ipact.nl:119 requires user/password
2010-04-21 21:58:38,300::INFO::[downloader:681] Thread 1@news.ipact.nl:119: Vnqvn.129226$kn6.66719@news.usenetserver.com done
2010-04-21 21:58:38,301::INFO::[decoder:92] Decoding
2010-04-21 21:58:38,308::INFO::[articlecache:143] Flushing to disk
2010-04-21 21:58:38,309::DEBUG::[articlecache:144] cache_size -> 0
2010-04-21 21:58:38,309::INFO::[__init__:643] Saving data for SABnzbd_article_j2vbUb in /Users/MacBook/Library/Application Support/SABnzbd/cache/SABnzbd_article_j2vbUb
2010-04-21 21:58:38,323::INFO::[downloader:681] Thread 2@news.ipact.nl:119: Tnqvn.129222$kn6.6563@news.usenetserver.com done
2010-04-21 21:58:38,324::INFO::[decoder:92] Decoding
2010-04-21 21:58:38,331::INFO::[articlecache:143] Flushing to disk
2010-04-21 21:58:38,331::DEBUG::[articlecache:144] cache_size -> 0
2010-04-21 21:58:38,332::INFO::[__init__:643] Saving data for SABnzbd_article_UdXJGT in /Users/MacBook/Library/Application Support/SABnzbd/cache/SABnzbd_article_UdXJGT
2010-04-21 21:58:39,324::DEBUG::[bpsmeter:60] bps: 203626.904277
2010-04-21 21:58:44,325::DEBUG::[bpsmeter:60] bps: 81813.7637719
2010-04-21 21:58:49,327::DEBUG::[bpsmeter:60] bps: 32867.7318503
2010-04-21 21:58:54,329::DEBUG::[bpsmeter:60] bps: 13204.4068401
2010-04-21 21:58:59,331::DEBUG::[bpsmeter:60] bps: 5305.25856944
2010-04-21 21:59:04,333::DEBUG::[bpsmeter:60] bps: 2131.06415394
2010-04-21 21:59:09,343::DEBUG::[bpsmeter:60] bps: 855.026034763
2010-04-21 21:59:14,347::DEBUG::[bpsmeter:60] bps: 343.370353877
2010-04-21 21:59:19,349::DEBUG::[bpsmeter:60] bps: 137.955317882

[shypike]

Tell-tale sign: "Server news.ipact.nl:119 requires user/password".
The server is clearly violating the Usenet protocol.
It shouldn't ask for a username/password.
Please ask your ISP what they expect as username/password.

Perhaps other readers send an empty username/password, SABnzbd does not.
Changing this in SABnzbd is quite tricky and hard to test, since I have no
access to this server (it does ask me for a username/password, since I don't use your ISP).
It also something we prefer not to do in the 0.5.x series (due to potential side effects).

[shypike]

BTW: have you tried to enter a dummy username and password?
Like a a dash '-' or a '.' (a space won't work).

[cotton]

Thanks for the suggesions shypike. Dummy password/username didn't work. Just spoke with the ISP provider and they confirmed the port 119, number or connections and host name. They also confirmed that a username/password is not required; in fact the server doesn't even take them. If you're getting a prompt for one, then it is the software not the server.

You noted that, "Perhaps other readers send an empty username/password, SABnzbd does not. Changing this in SABnzbd is quite tricky and hard to test, since I have no access to this server (it does ask me for a username/password, since I don't use your ISP)."  So, it looks like the conclusion is that SABnzb won't work with an empty uersname/password in it's default mode?  Thus, sadly, I can't use it with this server?  Bummer, but appreciate the try. 

[shypike]

- I'm not aware SABnzbd is doing anything wrong.
- It does work with other servers that don't require username/password
- I cannot access your server in the way you do.

You would need to get a look at the data being exchanged between SABnzbd and the server.
Something like WireShark would help, not the easiest tool to use.

[EnnZeeBee]

I'm having the same problem with SABnzbd+. It started happening in version 0.5.3RC1. I can connect to my ISP/News provider using XNews and Thunderbird with no apparent problem.

[shypike]

Which version did you use before?
There were no changes in this area between 0.5.2 and 0.5.3RC1.

[EnnZeeBee]

I don't totally recall if I had a problem with version 0.5.2, but I definitely did not have a problem with  previous versions (betas or final). The point is, I can connect with my ISP in order to download files using SABnzbd+, and I can also connect using Thunderbird or XNews. However, in the latter two instances I did not try downloading any file.

As things stand, it may be difficult for me to provide evidence to my ISP that there may be a problem at their end...

EDIT: I reduced the number of connections from 10 to 3 and so far it seems to work at close to maximum speed. I wonder if number of connections could be the reason for the fluctuating speed. Perhaps my ISP has recently reduced the number of allowed connections, because I haven't changed this setting to anything other than 10 since I started using SABnzbd+.

[shypike]

We have implemented new login code for 0.6.0,
but are bit reluctant to port that to 0.5.3.
We prefer not to put other users at risk with last-minute changes
in a very sensitive code area.

On the other hand we don't a proper way of testing the changes.
I could build a modified 0.5.3 and have you test it.

[EnnZeeBee]

Thank you for your suggestion. However, please refer to my edit in my previous message. Based on a single test, I would conclude that the number of allowed connections was the problem in my case. Three connections seems to be the optimum for maximum, more or less steady speed.