# Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) Long before the World Wide Web, a worldwide platform emerged in the early 80s for the exchange of information. It was called **Usenet** (originally UNIX User Network) and still co-exists with the web today as an independent **Internet service**. However, the **newsgroups**, as the separate Usenet topics were named, have become considerably less important over the past decades. This is due to new, digital exchange mediums such as [forums](https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/websites/website-creation/creating-a-forum-how-it-works/ "Creating a forum: how it works") and [social networks](https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/online-marketing/social-media/the-most-important-social-media-platforms/ "The most important social media platforms"). However, the historical value of the hierarchically-structured Usenet, which relies on the classic client-server message exchange, is beyond question. It is definitely still worth taking a look at the NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) behind the information network, which is indispensable in the communication between **individual news servers and clients**. ## What is NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol)? The Network News Transfer Protocol, NNTP for short, is essentially a **TCP/IP transfer protocol** for messages within newsgroups. These newsgroups are mainly utilized as part of the Usenet, where they offer, as a type of precursor of modern internet forums, space for the exchange of an unlimited number of **text messages** on the most diverse topics. The first specification of the NNTP, which was recorded in [RFC 977](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc977 "RFC 977 – Network News Transfer Procotol"), dates back **to 1986**. Since then, the protocol has been revised several times – the **current version** can be found in [RFC 3977](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3977 "RFC 3977 – Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)"). Furthermore, since [RFC 5536](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5536 "RFC 5536 – Netnews Article Format") appeared in 2009, a Request for Comments has existed, which also specifies more precisely the NNTP transfer’s message format. Note Up until the development and release of NNTP, the exchange of data in Usenet occurred via telephone lines with the **UUCP** (**U**nix to **U**nix **co**py). ## Where is NNTP Utilized? Nowadays, NTTP no longer has an important role in digital communication, which can primarily be attributable to the fact that **Usenet** is now only used in isolated cases and among specialist groups. Since 1986, the Network News Transfer Protocol has been indispensable for the information network and is **used both on server and client pages**. Apart from the exchange of personal **direct messages**, Usenet stands out in particular because of the **newsgroups** mentioned above, which thanks to the protocol can be created and administered separately. In this way, numerous sub-newsgroups have been integrated into Usenet’s existing base hierarchy over the course of time. Note The **eight main topic categories for Usenet**, which are also referred to as the “Big Eight” or “Big 8”, are the following: **- comp**: Computers **- sci**: Science and Technology **- soc**: Society **- talk**: general subjects **- rec**: topics addressing recreation, relaxation, art and culture **- news**: information and news about Usenet itself **- misc**: mixed **- humanities**: Humanities, Culture. ## How Does the Network News Transfer Protocol Work? NNTP is a **text-based protocol** and allows for the alternating exchange between client and server: Therefore, for every NNTP inquiry, an NNTP reply is expected. For this communication the IANA (**I**nternet **A**ssigned **N**umbers **A**uthority) has provided **TCP-Port 119**, which in this case is solely reserved for the transfer protocol – a TCP/IP network such as the Internet is as a result the underlying basis for the information platform. The NNTP itself has access to the application layer and for this relies directly on the [TCP protocol](https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/server/know-how/introduction-to-tcp/ "Introduction to TCP"), which has the advantage of ensuring both a **secure** and **reliable transfer of data**. The basic concept of Usenet allows for a new message that is sent from an NNTP Client to any NNTP server to be **stored on this same server**. All the other clients who would like to participate in the particular conversation can **download this message or article at any time** in order to establish the current status of the newsgroup. As a result, this means that after the establishment of the connection to an NNTP server, a client first downloads all messages that were published since the last connection to the server. As a result, the longer a client was “offline”, the more time the **updating process** utilizes after the connection has been established. Note As soon as a server receives a **new message** via Network News Transfer Protocol, it adds an **individual message ID** to this message or article. This has the format “<*sequential number@News-Server*>” and is conducive to clear **labeling, retrieval** and **references** in case other clients or users would like to react or respond with their own message. In order to disseminate new messages within the entire Usenet network, the individual servers also send the received messages to all the other NNTP servers known to them. Before doing this, they add their own names to the **NNTP message’s path header** so that these are not received again. ## NNTP: Example for Message Exchanges After having explained the basics of the Network News Transfer Protocol in the previous section, we will now illustrate the communication between clients and servers using a specific example. **The starting point is Client 1**, which feeds a message or a new article into Usenet: [![Image: Diagram of the NNTP message exchange](https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/2/0/csm_EN-NNTP_5377fc4361.webp "Diagram of the NNTP message exchange")](https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2020/EN-NNTP.png) Diagram of the NNTP message exchange The individual messaging steps that are depicted in this diagram can be summarized as follows: 1. The user behind **NNTP Client 1** writes a new message (or new article) and sends this data to NNTP Server 1. 2. **NNTP Server 1** provides the message with a unique message ID and adds its name to the header. It recognizes NNTP Server 2 and NNTP Server 3, and forwards the message onto both. 3. **NNTP Server 2** receives the message and inserts its name into the header. **NNTP Server 3** receives the message as well, extends the header with its name and forwards the message to the NNTP Server 4 (which it knows). 4. The message is also received at **NNTP Server 4** and processed: The header is enlarged around its name. It then contacts NNTP Server 5, which it knows, and provides it with the data. 5. **NNTP Server 5** adds its identification to the header. It evaluates the entries in the header and for this reason does not try, in turn, to forward the message to Servers 2 und 3, which it knows (the red arrows are thus for un-attempted forwarding). 6. In the meantime, the clients retrieve the message from their personal news server as soon as they are online. NNTP Client 2 receives the information, for example, directly from Server 1; Client 6, in contrast, from Server 4. ## An Overview of NNTP Commands and Status Codes For communicating with the NNTP, clients and servers have recourse to **ASCII commands**. With every NNTP inquiry a client thus automatically sends one of these commands as well. The server then responds with a status message and sends the client the requested data. The **most important commands in NNTP communication** are summarized in the following tables:
NNTP Command Function
LIST Requests a list of the available newsgroups (including the first and last article number)
NEWGROUPS Asks for all newly-available groups
NEWNEWS Asks for all newly-available articles that were created as of a specific date
GROUP Specifies the group to which an inquiry applies
ARTICLE Enables the request of a specific article with regard to its number in the group or its message ID
HEADER Requests solely the header of an article
BODY Requests solely the body of an article
STAT Is needed for specifying an article’s message ID
NEXT Selects the next article in the newsgroup
POST Informs the server that a new message or article is being transferred
QUIT Terminates the connection to the NNTP server
The status message that the server sends back as an NNTP response (including the requested data), is a three **three-digit numeric code**. The **first position** can be translated as follows:
NNTP Server Status Code Meaning
1xx General information
2xx Message received, execution successful
3xx Message received, further information is required
4xx Message received, execution unsuccessful
5xx Invalid command
Meanwhile, the server passes along the following information via the **numerical code’s second position**:
NNTP Server Status Code Meaning
x0x Information about the connection, setup or something else
x1x Information about the selected newsgroup
x2x Information about the selected article
x3x Information about the message transfer
x4x Information about the sent article
x5x Authentication response
x8x Message for extended non-standard commands
x9x Debugging message
This is a markdown version of: [https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/server/know-how/nntp-network-news-transfer-protocol/](https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/server/know-how/nntp-network-news-transfer-protocol/) for AI/LLM consumption.