Can't login to news.forteinc.com

[Lion Le0pa]

Hi People,

I am a long term user of forteinc news server, and I use Forte Agent v8. My account is active and I have not used any traffic for months, although still being charged.

"Due to long ongoing illness I didn't access the server for a few moths and when I tried I got the error, "Server forteinc rejected your username and password (Authentication Failed)." I contacted apn-support and they set me up with a new password. Still the same error.

I do know how to set up Agent, but to be sure I use Host name news.forteinc.com, SSL, tried different ports, etc

I contacted apn-support again, and again, with a week's turnaround each time, and I still can't login. I can login to other news servers with Agent. Everything points to my login being wrong.

apn-support say that they can't help more, there is no one to refer my problem to, and suggested I ask this usenet group.

Surely there is the equivalent to a "webmaster, etc?

Bye the way, this is now a new PC with Win 11 installed.

I think the logon credentials are wrong.

Can anyone help me please?

[florence.it]

I'm sorry I can't help you but I completely understand, same thing for
me, always came up 'unknown socket address' = I don't know what
suddenly gave me access again, just there when I tried again one day.
I hope something resolves for you!

[pyotr filipivich]

Lion Le0pa <le0p...@gmail.com> on Sat, 29 Oct 2022 01:36:14 -0700
(PDT) typed in alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent the following:

I don't know about forteinc, but Earthlink decided they no longer
needed my business, and dropped Usenet.
--
pyotr filipivich
This Week's Panel: Us & Them - Eliminating Them.
Next Month's Panel: Having eliminated the old Them(tm)
Selecting who insufficiently Woke(tm) as to serve as the new Them(tm)

[Lion Le0pa]

Thanks, I think I have found that Forteinc no longer run their own server. As far as I can see they have "their" news server hosted on Amazon (AWS), and hence there is only the help desk for us mere mortals. Helpdesk people would have no way to interrogate Amazon, IMO. So no equivalent of "webmaster". But there has to be someone else apart from the helpdesk that always tells me the same, ie make sure you have the correct news server, and username and password. Grr... I do!

[Ralph Fox]

On Sat, 29 Oct 2022 08:01:31 -0700 (PDT), Lion Le0pa wrote:

> Thanks, I think I have found that Forteinc no longer run their own server.

Forté never ran the *news* server.

Forté is a reseller of the HW Media news backbone.
The Forté *news* server (APN) is run by HW Media.
See these diagrams:
<https://burwinch.github.io/usenet_tree/usenet_tree.svg>
<https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Usenet_Providers_and_Backbones.svg>

At one time Forté also resold another news service, but that ended way
back in 2008 when the other news service was bought out.

> As far as I can see they have "their" news server hosted on Amazon (AWS), and hence there is only the help desk for us mere mortals.

The *news* server news.forteinc.com is *not* hosted on Amazon (AWS).
The *web* server www.forteinc.com runs on the Amazon (AWS) cloud.

Please do not confuse the *news* server with the *web* server.

> Helpdesk people would have no way to interrogate Amazon, IMO. So no equivalent of "webmaster".

Amazon has nothing to do with the *news* server.

> But there has to be someone else apart from the helpdesk that always tells me the same, ie make sure you have the correct news server, and username and password. Grr... I do!

--
Kind regards
Ralph

Ὁ βίος βραχύς, ἡ δὲ τέχνη μακρή
Vita brevis, ars longa
The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne

[Ralph Fox]

Try logging in to the Agent Usenet Account Manager with your password.
<https://newsaccount.forteinc.com/>

Make sure you use the correct username:
* Your username for the *news* server has an "@forteinc.com" at the end.
* Your username for the *Account Manager* does not have the "@forteinc.com" at the end.


Check if your account is paid up. If it is not paid up, the news server
will not let you log on.

If your bank issued you a new credit card with a new expiry date, but
you did not update the credit card details in Account Manager, your
bank may have refused payment on the old (expired) credit card. Then
you would not be able to log in to the news server.


--
Kind regards
Ralph

ζητεῖτε καὶ εὑρήσετε

[Lion Le0pa]

Thanks for your informative reply! I had no idea of all the cross ownership and the way sellers like Forteinc are onsellers of centralised news servers. And yes, you are correct. I was being lazy about separating news server and web server.

In reply to your specific suggestions.

++I am fully subscribed, which Forteinc have confirmed in my email contacts. My account is auto renewed each month. My bank statement also shows all the withdrawals to Forteinc. There is no doubt that I am fully paid up, and my credit card has 2 years left on it.

++I can logon on to https://newsaccount.forteinc.com, and that also shows that I am fully paid up.

++I also experimented with an old laptop running Win 10, rather than my new desktop running Win 11. On the laptop I still got exactly the same error from the news server "Server forteinc rejected your username and password (Authentication Failed).

++To experiment a bit more, on the old laptop, I used a different username, etc and signed up for a one month trial account. And, of course, this "trial" account gives me the error, "Server forteinc rejected your username and password (Authentication Failed)."

++Testing my Forte Agent V8 setup (even though the installation on the laptop was setup a year or more ago), both on my laptop and on my desktop, I am able to access other news servers all OK.

Ralph I think I have done all that I can to demonstrate that the problem is with Forteinc. Guessing, it seems that link between the onseller Forteinc, and NewsHosting/HW Media group. The issue is infuriating as the helpdesk repeatedly tells me how to setup my account (which is NOT not the problem). The lady then says she can't help anymore and asks me ask this group. For many months they keep debiting my account for no service.

Ralph, my reply to you is late, because I am old and very frail. I am only capable of looking at email on "good days".

Take care,
Doug



"

[Ralph Fox]

On Wed, 2 Nov 2022 02:37:47 -0700 (PDT), Lion Le0pa wrote:

> Thanks for your informative reply! I had no idea of all the cross ownership and the way sellers like Forteinc are onsellers of centralised news servers. And yes, you are correct. I was being lazy about separating news server and web server.
>
> In reply to your specific suggestions.
>
> ++I am fully subscribed, which Forteinc have confirmed in my email contacts. My account is auto renewed each month. My bank statement also shows all the withdrawals to Forteinc. There is no doubt that I am fully paid up, and my credit card has 2 years left on it.
>
> ++I can logon on to https://newsaccount.forteinc.com, and that also shows that I am fully paid up.
>
> ++I also experimented with an old laptop running Win 10, rather than my new desktop running Win 11. On the laptop I still got exactly the same error from the news server "Server forteinc rejected your username and password (Authentication Failed).
>
> ++To experiment a bit more, on the old laptop, I used a different username, etc and signed up for a one month trial account. And, of course, this "trial" account gives me the error, "Server forteinc rejected your username and password (Authentication Failed)."
>
> ++Testing my Forte Agent V8 setup (even though the installation on the laptop was setup a year or more ago), both on my laptop and on my desktop, I am able to access other news servers all OK.
>
> Ralph I think I have done all that I can to demonstrate that the problem is with Forteinc. Guessing, it seems that link between the onseller Forteinc, and NewsHosting/HW Media group. The issue is infuriating as the helpdesk repeatedly tells me how to setup my account (which is NOT not the problem). The lady then says she can't help anymore and asks me ask this group. For many months they keep debiting my account for no service.
>
> Ralph, my reply to you is late, because I am old and very frail. I am only capable of looking at email on "good days".
>
> Take care,
> Doug

1. Can you also confirm that the username field in Agent
has the @forteinc.com at the end, as shown in this
screen-shot?

Screen-shot: <http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=25_20235_username-field.png>

2. Also confirm that the setting 'Login Method' is set to
"Username and password". As shown in the screen-shot above.


3. If you can log on to <https://newsaccount.forteinc.com>
then you can change your own password there.

Try changing the password in <https://newsaccount.forteinc.com>
and then entering the exact same new password into Agent.

Passwords are case-sensitive. Be sure to enter letters in the
same case (upper-case or lower-case) in both places.

Also, passwords for news servers should not contain spaces.


I am using the Forteinc news server without any real problems, and so are
others. There does not appear to be a generic problem affecting all users.
We do need to work out what is causing a problem for you.


4. If you have tried all of 1, 2, and 3 above, and they do not fix the
problem, then the next step is to log the username and password which
Agent is *actually* sending to the news server.

Follow the steps below to log the username and password which
Agent is actually sending to the news server.

4.1 Close Agent completely.
4.2 While Agent is closed...
Edit AGENT.INI, and in the [Debugging] section
change the line
LogData=0
to
LogData=1
This change will only be temporary. Be sure to change
it back to LogData=0 in step 4.11 below.
4.3 Open Agent.
4.4 If Agent's "Tools" pull-down menu does not have these
two entries at the bottom:
(1) Debug log to AGENT.LOG
(2) View Debug Log Options
then:
4.4.1 Dismiss the "Tools" pull-down menu;
4.4.2 Press the three keys Ctrl Shift D together;
4.4.3 Look again.
4.5 Turn on "Tools >> Debug log to AGENT.LOG"
4.6 Use the menu command
Action >> Get New Headers in Folder
to try to download headers in just one newsgroup.
When the attempt ends...
4.7 Turn _off_ "Tools >> Debug log to AGENT.LOG"
IMPORTANT: Make sure you do turn this off.
4.8 In Agent's data folder, there should be two new files
"agent.log"
"data.log"
4.9 Open the file "data.log" with a text editor like Notepad.
Look in this file to see what username and password Agent
actually sends to the news server.

If the password differs only by upper case vs. lower case,
then it will not be accepted. Passwords are case-sensitive.

4.10 Close Agent completely.
4.11 While Agent is closed...
Edit AGENT.INI, and in the [Debugging] section
change the line
LogData=1
back to
LogData=0
You don't want Agent to keep writing confidential data to "data.log".
4.12 When you have finished, delete the file "data.log".


Here is an example of what to expect in the data.log file.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXAMPLE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[*** 92323.671 send]
AUTHINFO USER exampl...@forteinc.com

[*** 92323.671 receive line]
381 PASS required

[*** 92324.000 send]
AUTHINFO PASS TournamentOfShadows

[*** 92324.000 receive line]
281 Welcome To Forte (Posting Allowed)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXAMPLE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have a check-mark in 'secure connection (SSL) then there
will be about 60 lines of 'random' characters at the top of the
data.log file. Just scroll down past these lines.


--
Kind regards
Ralph

Δος μοι πα στω και ταν γαν κινάσω
-- Archimedes [in Syracusan Greek (Doric)]

[Lion Le0pa]

Once again Ralph I am extremely thankful for your help. I didn't get far with your suggestions:

++Username password are all OK. See http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=25_logon.jpg .

++ I then went to Agent.ini, which for me is in users\username\appdata\roaming\forte\, and changed to LogData=1

++I changed my password, but still get "authorisation failed", as I do with the newly created separate 1 month trial account which has a totally different username/password.

++ I can now confirm that the issue for me is happening with Win7 32bit, Win10 64bit and Win11 64bit.

++"Tools" is a problem. There are no debug options, and Ctrl+shift+D does not change the the pull down options, ie still no debug options at all. The pull down menu is unchanged. Hence I can't access any debub log files.

++ I find it very perplexing that other Forteinc user do not have the same problem. May I ask that you go on anonymously and open a new trial account? Perhaps it is only with new accounts that may not being registered properly??

++Just a couple of other facts about my use, the version of Forte Agent is 8.00/32.1272. I have never used Forte Agent for email, and I never have used a proxy server. I have tried with my firewall, AV, antimalware all turned off. And I am able to access a free news server (which doesn't need a logon) with FA8. I used Forteinc for at least a 10++ years without a problem through several new PCs. Then there were some months when I didn't use it (health, pain, lack of motivation), and now for the last few months have got the "authorisation failed". I feel very capable at setting up and running Forte Agent, very comfortable with being exact with username/passwords (yes, of course case sensitive), and capable than most people with Windows; in fact for years I have run a free helpdesk for older people who can't afford a technician.

Thanks again Ralph. If is is suitable for you, can you use direct email? My account email le0p...@gmail.com is an address that is live and monitored.

Take care,
Doug

[Ralph Fox]

On Thu, 3 Nov 2022 07:56:49 -0700 (PDT), Lion Le0pa wrote:

> ++"Tools" is a problem. There are no debug options, and Ctrl+shift+D does not change the the pull down options, ie still no debug options at all. The pull down menu is unchanged. Hence I can't access any debub log files.

Hold down CTRL and SHIFT together. Press D while CTRL and SHIFT are both held down together.
Do not have a dialog box open at the same time, or the dialog box may swallow the keystrokes.

Another way to make the debug options appear is to close Agent, edit the AGENT.INI file,
and in the [Debugging] section change EnableMenu=0 to EnableMenu=1.

CTRL+SHIFT+D works here in all versions of Agent from v1.7 through v8.00.
In v1.7 through v2.0 the debug options appear in the "Online" pull-down menu.
In v3.0 through v8.00 the debug options appear in the "Tools" pull-down menu.


--
Kind regards
Ralph

🏉🌐🏆𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟚
🄰🅄·🄲🄰·🄴🄽🄶·🄵🄹·🄵🅁·🄸🅃·🄹🄿·🄽🅉·🅂🄲🅃·🅉🄰·🅄🅂·🅆🄻🅂

[Lion Le0pa]

Hi Ralph,
I have finished trying your latest suggestions, and more.

This time I did:
-1 Deep uninstall of FA8,
-2 Deleted Agent.ini,
-3 Went to webpage and changed password,
-4 Rebooted,
-5 Re-downloaded FA8, and installed anew.
-6. Configured FA8.
-7 Tried the Tools option and Ctrl+Shift+d, and CTRL+Shift+D. I hear what you say but it still doesn't work here. To dispel possibilities of a keyboard error I also tried using the onscreen keyboard.
-8 Changed Agent.ini to EnableMenu=1. Then I could see the Tools, 'Debug log to Agent.log'. Enabled.
-9 Ensured that Agent.ini showed LogData=1
-10 Ran FA8, and then tried to download Newsgroup list. And "Authentification failed"

These are the last few lines of data.log
========================================
200 Welcome to Forte Premium. Please Authenticate.

[*** 2082.437 send]
MODE READER

[*** 2082.437 receive line]
201 Welcome to Forte Premium. Please Authenticate. (No Posting)

[*** 2082.671 send]
AUTHINFO USER dougp...@forteinc.com

[*** 2082.671 receive line]
381 PASS required

[*** 2082.906 send]
AUTHINFO PASS (Deleted by Doug)

[*** 2082.921 receive line]
502 Authentication Failed
2101.421 200217 12713984 STOP

=============================================

(Note that I have deleted my password 4 or so lines above.)

Ralph, 2 questions please:

a) Have you tried opening a new, different, free 1 month account? Remember that I have tried that and I also get "authorisation failed"
and
b) Are you willing to answer me directly by email? (eg via a short term gmail account). I can be much more specific with images, etc. I respond to le0p...@gmail.com

Again, thanks for all your help, Ralph
Take care,
Doug

[Lion Le0pa]

I have been a user of Forte Agent for more than 10 years and subscribed to newsgroup server news.forteinc.com for the same time. For the last few months I have been getting "Authentification Failed". Under different credentials I opened a free 1 month trial of the news server. Using this entirely different login I also get "Authorisation failed". My login to Agent's website works all OK.

I appreciate all the help that Ralph Fox has given me, but nothing suggested has worked. Ralph has helped me try many different changes, all to no avail.

My last contact from Ralph was on Nov 3rd. I answered that still I was refused authentification. In my final post to him I asked two things:
"Ralph, 2 questions please:
"a) Have you tried opening a new, different, free 1 month account? (Remember that I have tried that and I also get "authorisation failed")

and
b) Are you willing to answer me directly by email? (eg via a short term gmail account). I can be much more specific with images, etc. I respond to le0p...@gmail.com"

I have asked Ralph to try these last two tests more than once, without response. During this time he has been active on this group with other requests.

Is there a member of this forum that will try a) above for me, and/or b) answer me at le0p...@gmail.com? If someone does answer me at that email, I will give them my username and password to try.

The official helpdesk merely endlessly advises me to check my username/password, and then says that the only other help may be available on this forum. Surely there is someone else?; it is commercial software? Nope, noone at all. I questioned this and suggested that someone must pay their salary, and no answer!! But someone keeps charging me every month.
I don't seek sympathy, but my medicos tell me my mortal life's outlook is very short. I ask for help ASAP.

I mean, nor intent, any harm to anyone. I just want to know whether to persist with this many-months' long problem.

Take care people
Doug

[florence.it]

I had pretty much the same problem and finally resorted to emailing
Help on apn. Though it was nearly a week before there was a response,
it did eventually work. I am not very techie so don't know what
amongst the things they told me to do worked, but it is working again.

Now it's a question of seeing who dies first, me or usenet :)

[Ira Lieberman]

On Sat, 12 Nov 2022 07:25:21 -0800 (PST), Lion Le0pa
<le0p...@gmail.com> wrote:

Two things you might try that I haven't seen mentioned that are
entirely independent of the newsreader itself:

1. Disable your anti-virus and try again. If it doesn't work,
re-enable anti-virus.

2. Disable your firewall and try again. And again, if it doesn't work,
re-enable the firewall.

=IML=

Moogs! Would you buy it for a quarter?

[Jay]

On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 8:14:22 PM UTC, Ira Lieberman wrote:
> On Sat, 12 Nov 2022 07:25:21 -0800 (PST), Lion Le0pa

> >I have been a user of Forte Agent for more than 10 years and subscribed to newsgroup server news.forteinc.com for the same time. For the last few months I have been getting "Authentification Failed". Under different credentials I opened a free 1 month trial of the news server. Using this entirely different login I also get "Authorisation failed". My login to Agent's website works all OK.
> >

I'm a new subscriber. Having the same issues.

I have copy/pasted the apn number and password supplied by forte into Forte 8 so it cannot be the login info that is incorrect.

I have tried the following:

1. Turning off anti-virus + Firewall
2. Changing password
3. Tried other newsreader clients
4. Contacting support - they are bloody hopeless.. never answer
5. Tried the trial account first, then tried fully paid
6. Tried another usenet provider, worked perfectly first go (fastusenetworks )
7. Tried contacting support again.. zero response. They have my money and I can't login, awesome stuff Forte!!
8. Tried on my Mac and Windows
9. Tried to connect to server without apn or password - connects but of course wont authenticate

Conclusion.. Forte have f*cked up... their server wont authenticate inbound connections
Forte.. if you are listening, you need to sort your sh*t out, your stuff-up is causing people to waste a lot of time and energy trying to fix something they cannot fix from their end.

[Lion Le0pa]

Thanks to florence.it and Ira (Yes Ira, I have tried with antimalware/firewall disabled)

Thank you Jay. Finally some one has tried opening a new account and experiences exactly the same issues as me! All along the responses assume that it is MY fault. My suspicions were raised when Ralph stopped responding after I pointedly asked him to open a new free account and try himself. And Yes, the helpdesk has been merely telling me to ask this group, seemingly relying on Ralph. Ralph is undoubtably an expert with Forte Agent, for which I thank him.

Summary:
1. I am very experienced with Windows, very experienced with Agent, and it is exasperating to be repeatedly asked to check my password, etc. The repeated responses imply that the system can't be wrong. The helpdesk tells me there is no longer anybody to which they can refer technical issues? So I asked the helpdesk to send my issue to whoever pays him/her. No response. So who owns Forteinc? Ralph, do you know?
2. Like you Jay, I can also connect to alternative news-servers via Forte Agent.
3. New forteinc accounts are not being communicated through to the news-server, which Ralph tells me is owned by HW Media. It is the HW Media server that is rejecting forteinc's new accounts.
4. Despite having no access to the Forteinc news-server for many months, the monthly bill still keeps coming in. This seems like wrongful charging.
5. Jay, I agree that "Forte have f*cked up"
5. Forte, please refund our users' fees, until you can sort out your problems.

Doug

[Ralph Fox]

On Sun, 13 Nov 2022 20:43:14 -0800 (PST), Lion Le0pa wrote:

> My suspicions were raised when Ralph stopped responding after I pointedly asked him to open a new free account and try himself.

My sign-up failed with the message "We're sorry, your credit card was
declined". I never got to see whether the credentials worked or not.
I understand there is some credit-card-processing intermediary which
the banks here treat as suspicious, which may or may not be related.
I have had other things to do in my life, other than chasing this to
get to the next step and so on.


--
Kind regards
Ralph

🏞

[Jay]

> Thank you Jay. Finally some one has tried opening a new account and experiences exactly the same issues as me! All along the responses assume that it is MY fault. My suspicions were raised when Ralph stopped responding after I pointedly asked him to open a new free account and try himself. And Yes, the helpdesk has been merely telling me to ask this group, seemingly relying on Ralph. Ralph is undoubtably an expert with Forte Agent, for which I thank him.
>
> Summary:
> 1. I am very experienced with Windows, very experienced with Agent, and it is exasperating to be repeatedly asked to check my password, etc. The repeated responses imply that the system can't be wrong. The helpdesk tells me there is no longer anybody to which they can refer technical issues? So I asked the helpdesk to send my issue to whoever pays him/her. No response. So who owns Forteinc? Ralph, do you know?
> 2. Like you Jay, I can also connect to alternative news-servers via Forte Agent.
> 3. New forteinc accounts are not being communicated through to the news-server, which Ralph tells me is owned by HW Media. It is the HW Media server that is rejecting forteinc's new accounts.
> 4. Despite having no access to the Forteinc news-server for many months, the monthly bill still keeps coming in. This seems like wrongful charging.
> 5. Jay, I agree that "Forte have f*cked up"
> 5. Forte, please refund our users' fees, until you can sort out your problems.
>
> Doug

No worries Doug.

Just a quick follow up..

Finally Forte 'support' contacted me and said they had logged in using my apn number and password and all was well.
This appears to be false as I checked my account status and I could not find any evidence of a login or data being transferred.. not a single Kb.
They said "insure your username and password is selected as the login method and turn off antivirus and your firewall, failing that refer to the FAQ as per link supplied".. the link didn't work.. page blank.
I had already told them I could log into my 'forte account' so the login credentials were AOK.. seems they ignored that vital bit of info, or the response I received was pre-scripted - copy/pasted
I told them it appears the servers database has not been updated with my login credentials.. I demanded they fix it or return my money.
They have 48 hours before I lodge a complaint with the FTC.

Meanwhile I joined up with fastusenet, decent binary/text retention $2.95 a month everything works perfectly, and first time.
I only joined up with Forte because I heard they had 7150 days of text retention.. now that would be awesome if I could only just login..

Jay

[giulio]

Hi to everybody. I have the same problem. For sure it does not depend from Agent Newsreader or Windows or antivirus. I use PAN with Ubuntu and it worked for years. I have not used it for some time, and after renewal it has not not worked.I wrote to Forte Suppport. They do not answer. Never happened before: they always answered to my emails. Only solution is to cancel the account and find another Usenet.