can't connect to the usenet (newsgroups)?

[gardenlen]

g'day friends,

yesterday and so far for today as well i can't connect to the usenet newsgroups, is anyone else expereincing problems?

my account is with bigpond.

i use forte agent as my newsreader and my webmailer, the e/mails are coming in ok, just fails to connect to the newsgroups.

tia