this newsgroup and OE

Perhaps someone can tell me the secret to getting problem-free access to the php newsgroups using OE. I have two other newsgroup servers configured in OE which do not give me any difficulties at all. My setup for news.php.net however gives me nothing but problems. Inability to connect to messages, long delays during normal polling for new items that hangs up my normal mail traffic, etc. Right now, OE indicates two new messages in the php.general list, but I cannot download them at this time because OE says it cannot connect (oops - just went to get the text of the message and now OE has been able to connect). Some of the details of my config: server name: php.new.net port #: 119 timeouts: 30 secs. nothing else in particular set up - same as my other "working" newsgroup accounts. Thanks in advance.