Help me get on IRC through trillian.

[H2SO4]

Can you guy/gals help me get on IRC? I have no knowledge of the way it works. I know i need a sever name. I am running trillian for all my instant messaging, so id like to definetly just connect through this. Is there servers that are better than other?

 

Whats a server alias?

[mezarashi]

I'm not sure of how Trillian handles IRC, but IRC stands for internet relay chat. Any IRC network is based on an array of servers that are linked together. Each network will have its own name. Some of the largest IRC networks are Quakenet, Undernet, Dalnet, Rizon, etc. Go to their websites (search google) to see what their server address(es) are. For example Rizon's address is: irc.rizon.net and irc.rizon.org. There is actually no point in using IRC messaging unless you have a friend network on one of those servers. For it to work, you and your friends will need to join the same network and register your user names.

 

IRC networks are known to be generally very solid when it comes to reliability and response times. More times I have my MSN offline than I have my IRC offline. There is high level of redundancy in IRC, and the protocol is clean and fast (given text messaging is all you need). ICQ for example takes very long sometimes for a message to get to the other side. This is generally not a problem on IRC unless you are encountering server lag, which in that case you can reconnect to a server that is geographically closer to your location.

 

IRC however, is not famous for its IM abilities but rather its chatrooms. It is an assembling place for notorious hackers and crack groups. Yes, warez and all that other underground stuff. There are a hostful of other features regarding IRC. I recommend you read a guide on the internet if you are interested and get a proper IRC client (e.g. mIRC or XChat).

[H2SO4]

i read a guide last night and it helped alot. But, i have all my messaging accounts on trillian, and want to keep it this way. All i need to understand is (1. what do i need to type in where it says "server alias". I think i need to type in a network name, but i doubt it. (2. im just confused about the server thing. Can i access any network on one server?

[H2SO4]

Ok, i figuered it out. But im wondering, when you join a channel, can it only be a channel in your server network (i.e. EFnet)?

[mezarashi]

Yes, if Efnet is the network you are connected to, when you join a channel, it will be on this network. If someone joins this same channel while logged onto IRCnet, he or she will not see you. Most clients like mIRC however will allow you to join multiple servers and handle channels on multiple networks.

[Dave]

I also recommend X-Chat; if you want a Windows build, have a look at http://www.silverex.info/ for a free, non-shareware version.