How does IRC handle lost network connections?
reddit / irc

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corn_fest · 2015-02-25 15:39

I've been thinking about getting back into IRC after an 8-year or so
absence to lurk in some open source channels, but there's one thing on
my mind:

Since I use a laptop and am often moving around campus, I lose and
regain an internet connection quite frequently. Would this be a bother
to other people in my channels, i.e. would they get spammed with
disconnect/reconnect messages all the time? Also, I assume I'd totally
miss any messages sent while I'm not connected, right?

Should I look into a remote service that provides a constant
connection instead, and does such a thing even exist?

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bodnast · 2015-02-25 15:51

Your first points are pretty much correct I think. The channels you're
in will have a notification of you disconnecting/reconnecting and it
could potentially spam the channels. You will also miss the messages
when you're not connected

I'm not sure about if there's remote service that lets you stay
constantly connected.

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arcalion · 2015-02-25 16:15

They would see your disconnect/reconnect messages, yes - that being
said, it's not uncommon to see this in large channels on IRC.  Most
just ignore it.  But you would miss messages sent while you're not
connected.

Best two options would be to either start using a terminal-based *nix
client like irssi using tmux or screen (which let you attach, and
detatch to your session via an SSH terminal, letting you detach before
you relocate, and come back when you're ready) - or to get a BNC
service somewhere, which is the same concept, except it lets you
connect your Windows/Mac irc client to it.

In both cases you'd need to pay for a shell account on a server that
allowed you to use IRC as a customer.  Usually pretty cheap.  Unless
you already have access to a *nix server that's always connected.

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corn_fest · 2015-02-26 01:54

Cool, thanks! I think I'll look into BNC services.

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IDidntChooseUsername · 2015-04-09 09:01

There is the possibility of getting a Raspberry Pi to host your IRC
client or BNC on, but that's if your university allows it(i.e. allows
forwarding ports on their network). The cheapest model, the A+, is
fine for this purpose. There are a number of ways to do this. For
example, you can install tmux, irssi and mosh on it, put it somewhere
where it's constantly connected to the Internet, and port forward so
that you can SSH or Mosh into the Pi. Essentially, the IRC client is
constantly running inside a tmux session, and you connect to it
remotely to chat.

An alternative is using a web IRC client that you host on the Pi, such
as Shout or Convos. In this case, you install the server on your Pi,
port forward it and put it on the Internet, and then you can log into
it and chat using a web browser on any device you have.

As another alternative, irssi works as a BNC if you set it up. I can't
remember exactly how, but it involves the irssi proxy plugin. After
you set up that, set it to any unused port on the Pi, forward that
port, and then connect to that port from your phone's or laptop's IRC
client.

Also, it doesn't depend on your university's rules if you can find a
place to put it where it is port forwarded, connected and always on.