Working around corporate firewall? reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- mcjoness · 2015-07-29 22:50 I'm working on an open source project for my company. It would be *very* useful to be able to get on the open source project IRC room during the day to ask questions, etc. Unfortunately, when connecting to freenode, I always fail to establish connection. This is the case for trying to connect via browser and on multiple OS. Has anyone encountered this and maybe has a workaround? I don't see my company allowing connection straight up to freenode, so I'm hoping there is something :/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wmcscrooge · 2015-07-29 23:12 Maybe set up a vpn at home and then connect through that? Some sort of the VPN is really the only option. Or ask corporate to unlock the irc connection if you can prove or suggest that it'll help. If they're understanding they'll be willing to unlock the connection to at least freenode for you to work *shrugs* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- macjunkie · 2015-07-30 00:03 most corporate networks block IRC... You'd be better off using a home VPN or a VPS somewhere ---------------------------------------------------------------------- liquoranwhores · 2015-07-30 00:44 ssh tunnel works well, set one up to listen on port 443 and you'll usually make it out of all but the most restrictive firewalls ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DStoo · 2015-07-30 11:51 At that point just set up a VPS or home server and SSH into a terminal with irssi w/screen. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- liquoranwhores · 2015-07-30 12:01 Except this way you can use any client you want. irssi is great for retro 1995 chating. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DStoo · 2015-07-30 12:10 irssi is hands down still the best client, in 2015. > 1995 Hell I didn't even start using it daily until 2001 (When OS X came out and had a terminal). Sometimes you need to stop reinventing the wheel and acknowledge that just because something is old doesn't mean it isn't the best. http://scripts.irssi.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- liquoranwhores · 2015-07-30 13:28 Do you drive a Ford Model T? I suspect you don't. It's the same reason I'm not still using ircII, BitchX or irssi. Console clients worked great in the past but today just feel antiquated and featureless. I'm currently slowly switching from Hexchat w/ znc to Weechat or Quassel. If I can't control the same session from a browser or my phone, I'm not happy. I sit on 5 networks and about 45 channels. Trying to manage that from an irssi session isn't happening. Can you still use console based clients? Absolutely! Should you? Absolutely not. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DStoo · 2015-07-30 13:43 > Do you drive a Ford Model T? I suspect you don't. No, but do have you ever flown on a 737? (Older than irssi). > Console clients worked great in the past but today just feel antiquated and featureless Featureless?! Irssi has more features than any other client I've run into and for any feature it doesn't have it has scripts, which can do anything you want it to. > If I can't control the same session from a browser or my phone, I'm not happy. I sit on 5 networks and about 45 channels. My phone has an ssh client, does yours not? > Should you? Absolutely not. Absolutely you should. It's faster, easier and better. It takes up minimal real estate and is infinitely customizable. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- liquoranwhores · 2015-07-30 14:08 At this point, I suspect your trolling. If you seriously think using an SSH client on your phone to connect to a detached irssi session is similar in experience to using a [native app](https://play.google.com/ store/apps/details?id=com.iskrembilen.quasseldroid&hl=en) for something like Quassel.. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DStoo · 2015-07-30 14:17 Yeah, it is. what resolution do you think my first TTY terminal had? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NeuroG · 2015-07-30 16:24 Don't some web IRC clients work entirely over http(s)? Kiwi apparently does from "all IRC connections appear from KiwiIRC.com servers, masking the real users hostname." on https://kiwiirc.com/enablekiwi ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wobblyweasel · 2015-07-30 17:09 you meant weechat didn't you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- mindlesstux · 2015-07-30 18:28 Could try http://irccloud.com ? Seems to be a fairly good service. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dclassic · 2015-07-30 20:23 If you are cool with irssi... I have been using cloud9 ide (c9.io). When you set up an environment, you get bash access. From there you can run irssi. As long as your company isn't blocking the site specifically, all your traffic is originating outside the firewall. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- synalx · 2015-08-06 00:05 Not to mention proxy mode in irssi, which would let you use a native app to connect when you want that experience.