Absolute IRC noob... how do I hide my IP? reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- demon_on_a_leash · 2016-09-21 05:13 Sorry if you get this all the time... and I'm not tech savvy in the least, so I apologize in advance if any part of my question doesn't make sense. I want to use IRC but there's a kid (who uses the same channel) who's trying to find out my IP so he can screw with me. It's a freenode channel, I know I can ask for a cloak but I was hoping to have a backup. I have a mac. Can you recommend a specific VPN or other option? EDIT: Really thorough and helpful answers, thanks everyone! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1percentof1 · 2016-09-21 06:18 This comment has been overwritten. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- zkxs · 2016-09-21 06:41 Well this turned into a wall of text. Long story short, **you probably don't need to hide your IP address**, especially because this kid is probably full of crap and is just trying to rustle your jimmies. # Why would I want to hide my IP? You don't worry about hiding your IP address [when using a browser](ht tps://www.google.com/search?q=what%27s+my+ip+address&ie=utf-8&oe=utf- 8), so what makes IRC different? IRC does not conceal your IP address from other users. Lets say my nickname is 'zkxs' on some IRC server. If you run the `/whois zkxs` command, it will show you a variety of information about me, including my IP address. While some IRC servers do mask user's IP addresses, many do not. # Is it a security risk not to hide my IP? Masking your IP address provides absolutely no real security. All you get from it is obscurity, and the false sense of security that entails. There are only around 3.7 billion valid public IPv4 addresses, which means it is possible for the entire IPv4 internet to be scanned (although it takes a while). Regardless of whether or not you hide your IP address on IRC, people **will** attempt to connect to your computer and scan for vulnerabilities. Rather than worrying about keeping people from knowing your IP address, you should worry what somebody who already has it can do with it. # What could somebody who already has my IP do? An IP address is used to connect to your computer. If there are any services running, an attacker could interact with them. If these services are vulnerable, the could attacker could perform an attack, with results ranging anywhere from stealing files to running malware. Attacks like these can be prevented by using a firewall to prevent outside access to services. Even if you are not vulnerable to a service-based attack, your IP address could be used in a DoS (Denial of Service) attack. This is when an attacker sends a tremendous quantity of data to your IP address, and your computer/router must spend a lot of time thinking about this data, slowing your internet to a standstill until the attack stops. # What is a firewall? A firewall is either a program or a device that blocks network connections according to a set of rules. If you have a router in your house (if you have Wifi then you have a router), then you are already behind a firewall that blocks **ALL** incoming connections. If you are not behind a router, then your only firewall is a program running on your computer. Windows runs many services by default for things like managing printers, file sharing, and more. For this reason Windows ships with a firewall that blocks access to many of these things. The firewall is more restrictive when you mark the network you are connected to as "Public"/"Work" vs "Private"/"Home". # I still want to hide my IP. Tell me how. You have three options: 1. Use a proxy 2. Use a bouncer 3. Only use IRC servers that support IP cloaking # What is a proxy? A proxy is just some other computer you bounce your connection off of, hiding your computer's IP address behind that of the proxy. While it is possible to find open, free proxies, many IRC servers block open proxies to prevent abuse. Furthermore, any unencrypted data you send through a proxy could be examined by that proxy. So if you use NickServ to keep control of your nickname and do not access your IRC server using SSL, it is possible your proxy could record your NickServ password. Free proxies generally aren't guaranteed to be trustworthy, so you might want to consider a paid one. # What is a bouncer? A bouncer is similar to a proxy, but is specific to the IRC protocol. There are two main functions a bouncer performs. Firstly, as your connection detours through the bouncer before reaching the IRC server, your IP address is masked and only the bouncer's IP address is visible. Secondly, unlike many chat applications, the IRC protocol does not provide a backlog of messages from when you were offline. Because the bouncer is always connected to the IRC server, it is possible for it to save a backlog for you even when your actual client is not connected. To use a bouncer, you would either need to host it yourself or pay to have one hosted for you. # What is IP cloaking? Some servers support a something called a "cloak", "mask", or "vhost" that hides your IP address from `/whois` commands. On some IRC servers, this feature is enabled for all users by default. On others, you must either opt-in or register to use this feature. For example, on the Freenode server you must first register your nickname then request for a staff member to manually give you a cloak. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dizzygrammarian · 2016-09-21 08:54 I am using NordVPN. It routes and encrypts all your Internet traffic and they also provide shared IPs, that means that particular user can't be identified while connected to a server. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cobra_Fast · 2016-09-21 16:00 > Why would I want to hide my IP? You did not actually answer that question, so let me try: A visible IP or hostname allows someone to draw some easy conclusions about you. For example which country/state you're in. So, if some level of privacy is important to you on IRC, hiding/masking/cloaking your IP/hostname makes sense. Be advised though, IRC administrators are always able to see your real IP/hostname unless you use a proxy/bouncer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cobra_Fast · 2016-09-21 16:26 > I want to use IRC but there's a kid (who uses the same channel) who's trying to find out my IP so he can screw with me. He's actually screwing with you by telling you that and trying to scare you. Since it's on FreeNode, which doesn't mask hosts by default, he should already have yours. Don't be scared of people on IRC. People that are telling you to the face they want to "screw with" you are either joking or just want to appear edgy. Any large enough group naturally attracts kids and weirdos, and with FreeNode being one of the largest networks I'm not surprised by an encounter like this. You probably asked a noob question on some channel, exposed your (low) power level in the process, and now a kid is having a laugh at your expense. Just `/ignore` them if they're really going on your nerves. Just be careful when downloading runnable files or programs from links posted in IRC, you rarely can be sure of what a foreigner is giving you. (Same goes for real life, doesn't it?;) If they look suspicious but you really want to run them, do it in a VM/sandbox. And generally apply common sense. People on IRC are still people. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1percentof1 · 2016-09-22 02:00 This comment has been overwritten. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- woolharbor · 2023-01-14 08:37 You hide your IP for anonymity, privacy and personal security, not because of your computer's security. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CryBoring1527 · 2023-04-15 22:48 I know I'm really late to the party, but as I stumbled upon a similar issue, here is a link that might help. [https://libera.chat/guides/cloakshttps://libera.chat/guides/cloaks](h ttps://libera.chat/guides/cloakshttps://libera.chat/guides/cloaks) \-->this one is for the Libera server You can request a cloak from the server. You will need to register to NetMask first, it's a pretty simple process. To my undestanding, a cloak will prevent displaying your IP address, but as an extra layer of security I'd recommend using a VPN as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- nofface · 2023-05-23 15:59 https://libera.chat/guides/cloaks