Is connecting to irc through a vpn safe? reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- internethistorygeek · 2019-06-21 11:38 Can people still somehow find your real IP or something along those lines if you connect to irc through a vpn? I'm new to all this stuff if you can't tell, so sorry if it's a dumb question. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- malar_ · 2019-06-21 11:54 Depends on alot of other things, but yeah id say youre safer ---------------------------------------------------------------------- internethistorygeek · 2019-06-21 12:03 Well that's good to know I guess! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- malar_ · 2019-06-21 13:23 Since irc is so simple, youre absolute best bet would actually be to use a web client on Tor Browser, as it shouldnt behave too diffrent unlike other sites. Plus, alot of unencrypted ttaffic would be encrypted by doing this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- trekkie1701c · 2019-06-21 15:00 Generally no. Even if a network doesn't hide the IP address (most at least somewhat do it), the network thinks you're connecting from whatever the VPN IP address is. The way a VPN works is it makes your computer act like it's on whatever network the VPN is on (I use one myself to make my mobile devices think they're on my home network, and this causes my IRC connections to always appear as though they're coming from home, rather than via my mobile internet connection). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- webvictim · 2019-06-21 16:28 It depends on a number of things. If you're using a paid-for anonymlsing VPN provider (like NordVPN for example) which redirects all your traffic through their gateway, then your real IP address won't ever be shown to the IRC server - so theoretically, you are "safer". If it's just a VPN which lets you connect to another network and doesn't route all traffic (for example, it uses split tunnelling) then no, your real IP will likely still be given to the server and you won't be any "safer". Most networks have some form of IP spoofing which is enough to keep everyone except IRC admins/operators from seeing your IP. If you were to click on a targeted link that someone sends you on IRC, however, they could still get your real IP that way. With an anonymising VPN to hide your traffic, though, they'd only get the VPN IP. Some of the downsides of using a VPN are: - DCC transfers generally won't work - sometimes they won't work at all, sometimes you'll need extra configuration/settings - some IRC networks block connections from known VPN providers to prevent abuse/trolling/ban evasion etc - if someone else on the same VPN as you gets banned from the network, it may affect you too ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Vegetable_Historian · 2019-06-22 06:20 You are definitely safer wih a VPN. Of course, it depends on a lot of things, for example, the quality of the VPN you choose (I recommend giving a quick check to [this](https://vpntierlist.com/) site to find the better options). VPN technology, by definition, hides your real IP and gives you another one for using in specific activities, in this case, for IRC. That's why you need a reliable one. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2019-06-26 23:25 [removed]