Cannot connect to synIRC using any client, but can connect via web reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AndarielHalo · 2020-01-23 01:41 i'm not sure where to go from here ​ ​ Yesterday (tuesday) I connected to synIRC using mIRC like I've done for years. I'm getting randomly disconnected. My ISP also starts sending me vague messages about "threats" being blocked. ​ I upgrade my Windows 10 to version 1903, and now suddenly I cannot connect to synIRC at all. All I get are "Connection timed out" as a message. ​ This only affects the synIRC network; I can connect to pretty much any other IRC network using a client. ​ I tried HexChat and even Microsoft Comic Chat and they can connect to any server except synIRC. ​ However, I can still connect to synIRC via web clients. ​ ​ I tried to connect to one specific synIRC server and it managed to connect for several seconds before disconnecting and going back to being unable to connect. ​ ​ I tried connecting while temporarily disabling my firewall and while both disabling and re-enabling my Windows Defender. ​ ​ I'm not sure where to even begin here. My ISP is Comcast so unfortunately it would be hours of sitting and waiting before getting 8 different suggestions from 6 different Comcast techs who most likely have no idea what IRC even is ​ ​ EDIT: Solved it by turning router off and on again. I had done this yesterday in response to the same aforementioned vague "threats" Comcast warned me about, and suggested restarting the router. ​ ​ EDIT: Nevermind, it's back again ​ ​ EDITEDIT: I've figured something out. I am unable to ping any of synIRC's servers via their IPv4 address.  However, I am able to ping them by their network names (such as "avarice.ny.us.synirc.net") and the results are returned in IPv6 When I turn on a VPN, I am able to connect via mIRC, AND I am able to ping the IPv4 addresses.  As well, pinging them by their network names returns their IPv4 addresses, not their IPv6 Addresses As a result, I think, I am able to successfully connect via mIRC if I use the command specifically to connect to the server via IPv6,  ie  "/server -6 irc.synirc.net" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TheAmazingFailure · 2020-01-23 02:20 Try a free VPN to see if you still time out connecting with mIRC. If the VPN lets you connect it's probably a routing issue with Comcast. You can report it to them but they'll give exactly 0 fucks. Go with Windscribe for the free VPN to test with. They give you something like 30GB of bandwidth on the free tier and that is plenty. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AndarielHalo · 2020-01-23 02:38 I tried this and it worked, so it's definitely a problem with my ISP. ​ How can I tell what specifically Comcast is blocking? It only affects this one IRC network. Is it related to some specific port or IP addresses associated with synIRC? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TheAmazingFailure · 2020-01-23 02:43 They probably aren't blocking anything. Somewhere between you and the IRC server the connection is having issues. It could be anywhere along the route. The only thing you can really do is let Comcast know the destination IP you are having issues connecting to and letting them know using an alternate route (VPN) fixed it. They probably won't care, or may already know about it. If [this](https://www.synirc.net/servers) is the network you are talking about you can try connecting to another one of their servers in the network. They're in different geographical locations and may not be on the same route as the busted one. Just a heads up. If you continue using the VPN do note that it encapsulates all your network traffic, so everything is using the VPN while it is on. Your IP will change to the VPN IP while it's connected. Some places (Netflix, etc) block you while you are using a VPN. If you have any issues while using the VPN, turn it off and try again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AndarielHalo · 2020-01-23 02:57 I figured this much (my main suspicion for most of the time was some odd change in Windows) and found that turning my router off and on again somehow fixed this issue (pending a sudden disconnection later on that starts this over again) ​ EDIT: I was connected for several minutes but it disconnected again and now I can't reconnect. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TheAmazingFailure · 2020-01-23 03:12 Yeah I would start complaining to them about the connection issues and see about getting at least the router swapped out. Sounds like you have a larger issue going on. Replace the router, replace all the cables and see what happens. The process sucks, but it's worth pushing them until it's fixed. I just did this dance with CenturyLink for 4 months. Ended up replacing 100% of the equipment in my place, even had a new line put in. Cost me $100 but I was finally able to force them to admit it was not a problem in my place, it was a problem with their equipment on the street. I pushed them constantly and complained to my state AG and Public Utility Commission until CenturyLink relented, and rebuilt the whole DSLAM for my area. Problems went away. Keep pushing them. Keep making them send a tech out over and over. Poke and prod the techs that comes out about what can be done and ask them to do it. Eventually they are gonna run out of stuff to blame it on or someone is going to have an epiphany and actually find the problem. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AndarielHalo · 2020-01-23 03:27 I reset the router to fix the issue, but then I got disconnected again. I went to do their chat bot and their chat bot immediately said there was a problem that a router reboot might fix, so I let them reboot my router and it "fixed" the issue again, only to disconnect again after a few minutes ​ EDIT: I've figured something out. I am unable to ping any of synIRC's servers via their IPv4 address.  However, I am able to ping them by their network names (such as "avarice.ny.us.synirc.net") and the results are returned in IPv6 When I turn on a VPN, I am able to connect via mIRC, AND I am able to ping the IPv4 addresses.  As well, pinging them by their network names returns their IPv4 addresses, not their IPv6 Addresses As a result, I think, I am able to successfully connect via mIRC if I use the command specifically to connect to the server via IPv6,  ie  "/server -6 irc.synirc.net" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- KyojiFoxfire · 2020-01-27 01:32 Seems to be connected to the new xFi Advanced Security that xfinity is rolling out this month. Detects certain types of connections as threats and blocks them. Might have to sign into your xfinity account and disable the Advanced Security nonsense.