Unable to connect to freenode while using VPN! reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BreadSpread · 2021-04-26 02:31 I have registered my nickname with NickServ using the web client but when I try to connect to freenode through weechat desktop application while my VPN is active, I get the following: ​ card.freenode.net: \*\*\* Looking up your hostname... card.freenode.net: \*\*\* Checking Ident card.freenode.net: \*\*\* Couldn't look up your hostname card.freenode.net: \*\*\* No Ident response card.freenode.net: \*\*\* Notice -- You need to identify via SASL to use this server Closing Link: gateway/vpn//account (SASL access only) irc: disconnected from server When I am not using my VPN, I am able to connect to freenode. Could someone help me figure out how to connect to freenode while using my VPN? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- htepO · 2021-04-26 03:05 Freenode requires that VPN users use SASL. They have information on configuring various IRC clients here: https://freenode.net/kb/answer/sasl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BreadSpread · 2021-04-26 10:03 `/set irc.server.freenode.sasl_mechanism PLAIN` `/set irc.server.freenode.sasl_username ` `/set irc.server.freenode.sasl_password /save` I have followed the above steps for configuring SASL and I can already connect to the freenode server when I am not connected to the VPN. `irc: connected to irc.freenode.net/6697 (84.17.44.180)rothfuss.freenode.net: *** Looking up your hostname...rothfuss.freenode.net: *** Checking Identrothfuss.freenode.net: *** Couldn't look up your hostnamerothfuss.freenode.net: *** No Ident responseirc: client capability, server supports: extended-join tls multi-prefix identify- msg account-notify chghost sasl cap-notify away-notifyirc: client capability, requesting: saslirc: client capability, enabled: saslSASL authentication failedSASL authentication abortedWelcome to the freenode Internet Relay Chat Network ` After which I can `/nick ` `/msg NickServ identify ` To identify as the registered nickname. ​ But while using VPN, I get the following and I am not able to connect to the freenode server: `irc: connected to irc.freenode.net/6697 (185.30.166.38)verne.freenode.net: *** Looking up your hostname...verne.freenode.net: *** Checking Identverne.freenode.net: *** Couldn't look up your hostnameverne.freenode.net: *** No Ident responseirc: client capability, server supports: extended-join tls multi-prefix identify-msg account-notify chghost sasl cap-notify away- notifyirc: client capability, requesting: saslirc: client capability, enabled: saslSASL authentication failedverne.freenode.net: *** Notice -- You need to identify via SASL to use this serverClosing Link: gateway/vpn/protonvpn/account (SASL access only)irc: disconnected from server` EDIT: added logs for more clarity ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OMGItsCheezWTF · 2021-04-26 16:51 Is your email address verified? Restricted IP ranges require SASL authentication with a verified email address. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- renegadereplicant · 2021-04-27 00:05 >SASL authentication failed It doesn't work without VPN either. If you got authenticated by SASL you wouldn't have to \`/msg NickServ identify\`. ​ Check the password/account name you set up for SASL. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BreadSpread · 2021-04-27 12:59 I verified it using the web client. I received the code on my email which I used for verification: `/msg NickServ VERIFY REGISTER ` ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OMGItsCheezWTF · 2021-04-27 13:03 Read the other response below, /u/renegadereplicant is way more observant than I am, and your SASL authentication is not working without the VPN either. You would already be identified with nickserve if it had succeeded. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BreadSpread · 2021-04-27 13:13 I followed the steps outlined [here](https://freenode.net/kb/answer/weechat). `/set irc.server.freenode.sasl_mechanism PLAIN` `/set irc.server.freenode.sasl_username ` `/set irc.server.freenode.sasl_password ` `/save` ​ I can see the nickname, password and sasl\_mechanism in the home/.weechat/irc.conf file as well: `[server]` `freenode.sasl_mechanism = plain` `freenode.sasl_username = ""` `freenode.sasl_password = ""` ​ The same nickname/password pair I used for registration and verification. Is there something else I need to check? ​ EDIT: Found the issue, the irc.conf file was having an old password and not the one which was verified with nickserv. Thanks for your help! Also, is there some sort of geoblocking implemented by freenode? Some of the VPN servers I use to connect gives me a message that my IP is blocked: `SASL authentication successful` `You are banned from this server- Your host is listed on DroneBL. For more information, visit http://dronebl.org/lookup?ip=103.224.240.76 Email proxyscan@freenode.net for assistance. (2021/4/27 13.26)` `Closing Link: 103.224.240.76 (*** Banned )` I used another random server and was able to connect. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- renegadereplicant · 2021-04-27 13:27 That's weird! I noticed that you are saying that manually, you make: >/nick >/msg NickServ identify Just to clarify, the `freenode.sasl_username` is the same as that nickname, which is also your freenode account, right ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BreadSpread · 2021-04-27 16:52 Yeah I was confused, weechat took my default account name (on my OS) as username. I have modified the irc.conf files to reflect my correct nickname/password. What exactly is the difference between username and nickname in the \[server\] and \[server\_default\] field? Is it prudent to set the same username and nickname? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- renegadereplicant · 2021-04-27 17:56 Cool! ​ IRC connections get a "mask" that is \`nickname!username@host\`. You cn set username to anything you want, it doesn't matter much besides display. [edit: I am talking about `username`, not `sasl_username`. theses are different.) ​ As for your update about the banned host: by default, freenode mostly require to be authenticated to \_even\_ try connecting to it using a VPN. But this does not exempts the VPN IP from other possible bans. In this case, if you follow the DroneBL link: [https://dronebl.org/lookup ?ip=103.224.240.76](https://dronebl.org/lookup?ip=103.224.240.76) you see it's been used to abuse a couple of months ago. Thus even if you're authenticated, this particular IP is still banned from other reasons. hope i'm clear :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BreadSpread · 2021-04-27 18:27 Thank you for clarifying! Yes I saw that link. I will try to make a profile of servers which can be used for IRC. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- renegadereplicant · 2021-04-27 19:40 You're welcome! note that for the list, it all depends on how the other VPN users are using the vpn, so that could change at any time without any warning ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OMGItsCheezWTF · 2021-04-27 23:32 From a historical perspective the username was originally meant to be the unix username of the person connecting. So it would be nick!username@hostname - It would identify the actual user on the given server back when everyone was connecting via some mainframe at their university. This was verified using the identd daemon running on the server. Now it's mostly a display thing and most networks don't enforce identd, and most people aren't connecting from big shared unix mainframes.