Mirc Setup
Getting Started with mIRC
It usually only takes a few minutes to get started with mIRC. The following guide
will take you through the first few steps of downloading and using mIRC.
1
Before you can start using mIRC, you will need to download and
install it. If you have already done that, you can skip this step.
You can download mIRC by clicking here. A download
window should appear, similar to the one below. You should click the Run
or Open button.
Once the download has completed, the mIRC installer will appear. You should follow
the steps in the installer and install mIRC.
2
Run mIRC by double-clicking on the mIRC icon on your desktop or in your Windows
Start menu. You should then see the Connect window below which you can
use to connect to IRC.
You will need to enter something for your Full Name and Email Address.
These do not have to be your real full name and email address.
You will then have to choose your Nickname and Alternative nickname.
These are the names by which other people will know you on IRC.
You can then click the Connect button and mIRC will connect to
your chosen server. In the example below, we are connecting to the DALnet server.
3
Once you have connected to a server, your mIRC Favorites window
will pop up. This window stores a list of your favorite channels and allows you
to join them quickly and easily.
You can type in the name of a channel, such as #mIRC, or you can select
a channel from the list. You can then click the Join button and
mIRC will join your chosen channel.
4
In the window below, we have joined channel #mIRC on the EFNet IRC network,
and my nickname is Jiminy. There are 79 people on the channel.
You can now type in a message, such as “Hello to all you good people! :-)”,
press the enter key, and hopefully you’ll receive a few greetings in return!
5
The next step is to get a list of the active channels on this network by opening
the Tools menu and selecting the Channels List
menu item.
This will open the Channels List window below which you can use to get the list
of channels. In this example, we want to look for trivia channels, so we have typed
in the word trivia.
You can now click the Get List button and mIRC will get the list
of active channels from the network.
Some of the larger networks, like EFnet, may have thousands of
channels, so be patient – it can sometimes take a few minutes to get the full list.
Once the listing has finished, you can double-click on channels to join them, or
right-click for other options.
6
Congratulations! You have just connected to an IRC network, joined a channel,
and sent your first message! You also retrieved a list of the active channels
on a network.
The world of mIRC and IRC are now yours to explore. Good luck and have fun:-)
Setting up mIRC – Twitch
Guide on how to setup mIRC to work with Twitch IRC chat service.
Step 1.
Download and install mIRC
Step 2.
Launch the program
Click on Tools, then Options
On the side menu click on Connect
Enter your twitch username in lowercase for Nickname
Step 3.
In mIRC Options, click servers
Delete all the folders, entries that are listed by default
Once the IRC Server list is clear, click ADD
For Description enter: Twitch
For IRC Server enter:
For Ports enter: 80
Leave Group blank
For Password you need OAuth Token, use TwitchApp to generate it or the Twitch API
Press OK
Step 4.
In mIRC Options, click Connect
Under that is Options, click on that
Then click on Perform Button
Check the box that says Enable perform on connect
Add in the following inside the text box: raw CAP REQ
Then press OK, then again OK to leave Options window.
Step 5.
Click on Favorites in the menu bar
Then go to Organize Favorites
If this has a list of favorites already populated, delete all of them
Once you clear the list, press Add
Enter the channel you wish to connect, for example I want to join my channels irc, so I will enter #daopa in the channel text box, then press option to Join on connect.
Add whatever channels you use to join, with option to auto connect if you prefer it to join like that.
Additional Server Settings (if above settings do not work)
Server: 80, 6667SSL ports: 443, 6697
Server: 80SSL port: 443
Why 2020 Is the Perfect Time to Revisit IRC – HowToGeek
You don’t hear much about Internet Relay Chat (IRC) these days because social media and Slack have stolen some of its thunder. However, it’s far from dead! In fact, 2020 might be the best time to join (or rejoin) the text-based chat revolution.
IRC Is Still Kicking 32 Years Later
IRC is a standard Internet protocol that allows people to run their own text-based chat servers with its own selection of channels organized by topic (for example, a channel called #music for talking about music). With no centralized authority over who can host a server, people are free to switch servers at will or even start their own.
IRC started in Finland in 1988 and soon became an international internet sensation. It allowed people from all over the world to share historic news, find romance, or talk about almost any topic with like-minded enthusiasts in real time.
Today, there are still over 2, 000 IRC servers and almost 500 IRC networks (groups of affiliated servers) operating worldwide. However, the number of people using them has dropped dramatically (some say 60 percent) from its peak around 2003-05.
Those numbers can be deceptive, though. Peak usage of IRC also coincided with peak use of the network to trade pirated software (“warez”), so not all of those people were using IRC to chat in the first place.
Still, many people have abandoned IRC since the early ’00s due to the rise of the myriad competing online social spaces. Web forums, instant messaging (like AIM), social media, SMS text messaging, collaborative services (like Slack and Discord), and even 3D worlds and games (like Second Life and Minecraft) have all contributed to IRC’s dive in popularity.
Even though IRC’s population is only a fraction of what it used to be, a core group of people who just want basic text chat are still on there chatting to this day.
The Freedom of Classic Internet Chat
In 1993, The New Yorker published a cartoon entitled, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. ” It became symbolic of the freedom of identity that came with online anonymity at the time.
That anonymity wasn’t perfect, of course. People could (and still can) see your IP address and guess your general geographic location. However, back then, it was unlikely your IP was linked to your real-life personal info in a public way.
Before profile photos and centralized social media became common, you could easily choose an online persona and occupy it with a low risk of public repercussions. Some found this threatening, but it was also very liberating for people in marginalized groups, who could exist online without judgment.
Today, that sense of anonymity, while not entirely extinct, is rarer. For many of us, our on- and offline selves have merged on social networking platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Often, that profile is also linked to photos of you, as well as your family, friends, and coworkers. All is open for others to see, so we might not feel as free as we’d like to experiment with new ideas.
Luckily, thanks to IRC, you can turn back the clock to 1993 and be a dog online again.
How to Connect to IRC Today
Connecting to IRC today is easier than ever thanks to the client programs available for all major platforms. In most cases, all you have to do is download an IRC client (or install it from an App store), type a name you’d like to use, and you’ll be presented with a list of popular IRC servers.
Below are some popular IRC clients for different platforms:
Windows: You can get a free 30-day trial of mIRC (it’s $20 afterward to purchase a license) or use HexChat.
Mac: Many people use Textual (free trial, and then a $7. 99 in-app purchase) or Igloo IRC ($5. 99). LimeChat is a free alternative.
Linux: Try WeeChat or HexChat, both of which are open source.
Chrome: Popular free clients for Chrome include CIRC and Byrd.
iPhone/iPad: Many use IglooIRC ($5. 99), Palaver IRC ($1. 99), or Colloquy ($1. 99).
Android: Try IRCCloud or AndroIRC, both of which are free.
We don’t recommend you let your kids use IRC. It’s like the Wild West of the web, with plenty of potentially offensive content. You’ll encounter people saying anything you can possibly imagine (and many things you can’t).
A spirited political discussion on the Textual IRC client for Mac.
However, there are plenty of reasonable people out there, too. You just have to find a server and channel community that fits your personal style. This IRC Channel search tool hosted by is a great way to find like-minded people. It searches across many IRC servers for topics you might want to talk about.
Ultimately, IRC is still a great way to let off some steam, make friends with complete strangers, talk about technical interests, and, potentially, even get some good advice. On IRC, you can make friends for life who will never know what you look like or your real name. In 2020, that’s quite refreshing!
Getting Started
Once you’ve launched your IRC client, pick a server (most clients have a list of them ready to go). Type a nickname, connect, and then select a channel. You can do most of those tasks easily using onscreen menus in the IRC client of your choice.
A list of IRC channels on the freenode server in HexChat.
Once you’re connected, you’ll often see a list of people in the same channel in a sidebar on the right. To chat, click or tap the text bar at the bottom, type your message, and press Enter when you want to send. Simple!
A Short List of IRC Commands
When you use a modern graphical IRC client, you don’t always need to master IRC’s somewhat arcane list of typed commands, but they can still come in handy. Below are a few of the essentials:
/nick [nickname]: The name others will see when you chat.
/list: Lists the channels on the server you can join.
/join [#channel]: Lets you join a channel. For example, you would type “/join #games” to join the #games channel. You can also use this command to create a channel if you specify one that isn’t already in use.
/away [message]: Sets an away message others will see if they message you.
/msg [nickname] [message]: Sends a private message to another person.
/topic [#channel] [newtopic]: Sets the discussion topic of a particular channel.
/whois [nickname]: Sends you information about another user.
Keep in mind when you dive into a popular channel on a popular server, you’re joining an established community that might have been running for decades. Most of the people will likely know each other.
If you want to fit in, step lightly and try not to annoy the locals—but definitely have fun!
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Frequently Asked Questions about mirc setup
How do I set up mIRC?
Setting up mIRCIn mIRC Options, click Connect.Under that is Options, click on that.Then click on Perform Button.Check the box that says Enable perform on connect.Add in the following inside the text box: raw CAP REQ :twitch.tv/membership.Then press OK, then again OK to leave Options window.Apr 15, 2016
Does anyone still use mIRC?
Today, there are still over 2,000 IRC servers and almost 500 IRC networks (groups of affiliated servers) operating worldwide. However, the number of people using them has dropped dramatically (some say 60 percent) from its peak around 2003-05. Those numbers can be deceptive, though.Aug 24, 2021
Is there a free version of mIRC?
mIRC. mIRC was once the best IRC client for Windows and still remains as one of the most downloaded and most used clients today. … The downside to mIRC is that it is shareware – it comes with a 30-day free trial.Feb 17, 2012
