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To use IRC you need a special
software (like you need a browser to
surf the web). There a few
different types, but probably mIRC is
the best one to start with (assuming you
have a Windows based PC - for Unix/Linux
based systems see later)
Step 1 - Download mIRC from here
and then install it. Remember if
you have Win95 or Win98 or NT or 2000
use the 32 bit version, for Win 3.0 or
3.11 use the 16 bit version.
mIRC is shareware which means you can
try it out for free (30 days), but
should you continue using it, you should
register your copy for £10/$20 one only
payment.
Step 2 - When
you first run mIRC you'll need to tweak
a few settings. Different versions
of mIRC have slightly different menu
options so I'll describe the latest
version 5.5. Below is a copy of
the mIRC help page to which I have added
some comments to in red. The bold
red type is what you'll need to add.
Step 3 - When
you have connected to the server, you
can choose to join a channel. To
do this select the 'commands' menu and
choose the 'join' option. Type in
#dreamwave (or any other #channel name)
into the pop up dialogue box. Then
choose OK. You should then
get another bigger window open on your
screen for the channel. If
the #dreamwave channel has other people
present, you should get a friendly
Hi. Type in what you wish to
say in the bottom of the #dreamwave
window. When you press enter you
should see it repeated in the main
window.
Step 4 - Have
fun.
Some hints:
remember this is a general purpose IRC
network, so some of the channels could
be of an ADULT nature. Beware of
these until you are confident.
Choose an appropriate nick name.
Check that when you first connect to the
server that you don't get any warnings
about the nick already being used.
If it is already registered, you could
be bounced off the server, don't worry,
choose another and try again!
mIRC is a very powerful piece of
software, and most users only scratch at
its surface. There are many
commands and ways to automate any
task.
NOTE: Sometimes
it it is not possible to connect to the
IRC server. This could be
due to the server being down, or if you
are at work, there is a firewall in
place that stops you.
Connecting to to your IRC
Network (From the mIRC HELP)
Connecting to an IRC server is the first
step to chatting on IRC and is done
through the Connect dialog, which pops
up automatically when you first run mIRC.
Once you've entered a few basic pieces
of information about yourself, you can
select an IRC Server from the servers
list and then click on the Connect
button. You'll know you've connected
when the IRC server shows you it's
Message Of The Day, which contains
information about that server. At that
point you'll then be able to Join a
channel to start chatting.
Basic information
The following information is
required before you can connect to a
server.
Real Name
You can enter your real name
here, however note that whatever you
enter can be seen by other people on IRC.
Most people usually enter a witty
one-liner or
comment. Add someting
Email Address
You must enter a full email
address eg. khaled@mardam.demon.co.uk.
Add something real
or otherwise
Nickname and Alternative
Your nickname is the name by
which people will know you on IRC.
Remember that there are many hundreds of
thousands of people on IRC, so it's
possible that someone might already be
using the nickname you've chosen. If
that's the case, you should try to pick
a different, more unique, nickname. You
can enter an alternative nickname as
well in case someone is using your first
nickname. If both nicknames are in use,
mIRC inserts "/nick" into the
edit box so that all you have to do is
enter a new nickname and press
enter. See
my note about your choice of nick.
Invisible Mode
If you turn on the invisible
mode switch, people will not be able to
find you on IRC unless they already know
your nickname, or if you join a channel
or talk to them
privately. Best select this to
start with
IRC Servers
The IRC server that you choose
is the most important factor in
determining how quickly and easily you
connect, so if it's taking a long time
to connect to one IRC Server, choose a
different one and try connecting again.
Note: If you're having problems
connecting to an IRC Server, see the
Connection Problems section. or email your IRC
Network for some help
You can manage your list of IRC servers
by using the add, edit, and delete
buttons. Each IRC server consists of the
following
information:
*** You'll need to
add a new server
Description
This can be any text you want
and serves only as a
description. Look at the list
of your networks servers and choose the
one closest to you.
Address
This is the IRC server address
eg. irc.dal.net
choose one from
the list you got above i.e.
chex.pa.us.dreamwave.org
Port Number
This is usually 6667. If the
server allows connections on different
ports, you can enter them all separated
by commas eg. 6667,6668,6669 and mIRC
will pick one randomly each time it
connects to the
server. try 6667
Group Name
This allows you to group
servers together when they are sorted
with the Sort
button. Your network's name
Password
This is rarely required, so you
should not have to enter anything here
unless you have been specifically told
to. Blank
Hint: If you click your right mouse
button on the Options toolbar button, a
popup menu appears that allows you to
quickly connect to an IRC server.
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