Can I Have My Own Channel?
What is the Ping? Pong! I sometimes see in my status window?
Why do people get upset if I use capital letters LIKE THIS all the time?
Why is no one talking?
Can I run my own bot?
What is a bot?
Do you support IPv6?
By default, you will be able to hold up to 5 connections per /48 subnet, which is the normal subnet mask the ISP should have given you.
If that is not the case and your ISP has given you a different subnet mask, please join #help stating this problem, your IP address, subnet mask and ISP. The staff will make an exception for this specific ISP.
How do I register my nickname?
How do I login to X with my username?
To hide your hostname/IP address, see below.
Note that you must log in with your username at least once every 60 days or the username will be deleted.
Also note that the only way to logout is to /quit and reconnect, and you may not be logged in from more than one nickname at a time.
How can I hide my real IP address/hostname?
To do this, you must first be logged into X, then type: /mode your_nickname +x
For example, if your nickname were "jingle" you would type: /mode jingle +x
Note that this change is only "temporary." If you are disconnected from NationCHAT, or if you /quit, you will need to login again and re-use this command.
What are IRC Operators?
Administrators are responsible for their servers, and they have a bunch of IRC Operators working under them. Both appear to users as IRC Operators.
IRC Operators (often referred to as 'opers' or 'ircops') are above normal users/staff members in such way that they have more power. They are on the network to ensure the stability of the network and to help users with problems that regular staff members can't help with.
It is generally a bad idea to argue with an IRC Operator.
What is the meaning of +r?
If you're an operator, and you want a non-registered user to join your channel, you can "override" this mode with the /invite command: /invite nickname #channel
Also, if you're an operator in the channel, you can unset this mode with: /mode #channel –r
How do I register my channel?
In order to register your channel to receive the channel service bot X, visit the Services site, log in with your username and password, then click on "Register A Channel" or use /msg X register #channelname on irc.
The channel registration process is instant.
For more information, read the Services acceptable use policy.
How do I find an IRC Operator?
Where the first 0 is numeric "zero". If there are any visible IRC Operators online, a list of them is printed, and those with an "H" by their nick are "here", that is, not away.
Once you've found one that is marked as "here", politely message them and explain your problem, then wait patiently for an answer. Remember that IRC Operators volunteer their time to make NationCHAT a better place! Be courteous!
Message an IRC Operator only if you have real problems such as takeovers or abuse. For general problems, ask in #help.
You may also type /motd and read the text in your status window; often the server admin will list channels in their motd where you can find IRC Operator assistance.
My username got suspended. What do I do?
While it usually takes only 24 hours or so to receive a response, you may have to wait as long as 3-5 days for an answer.
You can join #help the official channel of username registration help, for more information.
I cannot send files or DCC chats. How do I fix this?
1. In the File menu, select Options.
2. Under the Connect item, select Local Info
3. Clear the text in the boxes marked Local Host and IP Address
4. Check the box Local Host under On connect, always get
5. Check the box marked Server under Lookup method
6. Disconnect, then connect to IRC again
If you use Windows XP, try to disable your XP firewall (or any other firewalls that you might have installed on your PC) for the moment, send, and then reactivate the firewall.
To disable your Windows XP firewall, do the following:
7. Right click My Network Places
8. Select Properties
9. Right click the connection you're using
10. Select Properties
11. Select Advanced tab
12. UN-check Internet Connection Firewall
If you use a router, open a range of ports in your router, for example 5000-5009, then change the default mIRC DCC port in View / Connect / Options / Advanced to the same numbers. You should consult the documentation for your router for more information on this.
What do those symbols before channels in a WHOIS mean?
@#channel (the user has operator status in the channel)
+#channel (the user has voice status in the channel)
<#channel (the user is invisible in a channel with channel mode +D or +d set)
-#channel (the user has user mode +d (deaf) set, and won't receive channel messages)
Why do I receive “Cannot send to channel”?
- The channel may be moderated (channel mode +m) and you are not voiced/opped.
- You may be banned on the channel and you don't have voice/op status.
- You may not even be on the channel.
People are join/part flooding my channel
If this does not stop the attack, try setting +i for a short time by using /MODE #channel +i
Remember to deactivate +i or +r when the attack has stopped, else you will prevent some users from joining your channel.
If you cannot stop the attack yourself after trying the possible methods above, come to #help and report the problem.
What do those quit messages mean?
This quit message shows that you attempted to send too much data to the IRC server, in too short a time period, and the server thought you were attempting to flood it. A good way to prevent this is to enable flood protection in your IRC client. mIRC users may click File -> Options -> IRC -> Flood, and then check Enable flood protection. The default values should be sufficient for most users.
Max sendQ exceeded
This quit message occurs when you failed to receive the data from the server quick enough, in other words the IRC server tried to send you too much data and closed the connection. This is often caused if you perform a LIST of all IRC channels on NationCHAT, or if you execute a WHO query on a large channel. If you have a poor internet connection you may find yourself getting disconnected with this reason.
Ping timeout
All IRC servers periodically send what is known as a PING request, to check that the client connection is still alive. The IRC client has to respond to this request within a certain time period, or the connection is deemed to no longer be alive and is closed (with this quit message). If you find yourself getting a lot of Ping timeout errors you may need to try a different (preferably closer) NationCHAT server; see here for a complete listing of public servers.
Connection reset by peer
This quit message is caused when the IRC client closes the connection to the server uncleanly, and the server doesn't realise the connection has been terminated. This leaves behind what is known as a ghost user, which gives the appearance that the client is still connected, even though it isn't. When the server attempts to send data to the client, it realises the connection no longer exists and it is reset. This causes the termination of the ghost user, with the aforementioned quit messsage.
Read error: EOF from client
This quit message is displayed when the client terminated the connection to the IRC server prematurely, and the server expected more data. This is often caused if the IRC client software crashes or exits suddenly, when it doesn't have the chance to close the connection gracefully.
Write error, closing link
This quit message means that the IRC server, for some reason or another, failed to send data to the client. Due to this the client was disconnected.
Broken pipe
This quit message is caused when there is a sudden break in the connection between the IRC server and client. This can occur for many different reasons, but is generally due to the volatile nature of the internet.
*.net *.split
This quit message shows that the user was on a server that split from the rest of the IRC network, known as a net split. When the servers reconnect, the user will rejoin all channels he/she was in and the server will also give that user voice or operator status as necessary.
Nick collision
This quit message is caused when two or more users change to the same nickname at the same time. Obviously only one person can have a nickname at any time, so the server disconnects the users.
Older nick overruled
This quit message is only seen after a netsplit, when servers reconnect to each other. If you changed nick during a netsplit, and a user on a server that split already had the nickname, then you will be disconnected to allow the older user to continue with that nickname.
G-lined
This quit message is displayed when a user is banned from the entire IRC network, for various reasons. NationCHAT always sends the G-Line reason, if you can't see it you should check your IRC client may be hiding it. The Network Policy provides a section explaining the reasons for disconnection or banning from the network.
K-lined
This quit message is displayed when a user is banned from a particular IRC server, for various reasons. As for G-lines, NationCHAT always sends the K-line reason. On NationCHAT, K-lines and G-lines are effectively the same thing.
Killed (*.nationchat.org (reason))
This quit message is displayed when a user is forceably disconnected from the IRC network. The reason is displayed in the quit message. Two of the less obvious automatic kill messages are:
* * You are violating network rules.
What is a G/K-line?
Some scripts, bots and bouncers hide this reason, but the reason is always sent. It's really up to your client/script/whatever if you ever see it or not.
The difference between a G-line and a K-line is that a G-line is network-wide and a K-line is for one server. So if you're K-lined, you can use some other server to connect to NationCHAT.
Please don't join #help asking for reasons or expiry times as they won't provide you with that info anyway.
Someone took over my channel. What do I do?
See question 4 for information on how to find an IRC Operator.
Please bear in mind that there are only a few IRC Operators on NationCHAT, and usually they're very busy taking care of the network, so please, be patient. Nagging them will NOT get you helped any faster!
Can I use my Yahoo! Mail address to create a username?
Your email address will only be used to send you information regarding your account – for example for recovering a lost password – and never for unsolicited advertising or spam.
I got G:lined with the “excessive connections” message. Why? And what can I do about it?
Depending on what server you're using, more than 2 simultaneous connections from the same host or IP address may be regarded as abuse. Often, the reason for this is the use of a bnc or shell that is shared among several users.
Once the limit is reached, the host is automatically G:lined. This method is used to ensure the safety of the servers and to protect the users of NationCHAT from clones and floodbots.
This G:line usually lasts one hour, so there is no need for you to get impatient. Just be more careful next time!
If, after one hour, you are still banned, you can email help [at] nationchat.org for help. Explain your problem, and include the exact error message from the server along with your IP address or hostname. Remember that the NationCHAT staff is overworked and underpaid, but they will address your problem as quickly as they can. 🙂
How can I add/remove users from the X list?
To remove a user from your channel’s access list, use: /msg X remuser #channel username
Both commands require you to have an access level of 400 or more.
For further information about X commands, visit the Services documents page, and click "X commands".
Someone banned me! What can I do?
The most you can do is to ask a channel op to unban you. To do that, type /who #channel or /names #channel and /msg or /query one of the channel ops (their nick will be prefixed by an @ symbol), and politely ask them to unban you.
Note that if the channel is mode +s (secret), or the ops are usermode +i (invisible), you will not see their names displayed. In this case, you may choose to ask a friend to join and find out the names of the ops for you. However, that may result in both you and your friend being banned. #help cannot help to resolve these personal channel matters.
If the channel is registered, you have access there, and the ban level is lower than your access level, you can unban yourself with: /msg X unban #channel yournick
I need to join to 21 channels, but my server only allows 20. What can I do?
If you're sure you need all those channels, though, you'll have to reconnect to another server, one that allows more channels.
A list of all the servers on NationCHAT can be found at our servers list.
I’m trying to login to Services, but I get a “cookie” error. What’s that?
I am an operator in a registered channel, and my channel is +i or +k (invite-only or key required). How can I join?
An invitation to a channel takes precedence over channel modes +i, +k, +l, and even +b.
Someone is using my nickname. How do I get it back?
You can politely ask the person that is using the nick to change it, or wait for that person to disconnect.
To avoid this problem in the future, try choosing a unique nickname.
Some servers do not allow me to connect because of “identd”. What is this?
* identd request from newyork.nationchat.org
* identd replied: 1963, 6667 : USERID : UNIX : NationUSER
This is your IRC client responding to an ident request.
Some servers require that your computer respond to an ident request, and if the server doesn't receive a reply, it won't allow you to connect.
Problems with identd usually stem from two sources:
1. Your identd is turned off.
2. You're behind a firewall or NAT router.
In the first case, if you are using mIRC, just issue the following command: /identd on myusername
If you are not using mIRC, you should check your client documentation to determine whether or not it has an identd feature, and where it's located.
The second case is more difficult to resolve. You still need to have identd enabled, but you must also open TCP port 113 on your router or firewall. To do this, you will have to consult your router or firewall's documentation.
As a last result, you can try to find another NationCHAT server, one that doesn't require identd. For a list of NationCHAT servers, see our servers list.
How do I link my own server to NationCHAT?
Can I log into my username from two different hosts?
I just registered my username. When can I register a channel?