To understand why you need proxies for Internet Relay Chat and where to find the best IRC proxies, you need to know more about IRC and proxy servers. So, let’s explore.
IRC or Internet Relay Chat is a 1980s instant messaging system developed for group chats in discussion rooms known as IRC channels. However, it also allows chat and data transfer, file sharing, and one-on-one communication via private messages.
IRC’s usage has been declining since 2003 due to the rise of countless modern communication platforms and the lack of upgrades that would provide IRC with new features. Even so, IRC is far from dead, even 33 years later. Everyone can find a channel that suits their interests, whether to contribute or get help on some topic.
IRC is implemented as an app layer protocol in order to provide text-based communication. It uses a client-server networking model, and users need a client program to use it. You can access it with these client programs, which are standard software clients you run on your PC. You can also find some online clients that work in a web browser. Either way, all clients need to connect to an IRC server to work.
You can easily find a client program for each major operating system or run one from your browser as long as you’re connected to the internet.
A proxy server is a device that communicates with websites and everything else on the internet on your behalf. In other words, it receives your web requests, processes them, and sends them to the destination website or service as if they are coming from a different device and location.
That’s because the proxy server has its own IP address and location, which are used when communicating with websites. That way, websites can’t see your real IP, location, or any other identifiable data.
The same happens with web responses. Proxy servers receive web responses and send them back to your device so you can finally see the content you asked for.
Reliable proxy service providers like IPRoyal offer millions of IP addresses from different locations, so you can choose whatever you want or need. That’s how you can appear as if you’re in another country when surfing the internet and accessing sites.
By keeping your IP and location anonymous, proxy servers protect your identity, data, and device from hackers and any type of cyber-attacks.
Most IRC users want to keep their IRC connection private, although it depends on who they are chatting with and what they are chatting about. As we already explained, proxy servers provide maximum online privacy. By hiding your IP address, they ensure other IRC users can’t see any of your personal information.
Connecting with your real IP address can reveal your location, name, internet service provider, browser type, type of browsing device, and other sensitive data. With this private data, anyone can easily find out your identity and where you are chatting from.
Since you cannot change your IP address provided by your ISP on your own, you need a proxy server to do that. A premium proxy will provide you with millions of different IP addresses worldwide. All you have to do is choose one and your personal information will be masked by that of the proxy you’re using, preserving your privacy.
However, you should know that some IRC servers have anti-proxy software that can easily detect you’re using a proxy and therefore block you. That’s why it’s crucial that you choose the right proxy server for IRC privacy.
Always stay away from free proxies. They’re available to everyone, so they’re slow, unreliable, and can compromise your sensitive data. What you need is a premium, reliable proxy provider that offers static residential proxies.
IPRoyal is a safe proxy provider, offering static residential proxies from real devices with ISP-provided IP addresses instead of proxy farms. This means that online servers see these proxies like any other regular visitor.
