# IRC Recommendations **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 28, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661 "2013-02-28T20:44:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/1 "2013-02-28T20:44:16Z")
I’ve been out of the loop on IRC for a few years, and have had some recent inklings of checking it out again. So I have two questions for the SDMB : Are there any really good stand-alone IRC clients that are free? (I used mIRC back in the day, but it was not technically ‘free’.) Which IRC servers actually still see a decent level of traffic? I’d probably be most interested in trivia channels and possibly roleplaying channels., if that helps narrow it down. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/2 "2013-02-28T22:45:23Z")
On the rare occasion I need to use IRC, I use HydraIRC. It’s free, open source and perfectly decent. I’ve no idea which servers offer a lot of general traffic - my use is just stuff to do with another forum. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/3 "2013-03-01T14:38:29Z")
I’ll check it out. Does it allow windowed management of multiple channels at once? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/4 "2013-03-01T18:01:14Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > I’ll check it out. Does it allow windowed management of multiple channels at once? Yes. Edit: Actually I’ll modify my “Yes”. It allows tabbed management, not sure if it does separate windows. It’s easy to have multiple channels open though. ---
**Author:** ![HardlySanguine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HardlySanguine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HardlySanguine)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/5 "2013-03-02T23:27:42Z")
I use ChatZilla (not stand-alone) and mIRC. The favorite amongst friends seems to be KVIrc. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/6 "2013-03-04T14:25:12Z")
I have downloaded - but not yet installed - HydraIRC. I’ve used ChatZilla in the past and did not care for it; and mIRC is fine, I just wanted something a little more recent than the ancient copy I’ve been using, and I suspect mIRC has gotten a little better about preventing long-term free use in the intervening years. Never heard of KVIRC, may look into it if Hydra doesn’t pan out. So as to part B of my post - any lively server networks for trivia / roleplaying? EFNet? DALNet? Undernet? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/7 "2013-03-06T01:27:26Z")
It doesn’t matter what networks are the most active in general; what matters is what particular channels are the most active. Try: > **[IRC Chat Rooms - Search](https://netsplit.de/channels/)** > > Search chat rooms (IRC channels) within the Internet Relay Chat and get informed about their users and topics! and search for trivia, roleplaying, etc so you find channels like trivia-world on Dalnet or trivia on Efnet ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/8 "2013-03-06T15:23:32Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > It doesn’t matter what networks are the most active in general; what matters is what particular channels are the most active. Try: > [IRC Chat Rooms - Search](http://irc.netsplit.de/channels/) > and search for trivia, roleplaying, etc > > so you find channels like trivia-world on Dalnet or > trivia on Efnet Eh. I’d like to have a very active network that spawns lots of different channels, rather than trying to target specific channels. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/9 "2013-03-06T19:19:36Z")
It looks like RP Channels are all but dead on EFNet, DALNet, and Undernet. I’ve spotted [Sorcery.Net](http://Sorcery.Net) and DarkMyst - I think I used to play on both of those. Anybody know any other good RP IRC networks? And I have decided to just go with mIRC - it’s what I know, and honestly? I can afford $20 to register it. ---
**Author:** ![Orionizer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orionizer/32/4442_2.png) [@Orionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orionizer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/10 "2013-03-06T19:50:00Z")
And the $20 is lifetime, to boot! ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/11 "2013-03-07T14:01:27Z")
Yeah, that’s what I noticed while I was poking around. I figure that’s fair. It also covers the software on three computers, if memory serves. ---
**Author:** ![Orionizer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orionizer/32/4442_2.png) [@Orionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orionizer)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irc-recommendations/651661/12 "2013-03-07T21:38:31Z")
Yes, I just checked the site. Per the “Register mIRC” link: **Question:** Can I use my registration on more than one computer? **Answer:** If you are a home user, yes, you can use your registration on up to three computers.