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Stay online with a ZNC bouncer

Beginner · about 10 min read

A bouncer (BNC) stays connected to IRC for you. When your laptop sleeps or your home IP changes, the bouncer holds your nick, buffers highlights, and you reconnect to the bouncer instead of the IRC network.

ZNC is the most common bouncer software. IRCPlus offers a free ZNC service — details on the Free Bouncer page.

Why use one?

  • Keep your nickname and channel presence 24/7
  • Catch up on messages after offline periods
  • Connect from multiple clients (desktop + mobile) more easily

Typical client settings

After you receive ZNC credentials (username and password), add a server in your client:

Host:     VPS.IRCPlus.nl   (see Free Bouncer page for the current host)
Port:     2000
SSL/TLS:  yes (recommended)
Password: your_username:your_password

Exact host and port can change — always copy them from free-bouncer.php.

mIRC

  1. Alt+E → add a server
  2. Enable SSL for that port
  3. Put username:password in the server password field

HexChat / Linux

  1. Network list → Add → set host host/port
  2. Enable SSL
  3. Server password = username:password
Tip If you are connected to ZNC but not to the IRC network, message the ZNC status module (often /msg *status connect) — see the Free Bouncer page for network-specific commands.

Related: IRC Basics · WebChat