A beginner's guide to mIRC

IRC is a great, if not the best way to chat live with other people, but not enough people actually want to try it out as it seems like a somewhat complicated process to get started compared to messengers like AIM, ICQ or MSN. The truth is that it's very easy once you get started. This tutorial will guide you through a few simple things about mIRC when it comes to connecting to any server you like. If you have used mIRC before, you can still read this guide to see if you have missed any of the most important basics of connecting to a server and joining a channel.


1: First off, start by downloading the program itself from www.mirc.com, or click any of the links below for direct downloads:

http://mirc.ircadmin.net/mirc603.exe
http://www.ctech.ca/mirc/mirc603.exe
ftp://mirc.fredmoses.com/pub/mirc/mirc603.exe
ftp://ftp.freenet.de/pub/mirc.com/mirc603.exe


2: Run the installation after downloading it, and start the mirc.exe program file itself, either from the directory where you installed mIRC, or via your desktop icon in case you decided to let the installation create one for you. If you've failed miserably in your quest to find the program, check your start menu instead.


3: After you have started mIRC, you should see a small panel like the image directly below this text. If you can't see it, try pressing alt+o to open it up. Fill out the info outlined in orange:




4: Click the Add button in the top right part of the same panel you used to fill your information in. A new panel (or popup, window, whatever you want to call it) will appear. Simply fill out a description for your server and an actual URL to the server. The Zelaron IRC network will be used for the example below:


Also, remember to click the Add button in this window as well, after you have filled out the information. Leave the Port, Group and Password fields alone for now, as they're not neccesary to bother with.


5: Now, make sure that the description for your server has been selected from the list, and then click the Connect to IRC Server button to connect to the server:




6: After connecting, your Status window will be flooded with server welcome messages, and a panel that lists a few channels might pop up. Type #zelaron in the only field where you can type and hit enter to join the channel. If you have disabled the box, or simply closed it, you can join the channel manually by typing /join #zelaron, or an even shorter way; /J zelaron.


7: Congratulations! You're now an official IRC hog. Have fun, and enjoy your stay in #zelaron, if that's the channel you're planning to visit. There are vast amounts of IRC servers and channels, but you'll learn to find exactly what you're looking for in time.