NOTE: There is a new and more updated IRC #SWL Help page on Tom Sundstrom's Web Site.

Click here to go to this updated page and remember to bookmark it.

Instructions on how to connect to the IRC channel #swl. Dave Kirby and Tom Sundstrom constructed this page to help those who asking "How do I get onto the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and join others participating in the IRC channel #swl?"

This page's purpose is to supplement, not replace, the FAQs and other material supplied by IRC software authors and writers of the IRC software manuals. The focus of this page is to help you connected to the group of SWLs that is especially during the North American evening hours and any time on weekends.

Please read this entire FAQ. Do you still have a question? Write and ask.

Where do I get software?

For Windows 3.1/95/98/NT, we recommend the mIRC software available from the mIRC Home Page. Be sure to download and read the various help and FAQ files as well. Follow the directions to install the mIRC software.

Beware that C|Net was not aware that Visual IRC, one of the recommended clients (and free), is now looking to survive by making its source code open; the original author has opted to move on to other things and a user contigency is attempting to make a go of it. Still, it may be worth a look.

But, back to the mIRC instructions...

Customize the mIRC software setup.

Start the mIRC program and open the pulldown menu "File".
Click on "Setup".
Select the "Identd" tab.Click on the "Enable Identd server" checkbox.
Click on "OK" to save the change.

Get connected to a StarChat IRC server.

Start the program and open the pulldown menu "File".
Click on "Setup".
Select the "IRC Servers" tab.
Highlight from the alphabetical list of servers a StarChat server.
Click on the "OK" button.

Can't connect to the chosen server? See below.

You need only do this once to select an IRC server. Thereafter, unless you change servers,

Start the mIRC program. The "mIRC Setup" dialog box opens by default.
Click on "Connect"

Join the "swl" channel. In the popup menu "mIRC Channels Folder", enter #swl and click on "Join".

(Add the #swl channel to the list so you don't have to retype this each time.)

Congratulations. If you have connected to the #swl channel during the ANARC SWL Net you should see 10-30 participants in the right hand window.

If the connection is not made...

A connection may fail due to the number of users connected to a port. Depending upon the IRC server chosen, result messages may state "Connection refused" or "You are not authorized to use this server".

Reopen the pulldown menu "File".
Click on "Setup".
Highlight a different StarChat server.
Click on "Connect".
If the connection is made, join the #swl channel as described above.

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