US Cable Support > Inside Insight > [Connectivity] Can't connect to IRC (blocked ports??)

[Connectivity] Can't connect to IRC (blocked ports??)

That's interesting. I too have been unable to connect to IRC. I had thought it a problem on my end though since I just had a computer go down and was forced to buy a new one.

I've been trying everything possible to get IRC up and going but have been met with nothing but failure.

The thing is, I've tried using all sorts of ports in order to connect. If Insight *is* blocking some ports, you would think that it would just be the basic 6667-6670 range.

Regardless, you are not alone. I too have been having difficulties with IRC.

If you are an insight customer...call insight and upgrade to the 20.0 and see if the problem goes away.

Insight is trying to tell me that the ip address I had with the 10.0 service must have been blocked by the IRC servers...my reply was "every server in the world?".

I guess I forgot to mention that earlier today I upgraded to the 20.0 service and I was immediately *while they were on the phone* able to connect to IRC using Mirc with no problems.

I am going to try and call tomorrow to have them knock me back to 10.0 to see if the irc problem is back.

When I asked them about differences in 10.0 and 20.0 they said there were none.

Sorry for the double posting.

reply to JoeFromCincy
I have 10.0, if you don't mind sharing the server you're trying to connect to (or at least, one you're able to successfully connect to), I can try some tests when I get home in a bit to try and confirm where the packets are falling into the bit bucket on this.

On 10.0 I would not be able to connect to any at all..

I am not that familiar with IRC other than I click a button on some websites and I am able to chat with folks...

But just a random server I can connect to:

irc.efnet.info (6667)

10 minutes before them upgrading to 20.0 I could not connect to any servers at all..and I had tried bypassing my router...reloading computers...etc..etc..

I guess I'm being whiney and angry about this because insight's tech support told me I had a virus and then they tried to tell me it was my router.

reply to JoeFromCincy
Insight's front-line tech support, like most tech support, is probably reading from a script and don't know what IRC or a port even are... I wouldn't hold it against them too much -- they're just trying to do their job (which is to follow the scripts they have to work with).

All that being said, I haven't even needed to do any tests, from my 10.0 service here I was just able to successfully connect to the address and port you provided. It is possible that the block of addresses you happened to be a part of was blocked by the server. Generally with IRC you'd receive a message as such because while you're still able to get traffic to the server on a network level, the chat server software chooses to disconnect you based upon the address you connected from. It is possible however that they drop packets from those specific addresses entirely which would manifest as an inability to connect.

Without being able to do a tcp trace from an affected address to a specific destination, there's not much testing that can be done to isolate where the packets are getting lost. If it were a block against a specific host or block of hosts, the 20.0 service uses a different block and your IP address would have changed, effectively circumventing that block (whether it was targeted at you or not).

I called in just now and they downgraded me and the guy gave me a different ip address and it is working.

yea I would have expected a "you've been banned" or "ip banned"...I dunno..its really not that important other than it was broken and I am in a bad mood because the minute I wanted to use it I couldn't.

I wasn't necessarily trying to connect to a specific server...just random ones all week...and getting the same "software disconnect" error.

thank you for the explanation and help!

reply to JoeFromCincy
Fascinating, shortly after this post was made, IRC access suddenly started working again and worked for nearly a week... then suddenly this evening, no access again...

Is anybody from Insight out there listening? Please open access to IRC again...

my irc has been blocked as well. I've tried several different applications, jirc (java web apps), and even updated my router firmware. it started being blocked around the beginning of august near as I can tell.
The error I'm getting is software connection caused abort - from mirc. Web apps and xchat get the connection reset by peer error. It has to be insight.

reply to JoeFromCincy
I'm also having the issue. I'm on 20.0 in evansville, in.

reply to JoeFromCincy
I called and chatted with their tech support today, and directed them towards this thread to show that it wasn't just me having the problem. He said he would open an issue with their network services people, so hopefully that'll get the issue looked into.

reply to Damon85

C:\>telnet 212.48.121.72 6667
 
:Germany.EnterTheGame.Com NOTICE AUTH :*** Looking up your hostname...
:Germany.EnterTheGame.Com NOTICE AUTH :*** Found your hostname, cached
ERROR :Closing Link: 0.0.0.0 (Ping timeout)
 
Connection to host lost.
 
C:\>
 

reply to JoeFromCincy
I am experiencing the same issue. I must say this is extremely disturbing.. why are they forcefully resetting all IRC connections? I'm now only able to connect through SSL relays

reply to JoeFromCincy
I think maybe Mr. Wilner should weigh in here and exlain why this is happening under his watch? A great number of his PAYING customers use IRC to communicate

reply to JoeFromCincy
I'm sorry some of you are having problems connecting to IRC chat using Insight Broadband. We are aware of the problem and may have a solution, but unfortunately the intermittent IRC chat access problem will likely persist for a few days until this is ascertained and implemented. There is no need to either upgrade or downgrade service over this; we do not target IRC chat or any other specific protocol for blocking. I will post an update when I have more specific news to share. Thank you for your patience.

Paul Meltzer
SVP Product Management
Insight Communications

reply to Paul Meltzer
As of 4:10pm on 8/5/2009 I am again unable to connect to irc.

reply to JoeFromCincy
At this point we are confident that the system adjustments we intend to make will relieve the intermittent IRC chat access issue some of you have been experiencing, without causing any negative effects. The maintenance is scheduled for the early morning hours this Wednesday (September 9).

Thank you to the BBR community for bringing this to our attention. And thank you again for your patience as we address the issue.

Paul Meltzer
SVP Product Management
Insight Communications