I've got a few questions here for everyone.. Not something I am looking at starting now, just getting information for the future.

1. What hosts/networks support dedicated servers that you can install serveral ircds on?

2. What OS is best for an ircd server?

3. I've been running single ircd servers for a long time, but never a big network of them. Any information on the net that talks about this.

4. What ircd software is the best? I've always used Unreal but I am start to have my doubts..

5. Any information on running an ircd server (not like an Unreal ircd server, but a server that hosts ircds)

I'm sure I will have a few more questions soon... :D

-Woody

1. What hosts/networks support dedicated servers that you can install serveral ircds on? - Well if you have a dedicated server, why wouldn't you be able to install an IRCd on it? Not really sure of the question

2. What OS is best for an ircd server? FreeBSD 4.x

3. I've been running single ircd servers for a long time, but never a big network of them. Any information on the net that talks about this. Again what do you mean? like dal.net? efnet?

4. What ircd software is the best? I've always used Unreal but I am start to have my doubts.. Unreal3.x is very good, but alot of customers feel it is very full of stuff they don't need. "bahamut" is becoming bigger.. (the IRCd programed by dal.net) but it doesn't have as much stuff as Unreal does..) Those two seem to be the most popular..

5. Any information on running an ircd server (not like an Unreal ircd server, but a server that hosts ircds) Use FreeBSD4.X and be ready to get DoSed.. I have found that 90% of all "shell" providers that offer IRCd accounts, tend to charge alot more due to amount of dosing that CAN be involed. Any "script kiddie" can dos.. *sigh*.. Also if a user links his/her to an IRC Network that is very big into "WaReZ" this can EAT bandwidth very quicky. It isn't becuase of the "file sharing", it is due to all the TEXT that is pasted into all the channels.

1) Not sure, what he means TuxVSP is that some ISP's dont like IRC protocol based applications running over there network (attracts script kiddes!?).

2) FreeBSD / NetBSD - Linux will do for a small server (RH 7.1 works for me)

3) Networks can be hard to set up, but its simply a matter of reading the docs - two things: NEVER mix diff IRCd's in a network, and: ALLWAYS check your conenction linesbefore you try a connection (see the documentation)

4) I find IRCu to be alot more stable than unreal.

5) Never make people Operators (IRCops) unless you trust them totally...

Alot of hosts, even dedicated providers ban IRCD scripts/programs. They generally cause the network/server to attract DoS attacks.