IRCCloud Users to Require Registration
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Hey, chat. You may have been aware that we have endeavored to curb and eliminate the prevalence of malicious users, such as spammers, scammers, and ban evaders. As part of these efforts, we will be making a moderate change which will affect IRCCloud users in LC. This may require action on your part if you connect to LC with IRCCloud. Please read below.
Starting on the 5th of October, 2025, SASL authentication will be required for all IRCCloud users connecting to LewdChat.
What is SASL?
SASL means Simple Authentication and Security Layer and is a standard internet protocol that provides a framework for authentication and optional security services for client-server applications.
Practically speaking, though, SASL authentication is when you identify as part of the connecting process, called the handshake, rather than sending a message to NickServ after the handshake has completed. This means that you're in your account basically before you're fully connected.
This probably wasn't interesting knowledge, but the LC IRC server will require this for connecting IRCCloud users in about a month from now (now being 04/09/2025), and that might not come without implications for you. So, let's talk about it.
What does this mean for you? Well, if you use IRCCloud to connect to LC:
- You will still be allowed to connect.
- You will need to have already registered with NickServ.
- You will have to ensure certain connection settings are set. (more below)
- You do not need to upgrade your IRCCloud account to use SASL authentication.
If you're unsure of how to set your connection for SASL authentication, we found this brief how-to page which can help explain it to you, but I have also prepared a little how-to article with pictures in order to help explain and illustrate it to you. (see below)
If you aren't already a registered user, you can register in the chat with NickServ. Run the command,
/msg NickServ help register, to get started. If you're seeing this after the change has already been implemented (05/10/2025), you will have to connect to the chat with another IRC client to do this, such as the LC webchats (kiwi or the lounge). You can also register using the services portal.This change only affects LC users connecting with IRCCloud and not any other users.
If needed, please see the guide below on how to set your IRCCloud connection for SASL authentication so that you're able to connect. There is also a fair chance that you might not need to do anything, depending on how you have already configured your connection to LC.
How to configure your IRCCloud connection for use of SASL authentication.
Basically, what you're going to have to do is edit the connection to include your NickServ password and make sure that your nickname is set to a nickname that is already part of your NickServ account. If you have already done this, you don't need to do anything. If you haven't done this, you will need to follow the steps below.
Step 1: Open the server profile.
In IRCCloud, find the server window tab.
Here is where it will be on the web/desktop version. In the channel list sidebar on the right of the page.
If you hover your cursor over the server window tab, a cogwheel
️ will appear.
You can click on the cogwheel to open a small menu. Click "Edit..."
Alternatively, you can go to the server window by just clicking the server window tab. At the top, you will find a button that says "Edit" that, when you click, you will get to the same menu.
On the mobile version, open the IRCCloud app and navigate to the channel list sidebar by pressing the 3 stacked bars on the top left of the app.
Long-press the server window tab in the channel list sidebar. Another menu will appear as a pop-up prompt.
Press "Edit Connection..." in this menu once it appears.
Following these steps will bring you to the server profile.
Step 2: Edit the server profile to include your NickServ account authentication credentials.
Something to note for this step is that you're going to have to connect with a name that is grouped to your account. You don't have to stay in that name, once connected, and SASL authentication doesn't conventionally work this way, but the way SASL authentication works in IRCCloud just involves doing it this way.
At this phase, you should edit your nickname to be a nickname that is part of your NickServ account. Add a password in the "NickServ password" field under "Advanced Options."
In the web/desktop version, here is how this will look: (you may have to click "Advanced Options" in order to see the "NickServ password" field)
Here is how this will look in the mobile IRCCloud app:
While we are here, if you aren't already configured to connect using SSL, we strongly advise that you do enable SSL and change the port to
6697. Using SSL means that your communications are encrypted and secure from outside actors trying to intervene and get sensitive or exploitable information by intercepting your connection and listening to data transmissions to and from you, LewdChat, and/or IRCCloud. If you don't use SSL, then your connection from IRCCloud to LewdChat is plain, which means that everything that gets listened to is received as clearly as you see it when you read and write it, including passwords, nudes, roleplays, confessions, and gossip. Most of everything else on the internet already uses SSL, some things require SSL. LC doesn't require SSL, but you should strongly at least consider using SSL here if you don't already use SSL here.Anyway, when you finish putting in this information, click "Save." "Save" is located at the bottom of this prompt in the web/desktop version and at the top in the mobile app. This completes this step.
Step 3: Connect (or re-connect) to LC
If you were already connected to LC when you made these changes, you might automatically be re-connecting. If this didn't happen, you can re-connect manually.
When you are re-connected, check in the server window for these signs that you have connected with successful SASL authentication. The server will tell you outright, but there are some other things that we can look for, such as:
- The server message telling you that SASL authentication was successful.
- When you are connected, you will find user mode +r has been set on you.
- If you have a vHost, it will have applied right away at the end of the handshake. The server and HostServ will tell you your host was set.
- The server will tell you who you are logged in as.
On the web/desktop version, it will look like this:
In the mobile IRCCloud app, it will look like this:
If you're seeing this, this is how you will know that you have successfully authenticated with SASL.
I hope that this tutorial was helpful.
Again, this will be required in about a month from now (04/09/2025), so make sure you have set this properly. If it is not set properly and you do not successfully authenticate using SASL while connecting, your connection will be rejected if you are using IRCCloud. If you are not a registered user, you may become one by connecting with a different IRC client, such as the webchats (kiwi or the lounge) at the website, and typing
/msg NickServ help register, to get started. You can also visit the services portal and click "Register" to create an account. This will be required for IRCCloud users, so you will have to register or choose a different method of connection if you would like to keep visiting LC.If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Thank you. Be well. Happy Chatting.
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Some registered users may already be using SASL Authentication, which they can find by jumping to Step 3 and looking at the last server message received
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@DorisTheWANimal said in IRCCloud Users to Require Registration:
g)While we are here, if you aren't already configured to connect using SSL, we strongly advise that you do enable SSL and change the port to
6697.That's very good advice, unfortunately the TLS certificate has expired.
Probably the certbot service isn't running. In order for TLS to be truly secure, this needs to be done, otherwise the server can be impersonated easily.
