How to Open your own room

[Jake]

Hi all

Sometimes people who come into chat may want to start their own private room, where perhaps they can bring their friends but they may not know how to do this or set their own room settings, This is a brief tutorial to show you the basics of setting up your own room

(Note - Ensure your nickname is "registered" before going through this process)

1. Check the list

The first thing you need to do is do a quick check of the rooms already in use on the Network. As at 16th April 2025 the Network is holding 60 private rooms, some are owned by the Network and are for public use, but most are owned by private users. I have done 2 examples of how to check the latest list. If you are on an IRC Client like Mirc type /list and a full list of the rooms will open up in a new window on your script, you can see this is List01 picture enclosed on this post. If you are on the webchat again type /list and a new window will open as you can see on the List02 picture on the post, in the left panel you will see that #chat is on another tab, to go back to #chat by clicking the tab

2. Naming your room

Next step is what name you want to use for your room ensuring that it is not already on the list, so lets use #chatfun as an example

3. Listing your room

Then simply type /join #chatfun in your window, you will find yourself Oped in a new window called #chatfun and room modes +nt will have automatically set in your room

4. Registering the room

It is NOT a requirement to do this but speaking from a personal point of view I recommend it and that is to register the room, this makes you the room "Founder" and you will immediately get +q mode. The command to do this is /cs REGISTER #chatfun (Place password here) , ensure you note your password down. You will also notice that when you complete this command your find that Chanserv automatically joins your room, chanserv act as a room "Guard" as part of the room protection

5. Protecting your channel

So, this is important, you now need to make some of your own setting before you start inviting any people/friends in, here are some options

/mode +s - Makes your room invisible to users on the outside (except to Admin)
/mode +i - Makes it Invite ONLY, of course you can add users who can join without having to be invited, more about that later
/mode +R - allows registered nicks ONLY
/mode +G - Filters out bad words
/mode +p - Makes your room private

(Note - Admin can see ALL Private rooms on the network which is required to ensure there is no abuse of the ToS, for example - loading a room with Bots. Admin will NOT enter private rooms unless an owner asks for help, for example - room flooding OR if there is a notification that illegal activity is taking place in which they have the access to close rooms)

There are a lot to list but to help you go here
https://www.unrealircd.org/docs/Channel_modes

or type /HELPOP CHMODES

6. Setting things up through Chanserv and Nickserv

Before you decide to open ANY room try to ensure you know the basic chanserv and Nickserv commands, you will need these if you are going to add users for certain levels of access like +o or +& (Moderator or AOP), Also setting your room topic and indeed your room entry message which users will see as they enter your room.

You can find lots of info here

https://www.geekshed.net/commands/chanserv/
https://www.geekshed.net/commands/nickserv/

What you have read above is really the basics of setting up your own private room, it isn't as complicated as you think quite a few users love to have their own rooms for them and their friends.

Finally - What NOT to use a private room for

Remember, any Admin can check private rooms if there are reports or suspicions of activity which is against the servers Terms Of Service, some examples are

1. Rooms containing just bots which maybe floodbots
2. Illegal activities such as using a room for the grooming of minors
3. Scamming users

It's important to note that these sort of rooms will be closed by Admin and in certain cases the owners reported to the appropriate authorities

This is an OPEN thread, therefore if anyone has any questions they wish to ask please feel free to do so, I will try to reply within 48hrs to all queries, I now also have a private help room to cover most issues called #testing4fun which is invite ONLY, simply tag me online if you wish to go through anything in there and I will invite you in (if I am active of course)


(Pictures enclosed are examples of the /list command explained above for both Irc Clients and our Webpage)