Connecting to CosmicIRC

Everything you need to join the network — from your browser, a desktop client, or your phone — plus a full command reference once you're in.

Connect instantly in your browser

No download, no account required to try it out. Open our web chat, pick a nickname, and you're talking to the network in seconds. It runs entirely in the browser, works on mobile, and is the fastest way to see what CosmicIRC is like before setting up a dedicated client.

Connect with a desktop or mobile client

For regular use, a native IRC client is worth the five minutes of setup — better notifications, logging, and multi-network support than any web client. Point it at:

• Server: irc.cosmicirc.com
• Port 6697 with TLS/SSL enabled (recommended for every connection)
• Port 6667 plain text (works, but avoid it outside trusted networks)

Registering your nickname & SASL

Once connected, register your nickname so nobody else can take it:

/msg NickServ REGISTER <password> <email>
/msg NickServ IDENTIFY <password>

After you've registered, set up SASL in your client so it authenticates automatically on every connect instead of you typing IDENTIFY each time — most modern clients (HexChat, WeeChat, irssi with the sasl module) support this natively under their network/server settings by entering your registered nickname and password as SASL credentials.

Staying connected with a bouncer

If you want to stay online and catch messages while your device is off, run your connection through a bouncer like ZNC. It sits between you and the network, stays connected around the clock, and replays anything you missed when you reconnect. Many members run a small ZNC instance on a low-cost VPS purely for this.

IRC command cheat sheet

Command	What it does
/join #channel	Join a channel
/part #channel	Leave a channel
/nick newnick	Change your nickname
/msg user text	Send a private message
/me does something	Send an action message
/whois user	Look up info about a user
/topic #channel text	Set a channel's topic (if you have access)
/msg NickServ HELP	List nickname-account commands
/msg ChanServ HELP	List channel-management commands
/quit reason	Disconnect from the network

Where to start

• #cosmic — general discussion, the network's main channel.
• #help — staffed by real volunteers if you get stuck.
• #services — help with NickServ/ChanServ accounts specifically.

Read the network rules before you dive in. And once you're settled, create a forum account and set up your Users Corner profile — friend list, memos, and nickname requests all live there.