Vhosts
Vhosts, or "virtual hostnames", are a way of altering the hostname that is displayed when you join channels and in your "whois" information.
So rather than connecting from 12-34-56-78.some.isp.tld *, you appear to be connecting from something else of your choice.
People chose all kinds of different vhosts; some show their support for some sports team, some are designed to be amusing, others like to be cryptic or just plain weird!
How to get a Vhost
To obtain a vhost, you need to have registered your nickname with NickServ (and be identified/logged in as well). There are two ways of getting a vhost assigned to your nickname:
- Ask an IRC Operator directly
- However, we're not always around, so it's usually quicker to use the request function, below;
- Use the HostServ request function: /msg HostServ request your.fancy.vhost.here
- Once you've submitted your request, we will be notified and will approve (or reject) the request when we see it.
Notes
Vhosts:
- must have at least one period (dot) in them
- should be suitable for the channels you use
- cannot look like a private IP address, network- or staff-related domain name or localhost
- 192.168.x.x, localhost.localdomain, etc
- can, but do not have to, replace your ident as well as your hostname
* By default, the last two sections of your hostname are "cloaked" when you connect, to prevent people obtaining your exact IP address. The above address would actually show as something like "J3di-A9B8C7D6.isp.tld".