This article is part of the introduction to our series on XDCC / IRC downloading. If you already know the basics, feel free to click through to one of the other parts:

× Before you download: All your downloads can still be tracked, and you risk getting into trouble if you don’t use anonymization. Getting sued will cost you thousands of dollars, using a good anonymizer costs less than a meal at McDonalds. Click here All your downloads can still be tracked, and you risk getting into trouble if you don’t use anonymization.to get your VPN today. Setup will just take a few minutes and you’ll be completely anonymous instantly. .

Introduction: XDCC Downloading For Beginners

How To Get Started With XDCC

Part 1: How To Configure mIRC For XDCC Downloading

Part 2: How To Download With mIRC

Part 3: Troubleshooting

Relatively high speeds, plenty of content, and at least a moderate level of privacy, that’s IRC / XDCC downloading. Together with Usenet, it goes way into the earlier years of the Internet, when torrents were unheard of and people were still sharing files on AOL mailboxes and FXP servers… do I hear the old romantics indulge in nostalgy?

Now, combine the “old days” technology with modern, broadband Internet connection, and this is what you get:

Yes, this seemingly outfashioned channel of distribution is still alive and kicking: We proudly present you an XDCC download, a chat based heaven for downloaders.

What exactly is it? IRC is a common chat protocol and network, consisting of thousands of servers, each hosting a number of chat rooms about everything you can imagine. Many companies and websites use this network, and you can talk about almost anything, from Anime and general shit chat to support for programers and operating systems.

Very similar to Usenet, there’re a number of chat rooms that are almost solely used for offering downloads to people all around the world. A number of bots, read servers with a special software installed on them to provide files, offer all kinds of content, from movies to music or software – whatever you can imagine. Whole dedicated teams regularly scan the Internet for new unprotected servers to hijack and use as new bots so that there never is a shortage.

Here are some of the advantages of loading files with an IRC / XDCC client:

Relatively easy to use, yet seemingly complicated enough to stay “under the radar”. Basically, you just download the popular chat software mIRC and change a few settings. Then, you go to a search engine (see below for a list) and search for the file you want. Click a few buttons and enter certain XDCC commands in the place you would usually write your chat message, and off you go! Sounds complicated and tedious? Nothing could be further from the truth, but because it looks this way, people are naturally deterred from it. No worries, this just means more downloading fun for you!

.



Basically, you just download the popular chat software mIRC and change a few settings. Then, you go to a search engine (see below for a list) and search for the file you want. Click a few buttons and enter certain XDCC commands in the place you would usually write your chat message, and off you go! Sounds complicated and tedious? Nothing could be further from the truth, but because it looks this way, people are naturally deterred from it. No worries, this just means more downloading fun for you! Fresh releases are almost always available

While older files are relatively rare on the network, you can always count on the hottest new stuff being online, be it TV shows or movies.

.

While older files are relatively rare on the network, you can always count on the hottest new stuff being online, be it TV shows or movies. High to extremely high speeds

Maxing out your Internet connection is often possible. Want to download a full movie in only a few minutes? Just look at the screenshot above – you can count on downloading speeds of several megabytes per second. Yes, that’s megabytes, not megabits!

.

Maxing out your Internet connection is often possible. Want to download a full movie in only a few minutes? Just look at the screenshot above – you can count on downloading speeds of several megabytes per second. Yes, that’s megabytes, not megabits! More privacy than file sharing networks

Instead of being connected to thousands of other people, only very few people can see that you actually downloaded something. Additionally, the network is not under as much surveillance as is the BitTorrent or eDonkey network – users are a little bit more protected.

.

× Before you download: All your downloads can still be tracked, and you risk getting into trouble if you don’t use anonymization. Getting sued will cost you thousands of dollars, using a good anonymizer costs less than a meal at McDonalds. Click here All your downloads can still be tracked, and you risk getting into trouble if you don’t use anonymization.to get your VPN today. Setup will just take a few minutes and you’ll be completely anonymous instantly. .

Instead of being connected to thousands of other people, only very few people can see that you actually downloaded something. Additionally, the network is not under as much surveillance as is the BitTorrent or eDonkey network – users are a little bit more protected. Totally free

Where else can you get fullspeed downloads for free? IRC is free, chances are you won’t even see any annying ads.

.

Where else can you get fullspeed downloads for free? IRC is free, chances are you won’t even see any annying ads. … oh and it makes you look really cool!

Virtually everyone seeing you do this will think of you as some kind of super hacker… add a nice pair of glasses and you’ll look like one of those NSA computer experts.

Continue to the next part of this series:

How to get started with XDCC

Other parts of this series:



Introduction: XDCC Downloading For Beginners

How To Get Started With XDCC

Part 1: How To Configure mIRC For XDCC Downloading

Part 2: How To Download With mIRC

Part 3: Troubleshooting