IRC over TLS
What is Port 6697?
Port 6697 is the standard port for IRC over TLS (encrypted IRC), officially recommended by most IRC networks for secure client connections. While IRC has traditionally operated on unencrypted ports (6660-6669), the adoption of TLS encryption on port 6697 protects message content, authentication credentials, and user metadata from network eavesdropping. Most major IRC networks including Libera.Chat, OFTC, and Freenode's successors require or strongly encourage TLS connections. Modern IRC clients typically support TLS and many default to port 6697 when TLS is enabled. The encryption protects not just message content but also nicknames, channel lists, and other metadata that would otherwise be visible to network observers.
Common Uses
- Encrypted IRC client connections
- Secure developer community communication
- Privacy-conscious IRC usage
- Bot and automation with encrypted channels
Technical Details
Copy-paste commands to check port 6697 (IRC over TLS) from your terminal
Test connectivity
nc -zv example.com 6697
curl -v --max-time 5 http://example.com:6697/
telnet example.com 6697
nmap -p 6697 -sV example.com
(echo > /dev/tcp/example.com/6697) 2>/dev/null && echo "open" || echo "closed"
Open port in firewall
sudo ufw allow 6697/tcp
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 6697 -j ACCEPT
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=6697/tcp && sudo firewall-cmd --reload
Security Considerations
Port 6697 with TLS provides confidentiality for IRC communications. Verify server certificates to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Use SASL authentication for secure login. Even with TLS, IRC messages are visible to server operators. For truly private communication, use end-to-end encrypted messaging systems.
Popular Ports Reference
The most commonly used and referenced network ports