Internet Draft                                          Richard Hartmann
Intended status: Informational
Expires: March 27, 2011
Updates: 1459, 2810, 2811, 2812, 2813
                                                      September 28, 2010

                    Default Port for IRC via TLS/SSL
         draft-hartmann-default-port-for-irc-via-tls-ssl-02.txt

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Comments

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Hartmann                                                        [Page 1]


Internet Draft      Default Port for IRC via TLS/SSL  September 28, 2010


Abstract

   This document describes the established best industry practice of
   listening on TCP port 6697 for incoming IRC connections encrypted via
   TLS/SSL.

   This document does not try to limit the use of lesser-used ports like
   7000 and 9999.

Table of Contents









































Hartmann                                                        [Page 2]


Internet Draft      Default Port for IRC via TLS/SSL  September 28, 2010


1. Rationale

   Although system port assignments for both plain text (TCP port 194)
   and TLS/SSL encrypted (TCP port 994) IRC traffic exist [RFC1700],
   [IANALIST], it is common practice amongst IRC networks not to use
   them for reasons of convenience and general availability on systems
   where no root access is granted or desired.

   IRC networks have defaulted to listening on TCP port 6667 for plain
   text connections for considerable time, now.  This is covered by the
   IRCU assignment of TCP/UDP ports 6665-6669.

   Similar consensus has been reached within the IRC community about
   listening on TCP port 6697 for incoming IRC connections encrypted via
   TLS/SSL.

2. Security Considerations

   This document does not directly discuss security issues, however the
   lack of a common, well established listening port for IRC via TLS/SSL
   could lead to end users being unaware of their IRC network of choice
   supporting TLS/SSL.

3. IANA Considerations

   An assignment of TCP port 6697 for IRC via TLS/SSL will be requested.

4. APPENDIX A: Supporting data

   As of September 2010, out of the top twenty IRC networks
   [TOP100],[MAVERICK], ten support TLS/SSL.  Only one of those networks
   does not support TLS/SSL via port 6697 and has no plans to support
   it.  All others supported it already or are in the process of sup-
   porting it since being contacted by the author.  A detailed analysis
   is available but does not fit within the scope of this document.

5. Normative References

              [RFC1700] http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1700.txt , Sep 28,
              2010

6. Informative References

   [IANALIST] http://www.iana.org/assignments/port-numbers , Sep 15,
              2010

   [TOP100] http://irc.netsplit.de/networks/top100.php , Sep 15, 2010




Hartmann                                                        [Page 3]


Internet Draft      Default Port for IRC via TLS/SSL  September 28, 2010


   [MAVERICK] http://irc.netsplit.de/networks/lists.php?query=maverick ,
              Sep 27, 2010

















































Hartmann                                                        [Page 4]


Internet Draft      Default Port for IRC via TLS/SSL  September 28, 2010


7. Acknowledgements

   Thanks go to the IRC community at large for reaching a consensus.

   Special thanks go to the IRC operators who were eager to support port
   6697 on their respective networks.

Authors' Address

   Richard Hartmann
   Munich
   Germany
   Email: richih.mailinglist@gmail.com
   http://richardhartmann.de

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Hartmann                                                        [Page 5]


Internet Draft      Default Port for IRC via TLS/SSL  September 28, 2010


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Version History

   00 - initial version

   01 - fixed [MAVERICK]

   02 - removed self-reference as RFC
        added reference to [RFC1700]
























Hartmann                                                        [Page 6]