What a channel ban mask is

IRC channel bans usually match an identity in this form:

nick!ident@host

Example identity:

[email protected]

Example ban masks:

*!*@example.host
*!~*@*
*!*@*.eggy.net
*!badident@*

The parts

nick is your current nickname. ident is the username/ident part. host is your visible hostname or vhost.

A channel can ban any combination of these. Broad masks can affect many users at once.

The `~ident` case

A tilde before ident often means the IRC server could not verify ident. Some strict channels ban *!~*@* users.

How to inspect bans

If permitted, you can try:

/mode #channel +b

Many channels restrict ban-list viewing.

What to do

If only one channel blocks you, it is probably that channel's policy. If every network blocks you, open a support ticket with your WHOIS line and exact error text.