View source for How does IRC work?

IRC works according to the client / server principle. This means that on the one hand there is a central computer - the server - which offers a particular service (in our case IRC) and on the other side the program - the so-called client - which uses this service and the user Access enabled.

The client has only intermediary function between user and server. The real work is done by the server. For this reason, the server is usually also on a large UNIX workstation and the client is simply a simple PC. So it is possible that with the smallest hardware you can use such a complex service as the IRC.

The IRC is not just a single server, but a worldwide network with many servers. In this network, all user data and messages are managed and sent back and forth.