Channel Access and Visibility

• Check the error message returned to the user who tried to join the channel. This message indicates why the user was denied access to the channel.
• Try to join the channel yourself as a chat user. If you are denied access to the channel, check the error message.
• Check the channel's access list. From a chat client, log on to the service as a chat sysop and run the Access channel List command. Before you log on as a sysop, verify that Chat Sysop joins as owner is selected on the channel's Modes tab.
• Check the channel's ban list. From a chat client, log on to the service as a sysop and run the Mode channel +B command. Before you log on as a sysop, verify that Chat Sysop joins as owner is selected on the channel's Modes tab.
• Check the channel's member limit. From a chat client, log on to the service as a sysop and run the MODE channel +L command. Before you log on as a sysop, verify that Chat Sysop joins as owner is selected on the channel's Modes tab.
• Examine the following channel configuration settings:

  Go to the channel's Access tab and check whether the channel requires a user password.

  Go to the channel's Access tab and check whether Allow only: Invited users is selected. The channel owner must explicitly invite users who want to join an invitation-only channel.

  Go to the channel's Access tab. If Allow only: Authenticated users is selected, anonymous users are not allowed to join the channel.

You can use many of the same solutions for this problem as are suggested for "Users can see, but not join, a registered channel." In addition to those suggestions, you can:

• Look at Classes to determine whether a user class is preventing users from joining dynamic channels. Specifically, check the Cannot: Join dynamic channels setting on the Access tab of the class.

• Go to the channel's Access tab and check whether Visibility is set to Hidden or Secret. Hidden channels are not visible to non-members using enumeration queries; for example, List or Listx. Secret channels are not visible to anyone using any type of query.
• Go to the channel's General tab and check whether the channel name is preceded by a percent sign (%). Channel names that begin with a percent sign are extended channels and can be seen only from an IRCX client, such as Microsoft Chat version 2.1.
• Go to the channel's General tab. If Create this channel when the service starts is not selected, the channel is of the type that becomes visible only when someone joins it. If this is the case, there are no members on the channel.

• Go to the service's Channels tab. If the Allow dynamic channels check box is not selected, users cannot create dynamic channels on this server.
• Check Classes to determine whether a user class is preventing users from creating dynamic channels. Specifically, check the Cannot: Create dynamic channels setting on the Access tab of the class.

• If the users are on the channel, go to the channel's Modes tab and check whether Auditorium is selected. In an Auditorium channel, non-host members can see only host members.
• If the users are outside the channel, go to the channel's Access tab and check whether Visibility is set to Private or Secret. Users who are not members of a private channel are prevented from seeing its members. Users who are not members of a secret channel are prevented from seeing the channel and its members.