...or configuration problem?

I can't connect to WormNET.

Specifically, the IRC server is ignoring my login attempts. W:A / the IRC client sends the PASS, NICK and USER commands, and the server doesn't react. If I try to send a NICK with the nickname of an existing user, or if I try to connect without specifying a server password, it does however send back an error message - so this is not a connection level problem.

Trying to connect via a different nickname has no effect.
My IP address has not changed lately.
Connecting via a SOCKS proxy server (located on a remote PC) works.

Just in case the problem would be because of some ill-behaving protocol splitter, I asked a friend to set up a port redirect on his PC, and connected to his IP instead - this worked.

So I am inclined to think that this is an external IP-dependant issue.

I can still connect and play if I route all traffic to the WormNET IRC server via a SOCKS proxy. But still, I do not understand the cause of the above.

WA does occasionally ban people, normally a 24 hour thing based on channel spamming or connecting through non-WA clients.
Would have thought a quick re-connect/IP change would fit it, if not you will just have to wait it out.

Curiously enough, I doubt either happened. I came home after being away for two days, and tried to launch W:A and get on WormNET. Also I haven't heard of any bans related to using non-WA clients - I used to idle on WormNET for days with mIRC or Miranda IRC.

Some IRC clients have the option to reconnect to a server very rapidly in succession after something going wrong on the first attempt. That's got me banned twice recently, but the ban lasted less than 24 hours. I've settled with the simplest of clients now and get no trouble anymore.

Team17 folks, when they were still ocasionally present online, used to /VERSION people and temporarily ban ones that were using anything other than WA.exe or a version of SuperSnooper they couldn't detect. That was a while ago, though, and I really can't imagne that happening again.

But back to your problem, how long has it been since it happened?

*never mind*

That's doubtful. If there were any problems with that, the post would be deleted, not a WormNET ban.

Well, it's fixed now. Didn't do anything, aside heading to bed yesterday hoping the problem will solve itself in the morning. And I know for sure that I wasn't home 24 hours ago. So I still have absolutely no idea why did that happen.