<s>
In	O
computer	B-Architecture
networking	I-Architecture
,	O
specifically	O
Internet	B-Protocol
Relay	I-Protocol
Chat	I-Protocol
(	O
IRC	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
netsplit	B-Error_Name
is	O
a	O
disconnection	O
between	O
two	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Consider	O
the	O
graph	O
to	O
the	O
right	O
,	O
which	O
represents	O
the	O
computer	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
can	O
occur	O
either	O
by	O
a	O
socket	B-Protocol
producing	O
an	O
error	O
,	O
or	O
by	O
excessive	O
lag	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
far	O
server	O
A	O
anticipates	O
this	O
case	O
(	O
which	O
is	O
called	O
a	O
timeout	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Occasionally	O
,	O
users	O
will	O
attempt	O
to	O
use	O
netsplits	B-Error_Name
to	O
gain	O
access	O
to	O
private	O
channels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
denial-of-service	O
attack	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
cause	O
a	O
netsplit	B-Error_Name
by	O
overloading	O
an	O
IRC	B-Protocol
server	O
's	O
network	O
connection	O
or	O
Internet	O
infrastructure	O
between	O
two	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
typical	O
netsplit-oriented	O
IRC	B-Protocol
attack	O
is	O
Nickname	O
Colliding	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Modern	O
IRC	B-Protocol
server	O
software	O
has	O
largely	O
eliminated	O
this	O
method	O
,	O
but	O
servers	O
using	O
older	O
software	O
may	O
still	O
be	O
vulnerable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Below	O
are	O
examples	O
of	O
a	O
typical	O
netsplit	B-Error_Name
.	O
</s>
