Thank you both for your help.
argv(), since you brought up the DCC issue:
I was aware that doing file transfers of any kind or making any direct connection with another PC, like a DCC one, may have to involve the real IPs even when a BNC or Tor node is used.
However, my question again would be about the owner or network operator of the IRC network. If I start a DCC chat with another chatter or exchange files then I take the risk of the other person knowing my real IP if they're looking for it. What I don't know is how much information about these connections is available to the network operator.
If it's a network like EFNet for example, I wouldn't care if an EFNet network operator could see my IP even behind a BNC account when I start a DCC chat with another chatter or under any other circumstance. What I do want to verify though is whether or not this information is available to the network op because in that case the op of the private IRC network could be able to do this too, which is what I'm trying to avoid.
I guess the same question would apply for channel operators too but I am under the impression that channel operators would not have access to this information, would they? For example, if A starts a DCC chat or file transfer with B (both in the same channel of course), does a channel op know that A and B are communicating via DCC?
Thanks again for the helpful information.
