The alternative, the timestamp or TS protocol, took a different approach. A Timestamp was allocated to every nickname and channel on the network, that is, the date and time when it was produced. When a netsplit took place, two users on each side were free to use the identical nickname or channel, but when the two sides were joined, only one could continue.

As compared to ND/CD, TS is a much more complicated protocol, both in design, as well as execution, and in spite of having gone through several modifications, some executions still have troubles with "desyncs", granting too much clemency in what was permitted by the 'losing' side. desyncs are those, where two servers on the identical network, differ about the existing state of the network. For example, there was nil security against users setting bans or other modes in the losing channel, which would then be fused when the split rejoined, under the original TS protocols, even though, the users who had set those modes were no longer opped. Some form of ND and/or CD in addition to timestamping, have been incorporated by some modern TS-based IRC servers, in an attempt to further control misuse.