Telnet Help

About telnet

Telnet is software that allows users to remotely access another computer such as a server, network device, or other computer. With telnet, users can connect to a device or computer, manage a network device, set up a device, transfer files, etc.

• About Telnet

• Telnet programs

• Unix and Linux telnet help

• Microsoft Windows telnet help

• Troubleshooting telnet

• See the telnet definition for further information and related links.

Telnet programs

There are also numerous third-party telnet and SSH programs available for connecting to remote computers. Users who use telnet often or want or need additional features should consider a third-party telnet program.

Today, use SSH instead of telnet for security reasons unless SSH is not an option.

Unix and Linux telnet

Most Unix-like operating systems including Ubuntu, Debian, Solaris, OS X and FreeBSD include a telnet binary to connect to a remote host with the telnet protocol. At a terminal prompt, run the command:

telnet hostname

…to connect to the remote system identified by hostname. You can also run:

telnet

…to start a telnet prompt, where you can enter telnet commands. For instance, at the telnet prompt, type:

open hostname

…to open a connection to the remote system hostname.

For a list of common telnet commands, see our Unix and Linux telnet command page.

Microsoft Windows telnet

Microsoft has included telnet on Windows 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.

Windows 3.11 users

To access Microsoft Telnet from Windows 3.11, open File Manager, open the Windows directory, and double-click telnet.exe.

Other Microsoft Windows users

To access Microsoft Telnet from Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, click Start, Run, type “telnet” and press Enter. Some setups of Microsoft Windows may prohibit users from running the telnet command. Check with your system administrator if you cannot open the program.

Once in the telnet window, click the below version of Windows you are using for additional steps and information on how to use telnet.

• Windows 3.11 users
• Windows 95 users
• Windows 98 users
• Windows ME users
• Windows NT users
• Windows 2000 users
• Windows XP users

Windows 3.11, 95, 98, ME, NT users

Once the telnet window is open, click the Connect drop-down option and select Remote System from the drop-down menu. Once connected, type in the hostname that will be the either the domain, shell account or IP address. The port should remain to telnet and the TermType should remain at vt100 unless you know that it is different.

Skip to the below what next section for additional information steps on what to do once connected.

Windows 2000 and XP users

Windows 2000 and Windows XP users can navigate through Telnet using a command line similar to MS-DOS. If you have run the telnet command from the run line, type “open