Mastering the Telnet Client on Your Windows PC: A Comprehensive Guide

What to Know

• SearchControl Panel forfeatures and then clickTurn Windows features on or off .
• Next, check the box next toTelnet Client , then selectOK .
• Open Command Prompt and typetelnet followed by the hostname. For example,telnet telehack.com .

This article describes how to enable Telnet for Windows and how to run Telnet commands.

How to Enable the Windows Telnet Client

Telnet isn’t a secure way to communicate with another device, but there are reasons to use it. You can’t, however, just open Command Prompt and expect to start executing commands. First, you need to enable Telnet Client through Control Panel.

These directions apply to Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista. Telnet Client is already installed and ready to use out of the box in Windows XP and Windows 98.

1. Open Control Panel by searching for it in the Start menu. Or, open the Run dialog box viaWIN +R and then entercontrol .
2. SelectPrograms . If you don’t see that because you’re viewing theControl Panel applet icons, choose Programs and Features instead, and then skip to Step 4.
   
3. Select Programs and Features . FX PRO (Gold Robot + Silver Robot(Basic Package))
4. SelectTurn Windows features on or off from the left pane.
5. Select the check box next toTelnet Client .
   
6. SelectOK to enable Telnet. When you see theWindows completed the requested changes message, you can close any open dialog boxes.

Execute Telnet Commands in Windows

Telnet commands are easy to execute. Afteropening Command Prompt , enter the wordtelnet . The result is a line that saysMicrosoft Telnet> , which is where commands are entered.

Another way to run a Telnet command is to typetelnet followed by any command, such as the ones shown in the examples below. To connect to a Telnet server, enter a command that follows thissyntax :

telnet hostname port

For example, enteringtelnet textmmode.com 23 connects to textmmode.com on port_23_ using Telnet.

The last portion of the command is used for the port number but is only necessary to specify if it’s not the default port of 23. For example,telnet textmmode.com 23 is the same as running the commandtelnet textmmode.com , but not the same astelnet textmmode.com 95 , which connects to the same server but on port_95_ .

Microsoft keeps a list of Telnet commands if you’d like to learn more about how to do things like open and close a Telnet connection, display the Telnet Client settings, and more.

How Does Telnet Work?

Telnet is anetwork protocol that provides acommand-line interpreter to communicate with a device. It’s used most often for remote management, but also sometimes for the initial setup for some devices, especially network hardware such as switches and access points.

Telnet originally was used on terminals. These computers require only a keyboard because everything on the screen displays as text. The terminal provides a way to remotely log on to another device, just as if you were sitting in front of it and using it like any other computer.

Nowadays, Telnet can be used from a_virtual_ terminal, or a terminal emulator, which is essentially a modern computer that communicates with the same Telnet protocol. One example of this is the Telnet command, available from the Command Prompt in Windows, which uses the Telnet protocol to communicate with a remote device or system.

Telnet commands can also be executed on other operating systems, such as Linux and macOS, in the same way they’re executed in Windows.

Telnet isn’t the same as other TCP/IP protocols like HTTP, which transfers files to and from a server. Instead, the Telnet protocol has you log on to a server as if you were an actual user, then grants you direct control and all the same rights to files and applications as the user that you’re logged in as.

Although not the same as Telnet,free remote access software tools are an alternative way to communicate with another computer remotely.

Telnet Games & Additional Information

There are severalCommand Prompt tricks you can perform using Telnet. Some of them are in text form, but you may have fun with them.

Play chess atFree Internet Chess Server :

telnet freechess.org 5000

Use Telnet to talk to an artificially intelligent psychotherapist named Eliza. After connecting to Telehack with the command below, entereliza when asked to choose one of the listed commands.

telnet telehack.com

Watch an ASCII version of the full_Star Wars Episode IV_ movie by entering this in Command Prompt:

telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl

Beyond the fun things that can be done in Telnet are a number of Bulletin Board Systems (BBS). A BBS provides a way to message other users, view news, share files, and more. TheTelnet BBS Guide lists hundreds of servers you can connect to using this protocol.

FAQ

• How is SSH different from Telnet?
  SSH is a network protocol used for remote access and usesencryption . Telnet is another network protocol used for remote access but does not use any encryption. It will display data (including usernames and passwords) in clear text.
• How do I Telnet into my router?
  Make sure Telnet is turned on, thenping your network . In Telnet, entertelnet IP address (ex.telnet 192.168.1.10 ). Next, enter your_username_ and_password_ to log in.

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