What is Telnet?
Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional include Telnet Client and Telnet Server, which allow users to make remote connections based on the Telnet protocol. Using Telnet Client and Server, you can create a remote command console session on a host. Using a local command prompt window, you can run command line programs, shell commands, and scripts in a remote command console session just as though you were locally logged on to the host. Thus, having Telnet client and server software solves two networking problems. It allows for interoperability between disparate operating systems, and it facilitates administration of remote systems, saving administrative time and network resources.
Telnet is a text-only protocol that connecting to a remote computer over the Internet that let you use programs and data just as if you were using the computer locally. Couple of years back this was one of the most common ways to connect to other sites. Now with the growth of the web, it is rarely used.
Telnet is a user command and an underlying TCP/IP protocol for accessing remote computers. Through Telnet, an administrator or another user can access someone else’s computer remotely. On the Web, HTTP and FTP protocols allow you to request specific files from remote computers, but not to actually be logged on as a user of that computer. With Telnet, you log on as a regular user with whatever privileges you may have been granted to the specific application and data on that computer. A Telnet command request looks like this (the computer name is made-up): telnet the.libraryat.whatis.edu The result of this request would be an invitation to log on with a userid and a prompt for a password. If accepted, you would be logged on like any user who used this computer every day. Telnet is most likely to be used by program developers and anyone who has a need to use specific applications or data located at a particular host computer.
Note: SSH is required to establish remote terminal connections to Indiana University’s central systems. SSH is similar to telnet, but is far more secure; see What are SSH and SSH2? Telnet is a protocol that allows you to connect to remote computers (called hosts) over a TCP/IP network (such as the Internet). You use software called a telnet client on your computer to make a connection to a telnet server (i.e., the remote host). Once your telnet client establishes a connection to the remote host, your client becomes a virtual terminal, allowing you to communicate with the remote host from your computer. In most cases, you’ll need to log into the remote host, which requires that you have an account on that system. Occasionally, you can log in as guest or public without having an account. Telnet clients are available for all major operating systems. Command-line telnet clients are built into most versions of Mac OS X, Windows (95 and later), Unix, and Linux. To use them, go to their respe
