how to use telnet in windows

Telnet in Windows

What is Telnet?

Telnet is a network protocol used to establish a remote connection with a computer or network device. It provides a command-line interface to interact with the remote host and execute commands remotely.

Enabling Telnet Client in Windows

  1. Press the Win + R keys to open the “Run” dialog box.
  2. Type “appwiz.cpl” and click “OK” to open the “Programs and Features” window.
  3. Click on “Turn Windows features on or off” on the left panel.
  4. Scroll down and locate “Telnet Client”.
  5. Check the box next to “Telnet Client” and click “OK”.
  6. Windows will enable the Telnet client, and you can now use Telnet from the command prompt.

Opening a Telnet Connection

  1. Press the Win + R keys to open the “Run” dialog box.
  2. Type “cmd” and click “OK” to open the command prompt.
  3. In the command prompt, type the following command to start a Telnet session:
    telnet <hostname> <port>

Telnet Commands

Once connected using Telnet, you can use various commands to communicate with the remote host. Some commonly used Telnet commands include:

  • open <hostname> <port>: Opens a Telnet connection to the specified host on the specified port.
  • close: Closes the current Telnet connection.
  • logout: Closes the current Telnet session and logs out.
  • quit: Closes the Telnet program entirely.
  • send: Sends special characters to the remote host.
  • set: Sets various options or variables for the Telnet session.
  • status: Displays the current status of the Telnet connection.

Exiting Telnet

To exit a Telnet session, you can use the Telnet-specific commands logout or quit. Alternatively, you can simply close the command prompt window.

Conclusion

Telnet is a useful tool for remotely accessing and managing network devices. By enabling the Telnet client in Windows and following the mentioned steps, you can establish Telnet connections and execute commands on remote hosts.