Chapter Ten: Telnet

Table of Contents: Getting Started - Tips and Tricks Interlit Web Site Links to Textbook Chapter Resources Required Equipment, Software and Services Course Syllabus Course Assignments and Due Dates Part One: Understanding The Internet Chapter One: Definitions Chapter Two: How the Internet is Changing the World Part Two: Getting On The Internet Chapter Three: Getting Connected Chapter Four: Surfing the Net Part Three: Communicating Over The Internet Chapter Five: Internet Etiquette (Netiquette) Chapter Six: Electronic Mail Chapter Seven: Listserv Chapter Eight: Usenet Newsgroups Chapter Nine: Communicating in Real Time Chapter Ten: Telnet Part Four: Finding Things On The Internet Chapter Eleven: Searching for Information Chapter Twelve: Commonly Found Internet File Types Chapter Thirteen: Downloading From the Internet Chapter Fourteen: Bibliographic Style for Citing Internet Resources Part Five: Creating Web Pages Chapter Fifteen: Web Page Creation Strategies Chapter Sixteen: Web Page Design Chapter Seventeen: How HTML Works Chapter Eighteen: Creating Your Web Page Resume Chapter Nineteen: Putting Images on Web Pages Chapter Twenty: Using Tables for Advanced Web Page Layout Chapter Twenty-one: Making a Local Web and a Home Page Chapter Twenty-two: Publishing Files on the World Wide Web Part Six: Using Multimedia On The Internet Chapter Twenty-three: How Web Browsers Do Multimedia Chapter Twenty-four: Waveform Audio Recording Part Seven: Planning For The Future Of The Internet Chapter Twenty-five: Societal Issues Chapter Twenty-six: Emerging Technology Chapter Twenty-seven: How to Keep Up Send E-Mail: Pat Watson Jennifer Lagier John Ittelson Internet Literacy Home Page

After completing this chapter, you will be able to: Use telnet to connect to remote host computers on the Internet. Configure your Web browser to launch telnet sessions. Understand how telnet helps you avoid paying long-distance telephone charges when you connect to remote host computers in other cities or countries. Find and connect to remote host computers that provide useful Internet resources via telnet. What is Telnet? Telnet allows the user to log in to a remote computer. When you use telnet, it is as if your keyboard and screen are connected to the remote computer. Telnet is important for two reasons: First, you can use it to access a remote computer on which you have an account. Second, the Internet has many public resources which you access via telnet. To use telnet, you run a telnet client program on your computer. This program uses the Internet to connect to the remote computer. The telnet client acts as an intermediary between you and the other computer. Everything you type on your keyboard is passed on to the other computer. Everything the other computer displays is sent to your computer where it appears on your screen. As a result, your keyboard and screen seem to be connected directly to the remote computer. Telnet is actually the oldest of the various Internet services. The first service provided on the Arpanet was "remote login", that is, "telnet." Telnet is really a service that connects to a remote Internet computer and emulates a VT-100 terminal, the standard for connect to UNIX computers. Basic Concepts In telnet terminology, your computer is called the LOCAL computer. The other computer, the one to which your telnet client connects, is called the REMOTE computer. In general, there are two ways to use telnet. First, you can connect to any computer on the Internet for which you have a shell account. When you do, you will see the standard login: and password: prompts. You can now log in and use the computer in the usual manner. Second, there are many public resources which you can access via telnet. Some of these do not require a password. As soon as your telnet client makes the connection, you can start working with the remote computer. Many public library catalogs are set up in this manner. Other public services do require passwords. The first time you connect to one of these systems, you will be asked to choose a user name and password. From then on, you would log in using whatever name and password you have chosen. Using Your Telnet Client Using a telnet client program is relatively simple. All you do is start the program, tell it the name of the remote host to which you want to connect. Once the connection with the host is established, you will see whatever message that computer displays as part of the starting procedure. If you connect to a UNIX computer which expects you to log in, it will start by displaying the line: login: Type in the appropriate user name and press ENTER. You will then see the line: password: Type in the password and press ENTER. You will now be logged in. Once your telnet client starts, there is nothing special to remember or do. Just log in to the remote computer and start work. Connecting to a Specific Port Number Within the Internet, many of the hosts offering telnet access to public services require you to specify a specific PORT NUMBER when you make the connection. The port number identifies the type of service that you are requesting. The term PORT refers to a connection between two devices or systems. How to use telnet from within Netscape To telnet to a remote computer from within Netscape, make sure you have a telnet application defined within Netscape's General Preferences, Apps. Then, you can either enter the telnet address in the location input field (replace http://xxxxx with telnet://xxxx) or you can click on File, choose Open Location, type the remote computer's address in the location input field, click on Open. From this point on, follow the instructions on the screen. Note the telnet drop down menus. Online Resources: EFF's (Extended) Guide to the Internet - Telnet Beginners' Central, a Users Guide to the Internet BCK2SKOL Lesson 17: TELNET, PART 1: THE UPSIDE BCK2SKOL Lesson 18: TELNET, PART 2: THE DOWNSIDE Go to: Chapter Nine Chapter Eleven

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