Use Telnet on Mac OS X

Telnet is a useful application that's been around for decades. You can use it to connect to remote servers for various purposes, such as remotely administering a machine through a Telnet server or manually the returned result from a Web server.

Steps

  1. Open up the Terminal application found in the Utilities folder under Applications.
    • This is similar to the command prompt found on Windows. Because OS X is based on UNIX, not MS-DOS, the commands are a bit different.

Connect via SSH

  1. To ensure a secure connection, use SSH (Secure Shell)
  2. From the Shell menu, select New Remote Connection...
  3. Enter a host name or IP address. In the field at the bottom of the New Connection window shown below type in the address of the server you wish to connect to.
    • Note that you must have an account to log in.
  4. Click Connect
  5. You will be prompted for your password. Your keystrokes will not be displayed, for security purposes.
  6. Save your settings. Click the + sign under the Server column.
  7. Enter the host name or IP address of the server in the entry screen pictured.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Enter the user ID in the User field, click Connect, and your information will be saved.

Unsecure Connection

  1. Type Command-N. This opens a new Terminal session.
  2. Enter host name or IP address. Next to the blinking cursor, enter the appropriate login information as shown: telnet server.myplace.net 23
    • Note that the port number may vary. Check with your server admin if the connection fails.

Tips

  • Port number may not be necessary.
  • To exit the connection, hold type CTRL+] and then type 'quit' and press 'enter'.

Warnings

  • Non-secure connections can easily be intercepted. Use with great caution.
  • Incoming connections and authentication failures are usually logged by most servers, so avoid using Telnet maliciously.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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