Telnet is a command line tool designed to manage remote servers via Command Prompt. Unlike in Windows XP and Vista, the Telnet client is not installed automatically in Windows 7. You must activate it before you can start using it. See Step 1 below to learn how to install and use it.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Installing Telnet
Step 1. Open Control Panel
By default, Telnet is not installed in Windows 7. It must be manually enabled in order for you to use it. You can do this through the Control Panel, which can be accessed from the Start menu.
Step 2. Open "Programs and Features" or "Programs"
The options available will depend on how your Control Panel looks, whether it's in Icon or Category view, but they both take you to the same place.
Step 3. Click the "Turn Windows features on or off" link
You may be asked to enter an Administrator password.
Step 4. Look for the "Telnet Client" entry
In the list of available features, you will see an entry called Telnet Client. You may have to scroll down to find it. Check the box next to Telnet Client, and click OK.
You may have to wait a minute or two for the client to install after you select it
Step 5. Install Telnet via command prompt
If you prefer to do everything through the Command Prompt, you can install Telnet with a quick command. First, open a Command Prompt by typing cmd into the Run box. At the command line, type pkgmgr /iu:"TelnetClient" and press Enter. After a few moments, you will be taken back to the command prompt.
Restart the command prompt to start using Telnet
Part 2 of 2: Using Telnet
Step 1. Open Command Prompt
Telnet goes through the Command Prompt. You can access the command prompt by pressing Win and typing cmd into the Run field.
Step 2. Run the Telnet client
Type telnet and press Enter to launch Microsoft Telnet. The Command Prompt will disappear, and you will be taken to the Telnet command line, which displays as > Microsoft Telnet.
Step 3. Connect to the Telnet server
In the Telnet command line, type open serveraddress [port]. You have successfully connected to the server if you receive a welcome message or are asked to enter a username and password.
- For example, to watch ASCII Star Wars, type open towel.blinkenlights.nl and press Enter.
- You can also initiate a connection directly from the Command Prompt by typing telnet serveraddress [port].
Step 4. Close your Telnet session
When you are done managing the Telnet server, you must close the connection before closing the window. To do so, open the Telnet command line by pressing Ctrl+]. Type quit and press Enter to close the connection.
