Telnet commands

The Telnet Client command prompt accepts the following commands:

Command Description

open Use open hostname portnumber to establish a Telnet connection to a host.

close Use the close command to close an existing Telnet connection.

display Use the display command to view the current settings for the Telnet client.
The display command lists the current operating parameters. If you are in a Telnet
session (connected to a Telnet server), to modify the parameters, press CTRL+]. This
escapes from the Telnet session. (To return to the Telnet session, press ENTER.) The
following operating parameters are available:

• WILL AUTH (NTLM Authentication)

• WONT AUTH
• WILL TERM TYPE
• WONT TERM TYPE
• LOCALECHO off
• LOCALECHO on
quit Use the quit command to exit from Telnet.

set Use the set command to set the terminal type for the connection, turn on local echo, set
authentication to NTLM, set the escape character, and set up logging.

• SET NTLM turns on NTLM.

While you are using NTLM Authentication, you are not prompted for a logon name
and password when connecting from a remote computer.

• SET LOCALECHO turns on local echoing.

• SET TERM {ANSI|VT100|VT52|VTNT} sets the terminal type to the appropriate
terminal type.
Use the VT100 terminal type if you are running normal command-line applications.
Use the VTNT terminal type if you are running advanced command-line applications,
such as edit.

• ESCAPE Character sets the key sequence to use for switching from session to
command mode. For example, to set CTRL+P as your escape character, type set
escape, press CTRL+P, and then press ENTER.

• LOGFILE FileName sets the file to be used for logging Telnet activity. The log file
must be on your local computer.
Logging begins automatically when you set this option.

• LOGGING turns on logging.

Command Description

If no log file is set, an error message is displayed.

unset Use unset to turn off local echo or to set authentication to logon/password prompt.

• UNSET NLM turns off NLM.

• UNSET LOCALECHO turns off local echoing.
status Use the status command to determine whether the Telnet client is connected.

CTRL+] Press CTRL+] to move to the Telnet command prompt from a connected session.

enter Use the enter command from the command prompt to go to the connected session (if it
exists).

?/help Prints Help information.

Telnet commands
The telnet commands allow you to communicate with a remote computer that is using the Telnet
protocol. You can run telnet without parameters in order to enter the telnet context, indicated by
the Telnet prompt (telnet>). From the Telnet prompt, use the following commands to manage a
computer running Telnet Client.
The tlntadmn commands allow you to remotely manage a computer running Telnet Server. These
commands are run from the command prompt. Used without parameters, tlntadmn displays local
server settings.
To use telnet commands at the Telnet prompt
To start Telnet Client and to enter the Telnet prompt

Syntax
telnet [\\RemoteServer]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server to which you want to connect.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• Used without parameters, telnet starts Telnet Client.
• When you are at the Telnet prompt, you must use Telnet
commands.
To stop Telnet Client
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Syntax
quit
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Parameters
none
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Remarks
• You can abbreviate this command to q.
To connect Telnet Client to a remote computer
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Syntax
open [\\RemoteServer] [Port]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
Port : Specifies the port that you want to use. If you do not specify a port, the default port is
assumed.

Remarks
• You can abbreviate this command to o.

Examples
To connect to remote server Redmond through port number 44, type:
o redmond 44
To disconnect Telnet Client from a remote computer
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Syntax
close [\\RemoteServer]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.

Remarks
• You can abbreviate this command to c.
Examples
To disconnect from remote server Redmond, type:
c redmond 44
To set Telnet Client options
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Syntax
set [\\RemoteServer] [ntlm] [localecho] [term {ansi | vt100 | vt52 | vtnt}]
[escape Character] [logfile FileName] [logging] [bsasdel] [crlf] [delasbs] [mode {console |
stream}] [?]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
ntlm : Turns on NTLM authentication if it is available on the remote server.
localecho : Turns on local echo.
term {ansi | vt100 | vt52 | vtnt} : Sets the terminal to the specified type.
escape Character : Sets the escape character. The escape character can be a single character, or
it can be a combination of the CTRL key plus a character. To set a control-key combination, hold
down CTRL while you type the character that you want to assign.
logfile FileName : Sets the file to be used for logging Telnet activity. The log file must be on your
local computer. Logging begins automatically when you set this option.
logging : Turns on logging. If no log file is set, an error message appears.
bsasdel : Sets BACKSPACE to be sent as delete.
crlf : Sets the new line mode, which causes the ENTER key to send 0x0D, 0x0A.
delasbs : Sets DELETE to be sent as backspace.
mode {console | stream} : Sets the mode of operation.
? : Allows you to view the complete syntax for this command.

Remarks
To turn off an option that was previously set, at the Telnet prompt, type:
•
unset [Option]
To set the escape character, type:
•
e Character
On non-English versions of Telnet, the codeset Option is available. Codeset Option sets the
•
current code set to an option, which can be any one of the following: Shift JIS, Japanese EUC,
JIS Kanji, JIS Kanji (78), DEC Kanji, NEC Kanji. You should set the same code set on the
remote computer.
To send Telnet Client commands
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Syntax
send [\\RemoteServer] [ao] [ayt] [esc] [ip] [synch] [?]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
ao : Aborts output command.
ayt : Sends an "Are you there?" command.
esc : Sends the current escape character.
ip : Interrupts the process command.
synch : Performs the Telnet sync operation.
? : Allows you to view the complete syntax for this command.
To view the current settings for the Telnet client
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Syntax
display
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Parameters
none

Remarks
The display command lists the currently operating parameters for the Telnet client. If you are in a
•
Telnet session (in other words, if you are connected to a Telnet server), you can exit the Telnet
session to modify the parameters by pressing CTRL+]. To return to the Telnet session, press
ENTER.
To use tlntadmn commands at the command prompt
To administer a computer running Telnet Server

Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] [start] [stop] [pause] [continue]

Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
start : Starts Telnet Server.
stop : Stops Telnet Server.
pause : Interrupts Telnet Server.
continue : Resumes Telnet Server.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.

Remarks
You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
•
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
To administer Telnet sessions
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] [-s] [-k{SessionID | all}] [-m {SessionID | all} "Message"]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
-s : Displays active Telnet sessions.
-k{SessionID | all} : Terminates sessions. Type the session ID to terminate a specific session, or
type all to terminate all sessions.
-m {SessionID | all} "Message" : Sends a message to one or more sessions. Type the session
ID to send a message to a specific session, or type all to send a message to all sessions. Type the
message that you want to send between quotation marks (that is, "Message").
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.

Remarks
You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
•
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
To set logging options on a computer running Telnet Server
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [auditlocation={eventlog | file | both}] [audit=[{+ |
-}admin][{+ | -}user][{+ | -}fail]]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
auditlocation={eventlog | file | both} : Specifies whether to send event information to Event
Viewer, to a file, or to both.
audit=[{+ | -}admin][{+ | -}user][{+ | -}fail] : Specifies which events you want to audit
(administrative logon events, user logon events, or failed logon attempts). To audit events of a
particular type, type a plus sign (+) before that event type. To stop auditing events of a particular
type, type a minus sign (-) before that event type.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
 Windows XP.
If you specify where to send event information without specifying which type or types of
•
information to audit, only information about administrative logon events will be audited and sent
to the location that you specified.
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Examples
To send event information to Event Viewer, type:
tlntadmn config auditlocation=eventlog
To audit administrative logon events and failed logon attempts, type:
tlntadmn config audit=+admin +fail
To set the default domain on a computer running Telnet Server
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [dom=DomainName]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
dom=DomainName : Specifies the domain that you want to make the default domain.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
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Examples
To make Redmond the default domain on your local server, type:
tlntadmn config dom=Redmond
To map the Alt key on a computer running Telnet Server
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [ctrlakeymap={yes | no}]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
ctrlakeymap={yes | no} : Specifies whether you want Telnet Server to interpret CTRL+A as ALT.
Type yes to map the shortcut key, or type no to prevent mapping.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
If you do not map the ALT key, Telnet Server does not send the ALT key to applications that
•
might rely on that key.
To set the maximum number of connections on a computer running Telnet Server
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [maxconn=PositiveInteger]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
maxconn=PositiveInteger : Sets the maximum number of connections. You must specify this
number with a positive integer that is smaller than 10 million.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
To set the maximum number of failed logon attempts on a computer running Telnet Server
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [maxfail=PositiveInteger]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
maxfail=PositiveInteger : Sets the maximum number of failed logon attempts that a user is
allowed. You must specify this number with a positive integer that is smaller than 100.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
To set the mode of operation on a computer running Telnet Server
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [mode={console | stream}]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name for the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
mode={console | stream} : Specifies the mode of operation.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
To set the Telnet port on a computer running Telnet Server
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [port=IntegerValue]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
port=IntegerValue : Sets the Telnet port. You must specify the port with an integer smaller than
1,024.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
To set the methods of authentication on a computer running Telnet Server
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [sec=[{+ | -}ntlm][{+ | -}passwd]]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
sec=[{+ | -}ntlm][{+ | -}passwd] : Specifies whether you want to use NTLM, a password, or
both to authenticate logon attempts. To use a particular type of authentication, type a plus sign (+)
before that type of authentication. To prevent using a particular type of authentication, type a
minus sign (-) before that type of authentication.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
NTLM is the authentication protocol for transactions between two computers where one or both
•
computers is running Windows NT 4.0 or an earlier version. In addition, NTLM is the
authentication protocol for computers that are not participating in a domain, such as stand-alone
servers and workgroups.
To set the time-out for idle sessions on a computer running Telnet Server
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Syntax
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [timeout=hh:mm:ss]
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Parameters
\\RemoteServer : Specifies the name of the server that you want to manage. If you do not
specify a server, the local server is assumed.
timeout=hh:mm:ss : Sets the time-out period in hours, minutes, and seconds.
/?: Displays help at the command prompt.
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Remarks
• You can remotely administer a computer running Telnet Server using the tlntadmn commands if
both computers are running Windows XP. You can not use the tlntadmn commands to remotely
administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running
Windows XP.
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Remarks
• To switch from Telnet Client to command mode, at the Telnet prompt, press CTRL+ ]. To switch
 back to Telnet Client, press ENTER.
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Formatting legend
Format Meaning

Italic Information that the user must supply

Bold Elements that the user must type exactly as

shown

Ellipsis (...) Parameter that can be repeated several times in

a command line

Between brackets ([]) Optional items

Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Set of choices from which the user must choose
Example: {even|odd} only one

Courier font Code or program output

Command-line reference A-Z
Telnet commands
Session mode and command mode
Authentication
Telnet Client overview