What Telnet is and how do you enable it?

Telnet can be used to access other computers or network services. To do this, however, you must first enable the protocol in the Windows features.

Telnet is always required when you need to connect to another computer or network component. Everything takes place via the text-based command line. In the past, this was especially helpful for sharing the services of mainframe computers. But even today, Telnet is still used to manage networks, use applications, and share databases, albeit less and less frequently.

Over many years, Telnet also played a crucial role for institutions that work with large databases. For example, in libraries, the protocol was an elementary building block of online catalogs published in the 1980s, which are better known as OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog). Initially, these digital publication databases were still accessible in the libraries’ local networks via terminals. As the Internet started becoming more and more successful, it was also possible to access them via locally usable web interfaces, whose communication means was supported by the Telnet protocol in many cases.

Another deployment scenario, for which Telnet clients were typical, was the access to text-based programs on an application server. For example, the Free Internet Chess Server can still be used today via Telnet connections. Using text input, you can select from the available opponents and also move your pieces around the board. Meanwhile, graphical interfaces such as the Jin Applet or Javaboard, which enable playing pieces to be moved with the mouse, have replaced the text-based input.

Telnet has always been a practical protocol for network and server administrators. The ability to remotely manage devices on the network is ideal for administration tasks, especially because the protocol is supported by almost all devices. It can also be used to check the availability of certain ports or to detect errors on email servers (SMTP, port 25) by sending an email directly from the server. The Telnet solution is an effective method for configuring servers e.g. a web server. Changes to the directory structure, the file access rights, or the password, can be implemented quickly and easily.

Since Telnet connections are practically standard TCP connections, the client can be employed to use or test other services that rely on TCP as a transport protocol. For example, with a simple request, you can check the functionality of an HTTP server or (as mentioned earlier) the status of an email server.

This versatility is enhanced by the fact that the connection protocol can be used across platforms. There are only a few devices that do not support the official IETF standard. Whether or not the client and server computers rely on the same operating system is also irrelevant. A further advantage of Telnet is that it allows unrestricted access to a controlled system’s resources if permission has been given.

However, Telnet has a high security risk: both the connection setup and the data transfer are not encrypted when using the Telnet protocol. All information you send can therefore be intercepted by third parties in plain text, including the login information required for remote access. This means that hackers won’t have much trouble taking over the system. A secure alternative to Telnet is Secure Shell (SSH).

An overview of the advantages and disadvantages:

The client must first be enabled on Microsoft operating systems from Windows Vista onwards. We explain step by step how to activate Telnet on Windows 10 and Windows 11.