• What is telnet?
• Why would I need it?
• How is it different from FTP?
• Telneting to your account through other software

What is Telnet?

Telnet is a way to connect to a machine and run commands. Using Telnet, you can connect to your account at Fusion Source and run commands as if the machine were sitting on your desktop.

Why would I need it?

You may not need to use Telnet very often, but there will come a time when you need to use it, so it's important to be comfortable with it. For instance, to set up certain features of your account such as Fusion Source's Email System or setting up the banner program you need to be able to Telnet. Although the command-like interface may seem a bit intimidating to some, there are lots of good books to help you through the process. 

How is it different from FTP?

Telnet is used for running commands, and FTP is used for transferring files. 

Telneting to your account through software

1. Connect to your local Internet Service Provider.
2. Open your Telnet program.
   There are many popular shareware programs on the web available for download. You can search for one below if you are in need.

3. If you're running Windows 95/98/2000 you already have a telnet program installed on your system called telnet.exe. To run it, click on the "Start" button on your taskbar, highlight "Run" on the menu, and then type in the command "telnet" in the window that appears.
3. Connect to the server.
   Once the programming is running, you'll need to tell the program where to connect to. Look for a selection called "Connection", "Make New Connection", or "Remote System". Enter www.yourdomain.com and press "OK" or "Connect".
4. Type in your login name and press enter, then enter your password when prompted and press enter. (Your login and password are the same ones that you use to FTP to your account.)
5. If you entered the information correctly, then you're in! If the server gives you a login or password incorrect error, just re-enter your login and password.
6. Terminal Type
   If you see the line "TERM = (vt100)", just press enter and you're ready to start entering commands.
7. Enter commands.
   At this point you can start typing in Unix commands. A description of some common ones can be found our  Unix Commands page. Type in the commands and hit enter.
8. Disconnect.
   To end your telnet session, simply type in the command "exit" or "logout" and then hit enter.

Always remember to logout before closing the window.

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