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Asked: 2024-09-26T12:04:39+05:30 In:

What are the steps to utilize the Telnet client in the terminal on Ubuntu 18.04?

So, I’ve been trying to figure out this whole Telnet thing on my Ubuntu 18.04 machine, and I could really use some help. I know it’s supposed to be a way to connect to remote servers and check stuff out, but every time I think I’m getting the hang of it, I end up lost in the command line. I mean, I get that the terminal might seem intimidating at first, but isn’t it supposed to be a powerful tool?

What I’m really curious about is how to actually get the Telnet client up and running. Like, I’ve heard you need to install it first, but where do I even begin? I assume there’s some command or package I need to find, right? And then, once I have it installed, what’s the next move? I imagine there’s a specific syntax for using Telnet, so how can I tell it which server to connect to?

Oh, and here’s another thing: I’ve heard people mention that connecting to certain ports can be important, but I’m not sure how to find out which port I should be trying. Is that something I need to look up for each server? Also, what’s the deal with security? I’ve read that Telnet isn’t the most secure option out there, so should I be worried about that when I’m connecting to different servers?

And finally, once I’m actually connected, what kind of commands can I run? Am I just navigating around like I would in a file explorer, or is there something else I should know? Honestly, it feels like there are a thousand little pieces to figure out, and I’m getting overwhelmed. If anyone has gone through the steps to use Telnet from start to finish on Ubuntu 18.04, could you please break it down for me? I’d really appreciate a simple walkthrough or even just some tips to avoid the common pitfalls. Thanks a ton!

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    1. Using Telnet on Ubuntu 18.04


      Getting Started with Telnet on Ubuntu 18.04

      First up, you need to install the Telnet client. It’s not there by default in Ubuntu, so you gotta do a quick install. Open your terminal and enter the following command:

      sudo apt install telnet

      Enter your password if prompted, and just wait for it to finish. Easy peasy!

      Connecting to a Server

      Once you’ve got it installed, you can connect to a server using this command:

      telnet [hostname or IP address] [port]

      For example, if you wanted to connect to example.com on port 80, you would type:

      telnet example.com 80

      The port is important! Common ports you might use are:

      • 80 for HTTP
      • 443 for HTTPS (though this might not work with Telnet as it doesn’t handle encrypted connections)
      • 23 for Telnet itself

      You generally need to look up which port to use for the server you’re trying to connect to. A quick Google search usually helps, or check the server documentation.

      Security Concerns

      Now about security: Telnet isn’t encrypted, which means that anything you send is plain text. So, if you’re entering sensitive info (like passwords), it’s better to use SSH instead. Keep this in mind when you’re connecting to servers!

      Commands After Connecting

      Once you’re connected, the commands you can run depend on the server you’re connected to. Often, you’re interacting with services like web servers or email servers. You won’t be navigating like a file explorer; instead, you send requests. For example, on a web server, you might type something like:

      GET / HTTP/1.1

      Then hit Enter twice to send the request. You might have to read up specific commands once you’re connected to know what to do!

      Common Pitfalls

      1. Don’t forget to use the right port.

      2. Watch out for firewalls that might block Telnet connections.

      3. If you see a connection refused message, the server might not have Telnet open or could be down.

      Just take it step by step, and don’t hesitate to look things up. Telnet isn’t super complicated once you get the hang of it!



    2. To get started with Telnet on your Ubuntu 18.04 machine, you first need to install the Telnet client. Open your terminal and run the command sudo apt-get update to ensure your package list is up-to-date. After that, you can install Telnet by executing sudo apt-get install telnet. This will download and install the Telnet client on your system. Once the installation is complete, you can initiate a Telnet session by using the command telnet [hostname or IP address] [port], where you replace [hostname or IP address] with the server you’re trying to reach and [port] with the specific port number if needed; otherwise, you can omit the port to connect to the default port 23. Connection information, including necessary ports, is typically provided by the service you are trying to connect to.

      Regarding security concerns, it’s important to note that Telnet is considered less secure than alternatives like SSH due to its lack of encryption, meaning that any data sent over the network can be intercepted. As for the commands you can run once connected, Telnet usually allows you to interact with the server using plain text commands specific to the service you are connecting to and doesn’t provide a file-explorer-like experience. For instance, if you connect to a game server, you’ll use game-specific commands to interact with it. Common pitfalls often stem from trying to connect to ports that are closed or misconfigurations in the terminal, so always double-check the server details you are using.


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