WHAT IS TELNET?

Telnet is an Internet function that allows you to connect to and use services on remote computers known as Telnet servers. Telnet servers execute commands as you issue them from your computer. Telnet servers can provide private access, requiring users to have an account, or public access, allowing anyone to connect. TN3270 is a special version of Telnet that is needed to connect to services maintained on IBM mainframe computers. TN3270 sessions display information a full screen at a time while regular Telnet sessions display information one line at a time so that text appears to scroll down the screen.

WHAT SERVICES CAN YOU ACCESS VIA TELNET?

A number of Telnet-accessible resources are located on the Internet, including: library catalogs, community information systems called Freenets, Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs), commercial databases, bibliographies, and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) servers.

Telnet-accessible library catalogs: http://moondog.usask.ca:80/hytelnet/sites1.html Telnet-accessible Freenets: http://duke.usask.ca/~scottp/free.html Telnet-accessible databases and bibliographies: gopher://liberty.uc.wlu.edu/11/internet/hytelnet/sites2/ Telnet-accessible BBSs: http://dkeep.com/sbi.html Telnet-accessible IRCs: http://uptown.turnpike.net/L/Larry14/irc.html

Telnet can also be used to connect to other types of Internet tools and resources such as Archie, Gopher, and the World Wide Web.

Telnet-accessible Web browser: Telnet to lynx.cc.ukans.edu and login as lynx Telnet-accessible Gopher client: Telnet to consultant.micro.umn.edu and login as gopher Telnet-accessible Archie servers: http://www.earn.net/gnrt/archie.html

WHAT IS HYTELNET?

HYTELNET is a software tool, developed at the University of Saskatchewan that uses hypertext links to access Telnet resources such as library catalogs. HYTELNET allows users to connect to these resources by selecting them from hypertext menus. HYTELNET is often found on Web sites and Gopher menus.

For more information: http://www.lights.com/hytelnet/ gopher://liberty.uc.wlu.edu/11/internet/hytelnet

CONNECTING TO TELNET-ACCESSIBLE SITES

Telnet sessions can be opened from the command line of Internet shell accounts or by using a Telnet or TN3270 client. You can use a World Wide Web browser or Gopher software to open a Telnet session if the appropriate client (Telnet or TN3270) is available and configured properly. Use the appropriate URL address format to open a Telnet session from a Web browser (e.g., telnet://locis.loc.gov).

When you establish a connection to a Telnet server, you are often asked to indicate the type of terminal you are using. If you do not know your terminal type, accept the default, which is usually vt100. Remember that when you use Telnet, the commands you use are executed on the remote computer and these commands differ from system to system; be sure to note of any instructions (including escape sequences and exit instructions) that appear on the initial screens.

FINDING TELNET-ACCESSIBLE SITES

Several search engines allow you to search for Telnet resources by keyword:

Search all Hytelnet Entries: http://galaxy.einet.net/hytelnet/HYTELNET.html Einet Galaxy (select Telnet Resources): http://galaxy.tradewave.com/cgi-bin/wais-text-multi? Lycos: http://www.lycos.com/

WHERE TO GET TELNET AND TN3270 CLIENT SOFTWARE

Telnet client software is available for most computer operating platforms:

WINDOWS: http://www.sasknet.com/~tucows/softterm.html WINDOWS 95: http://www.sasknet.com/~tucows/term95.html MACINTOSH: http://www.echonyc.com/~andrewj/telnetframe.html OS/2: http://www.shadow.net/~daviddjr/tcpip/telnet.html DOS: http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Indices/Software/Platform.html

SAVING INFORMATION FROM TELNET SESSIONS

Telnet clients may contain print screen or file capture commands that you can use to save information from a Telnet session. Some Internet providers offer the option of opening a log from your Internet account. Logs are helpful for saving the contents of Telnet sessions because many Telnet sites do not provide save options.