How to enable and use Telnet in Windows 10 – Easy Steps

Telnet is a remote access protocol that is commonly used on Windows systems, but it can also be installed on a Mac and Linux system using Homebrew. This protocol is quite old and is no longer used. The protocol is used through the command line. There are better tools that have been developed since Telnet was created and they have a more intuitive GUI.

Telnet and Windows 10

Telnet is not obsolete. It still works, but not many people use it. There are GUI clients that use Telnet and that make it infinitely easier to use, but despite that, you will find that there are better remote access solutions available. With that said, you can still enable and use Telnet in Windows 10.

Enable Telnet in Windows 10 – Control Panel

To enable Telnet in Windows 10, follow these steps;

1. Opened Control Panel.
2. Go to Programs.
3. Please select Enable or disable windows features.
4. In the window that opens select Telnet Client.
5. Click ok and continue with the onscreen instructions to install the client.

Enable Telnet in Windows 10 – Command Prompt

You can enable Telnet in Windows 10 through the command prompt.

1. Opened Command prompt with administrator rights.
2. Run this to commandD: dism /online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:TelnetClient
3. When the command is completed, the The Telnet client will be installed on your system.

Enable Telnet in Windows 10 – PowerShell

To enable Telnet from PowerShell, follow these steps.

1. Opened PowerShell with administrator rights.
2. Run this command: Install-WindowsFeature -name Telnet-Client
3. the The Telnet client will be installed.

Confirm Telnet installation

To verify if Telnet is installed on your system, or to confirm that the installation was successful, follow these steps.

1. Opened Command prompt with administrator rights.
2. Run this command: telnet
3. You should see a message that says ‘Microsoft Telnet’. If the command is not recognized, Telnet has not been installed.

How to use Telnet in Windows 10

The Telnet client is a command line tool. It will not install as a GUI application and you will use it through the command prompt. You must be familiar with the commands to connect to a remote system. Open command prompt with administrator rights.

Connect to server

telnet hostname port

conclusion

If you have to remotely access a non-Windows system, telnet may be a reasonably good solution; however, you must know the port and IP address, as well as the username and password of the system to which you are connecting. The system must also be configured to accept and allow a connection from Telnet. It all gets a bit tedious, that’s why there are tools that are much easier to use and cross-platform.