Chapter
19
Telnet to the Internet
Back in the old days, the only way to communicate
with a computer was to "log on" as a user on the system and type away line by
line. Compared to today's Web and other graphical interfaces, direct computer logons seem
like they belong in the Smithsonian. But wait...
In this lesson, you find the answers to the
following questions:
- What is Telnet and how does it work?
- How can I get Telnet to work with my Web browser?
- Are different types of Telnet available?
- What do I need to log on to a computer via Telnet?
- What are some examples of Telnet sites and
information?
Understanding Telnet
For you to understand what Telnet is, my explaining
what it isn't might be easiest. When you use a Web browser, e-mail or newsgroup client, or
just about any other application on the Internet, you never actually "see" what
is on the computer you're connecting to. Instead, your client contacts the server, gets
the information it needs, displays it on your screen, and then disconnects from the
server.
Telnet is in fact just the opposite. Telnet requires
that you actually be connected to the server computer at all times to maintain
communication. In this environment, all interactions are conducted in a command-line
environment where your communication and the server's responses appear in a text format,
as shown in Figure 19.1.
New Term: Command-line environment: In this
environment, you type text on a line, the server responds with text, you type in another
command, and so on. These interfaces often require special commands and keystroke
combinations to perform special functions.
Figure 19.1.
A Telnet session is about as Plain Jane as you
can get.
Though Telnet sessions may not be much to look at, a
wealth of information is available using Telnet. Many libraries, local bulletin board
systems, and more are all available via Telnet connections. Once you know your way around
Telnet, you may make it one of your standard Internet tools.
Telnetting from the Web
Because you must keep contact with the server at all
times to maintain a Telnet connection, the standard Internet clients don't work. Instead,
you must have a client that performs the necessary Telnet functions for you.
In addition, you may often run into Telnet sites
while exploring Gopher or the World Wide Web. So, having your Web browser configured to
call a Telnet client automatically whenever you click a Telnet link is also helpful.
The Flavors of Telnet
Before you can tell your Web browser which Telnet
client to use, you need to have one first. Before you proceed, however, be aware that you
will run into two types of Telnet: VT100 and TN3270.
You need to know two things about these different
terminal protocols. First, each of these terminal types requires its own client. Second,
be aware that VT100 is by far the most common terminal type in use, but TN3270 is a common
terminal type for libraries to which you can telnet. Usually, a TN3270 client will connect
to VT100 sites.
Before you set your browser to handle Telnet
clients, you need to know where to get them:
After you install these clients on your hard drive,
you're ready to tell your browser how to use them.
Helping Your Browser with Telnet
Configuring your browser to use these Telnet clients
is a relatively easy process. You only need to find out where your browser is configured
to use helper applications and then plug in the correct filename. The following steps show
you how to configure Netscape Navigator 3.0 to use Telnet clients.
To Do: Configuring Netscape to Use Telnet
- 1. In Netscape, choose Options|General
Preferences.
2. Click the Apps tab.
3. Click in the Telnet Application field. Then type in c:\windows\telnet.exe
if you're using Windows 95 or the correct path and filename for any other Telnet client
you're using.
4. Click in the TN3270 Application field and enter the correct path and filename for
your TN3270 client. Your window should look something like the one shown in Figure 19.2.
5. Click OK, and you're ready to go.
Figure 19.2.
Netscape is easy to configure, so you can Telnet
around the world effortlessly.
Internet Explorer is both easier and harder to
configure than Netscape. For standard Telnet sessions, Explorer comes preconfigured. You
have to do a little work, however, before it can handle TN3270 sessions.
To Do: Configuring Explorer to Use Telnet
- 1. In Explorer, choose View|Options.
2. Click the Programs tab, and then click the File Types button.
3. Scroll down in the resulting window until you see the URL:TN3270 Protocol item and
double-click it.
4. Click the Edit button. Then either browse to find your TN3270 client, or enter it
directly, as shown in Figure 19.3.
5. Click the OK and Close buttons until you return to the Internet Explorer window.
You're now ready to go.
Figure 19.3.
The process takes awhile, but you can tell
Explorer how to use TN3270.
Time Saver: If you enter a Telnet URL
directly in the Location field of Internet Explorer, leave out the standard //.
If you want to Telnet to here.there.com, for example, you simply type telnet:here.there.com.
No matter what browser you use, you should be able
to Telnet to any machine in the world in a matter of minutes.
Telnet Essentials
Unlike other types of sites you'll encounter on the
Web, you don't gain automatic entrance to Telnettable Internet sites. You're likely to
encounter several general types of Telnet sessions on the Internet:
- Freenets: These organizations offer limited bulletin
board system-like access onto the Internet, although some Freenets offer no Internet
access at all.
- BBSs: Bulletin board systems contain information
specific to the organizations that sponsor them. They are often similar to Freenets,
except that they rarely offer any type of Internet access.
- Libraries: Probably the most common type of Telnet
site, library systems usually enable you to search an electronic card catalog for
individual library resources.
- MUDs and MOOs: MUDs (Multiuser Dungeons) and MOOs
(MUDs-Object- Oriented) are sites that you can log on to with the specific purpose of
playing a game, sharing information, or talking with other "mudders."
Originally, these sites were created for playing dungeon-type games, but now many MUDs and
MOOs are designed for sharing academic information and other more useful purposes.
These different types of sites require different
information when you log on and use different commands once you're on. I cannot give
exhaustive coverage of all you'll need to know here, but I can offer some general
information.
Getting On
Libraries are really the only sites that often do
not require any type of login or password information for you to get on. As for Freenets,
BBSs, MUDs, and MOOs, the information they require is generally straightforward.
As a rule, you are required to enter a user ID, or
login ID, and possibly a password. Most often, if you're visiting one of these sites for
the first time, you can use a login ID of new, guest, or visitor.
Often, these IDs don't require a password. When a
password is required, the login prompt tells you the information you need to give. Figure
19.4 shows a typical Telnet login screen.
Figure 19.4.
Most Telnet sites tell you what information they
need before you log on.
As a visitor or new user, you are often asked to
give your name and other personal information to become a registered user. Usually, you
need to become a member of the site to gain access to many of the offered features.
Time Saver: Always look for a text link next
to a Telnet session link. These links often give you information such as the login ID and
password that you'll need to log on to the site. Most browsers also display a small dialog
box informing you of any login ID you'll need to use before your Telnet client connects to
the site.
Again, many libraries don't require any login at
all. Of those that do, library (or an abbreviated form of the library's name) is
usually requested. The Alma College Library in Michigan, for example, asks you to log on
as aclib.
You will probably run into dozens of other login
IDs, but you will generally be told what they are before you have to log on.
What to Do After You Get There
After you are on one of these sites, the choices of
what you can do are almost endless. However, don't worry. As with login and password
information, most Telnet sites offer help menus and self-explanatory directories that
prompt you every step of the way.
If you're logged into a BBS, chances are you're
using a Galacticom bulletin board. Galacticom is probably the most popular BBS, but they
all work pretty much the same. Figure 19.5 shows a typical Galacticom BBS menu. Keep in
mind, though, that even non-Galacticom boards look similar.
Figure 19.5.
A typical BBS looks much like the one shown here.
Notice the self-explanatory menu items.
Many libraries are also similar to use. You can
generally search them by a number of different criteria such as Subject and Author. Figure
19.6 shows a typical Telnettable library.
Figure 19.6.
Electronic libraries also give you explicit
directions on how to use them.
MUDs and MOOs are a little trickier and require more
practice to use. For more details on how MUDs operate, refer to the "Getting
MUDdy" section later in this lesson.
Telnet Examples
Now you're ready to see some of these sites in
action. The following sections give you some idea of what is available in the world of
Telnet. Telnet may not be flashy, but it sure has some substance.
Using FedWorld
FedWorld, which contains a lot of information, is
probably one of the biggest Telnettable BBSs around. The following section tells how to
get to it.
To Do: Starting to Use FedWorld
- 1. Go to telnet://fedworld.gov and
login as NEW.
2. You will be asked several questions about yourself, which you should answer.
FedWorld will then leave you a piece of e-mail on your account with an attached user's
manual.
3. After reading your mail, you come to the main menu.
4. From the main menu, select Option 1 to proceed to FedWorld.
5. Choose J to get a listing of Federal job openings.
6. From the next menu, choose Z to select jobs by state.
7. Select the option for whichever state you're interested in.
8. Feel free to browse around and search for a job. You may have to experiment a bit.
As you can see in Figure 19.7, getting a Federal job may take awhile.
Figure 19.7.
If you're a qualified weapons assessor, this
job's for you!
Getting MUDdy
Now take a look at the interactive world of MUDs and
MOOs. These Telnettable sites offer all sorts of possibilities. For this example, you're
going to look at Elendor, a MUD dedicated to "a literary and role-playing study of
Tolkien's Middle Earth."
Point your browser to telnet://elendor.sbs.nau.edu.
If you want to log on as a guest, type connect Nomad nomad. This way, you can
wander to your heart's content. You can also create a character when you log on.
When you log on to one of these worlds, you should
first look for login instructions, which often tell you where to go for help. In Elendor,
for example, you are told to type WHO to find out who else is logged on.
Time Saver: In the world of MUDs, case
matters. If you're trying to find out who is on, don't type who; type WHO.
Besides WHO, several other commands are
common. QUIT enables you to leave the world you're in, and help gives
you descriptions of different types of commands.
To Do: Getting Help with MUDs
- 1. Type help commands to get a
listing of the commands available in the MUD. When you do, you'll see that one of the
commands is pose.
2. If you're curious as to what this command actually does, type help pose to
see a description like the one in Figure 19.8.
3. Look at the help for different commands. Focus mainly on the action commands
because they are used most often.
Figure 19.8.
Now you know what the pose command does
in a MUD.
In Figure 19.8, notice that several lines start with
<Public>, followed by sentences. These lines represent the discussions that
often occur in these worlds.
Time Saver: Probably the best way to find
your way around is to ask somebody for help. In Elendor, you can use the page
command. The command page Aragon=Can you help me?, for example, notifies the
character logged on as Aragon that you would like some help. Generally, people in these
worlds are more than happy to help if you are polite and sincere.
Using the rest of the commands is generally a matter
of trial and error. Walk around, look at objects, go to rooms that have others in them,
and just spend some time "mudding around." You may find yourself hooked.
Summary
You learned a lot of information about Telnet in
this lesson. You learned that you can Telnet to different resources, such as BBSs, MUDs,
and libraries. You also know that you can configure your browser to two types of
Telnet--VT100 and TN3270--for automatic access.
You also learned how to log on to Telnet sessions
and what to do after you get there. Finally, you looked at some examples of popular types
of Telnet sessions.
Workshop
The following workshop helps solidify the skills
that you learned in this lesson.
Q&A
Q I'm not real crazy about the Telnet client that
comes with Windows 95. Are any others available?
A Quite a few are available--some better than
others. For the definitive listing of Telnet clients to try, point your browser to http://www.shadow.net/tucows/term95.asp.
Q I use both Netscape Navigator and Internet
Explorer, and I'm having problems getting Telnet to work all the time. What should I do?
A First, make sure that they're both
configured to handle Telnet correctly. Next, remember that Netscape Telnet URLs start with
telnet:// or tn3270://, and Explorer's start with telnet: or tn3270:.
If worse comes to worst, put your cursor over the Telnet link and make note of the domain
name. Then you can manually open your Telnet client and connect to the site yourself.
Quiz
Take the following quiz to see how much you've
learned.
Questions
- 1. Which of the following is not a Telnet
type?
- (a) VT100
(b) Term63
(c) TN3270
2. Web browsers cannot conduct Telnet sessions by themselves.
- (a) True
(b) False
3. Which of the following are popular implementations of Telnet?
- (a) MUDs
(b) Libraries
(c) BBSs
(d) All the above
Answers
- 1. (b) Term63
2. (a) True. Browsers need Telnet clients to help them out.
3. (d) All the above
Activity
The next time you have an hour or so to while away,
explore some of the virtual worlds of Telnet. As your starting point, go to gopher://spinaltap.micro.umn.edu:70/11/fun/Games/MUDs/Links/all.
You also can use any of the search engines covered in Lesson 16, "Searching the Web
for Virtually Anything," to search for MUDs or MOOs.
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