How to Use Telnet on MacOS: A 12-Step Guide
1. Confirm Availability of Telnet
Before you can start using Telnet on your Mac, check if it is already installed by default. To do so, open Terminal (press Command+Space and type “Terminal”) and then type “telnet” in the Terminal window followed by pressing Enter. If it is not available, you will need to install Telnet.
2. Install Homebrew (If Not Already Installed)
To install Telnet on your Mac, you need to have Homebrew installed. Check if you have Homebrew by typing “brew” in the Terminal. If not, visit https://brew.sh/ and follow the instructions there to install Homebrew.
3. Install Telnet Using Homebrew
After installing Homebrew, install Telnet by typing the following command in Terminal: “brew install telnet”. Press Enter and wait for the installation to complete.
4. Verify Telnet Installation
Execute the “telnet” command in Terminal again to ensure it is installed correctly.
5. Gather Connection Information
Determine the hostname and port number of the server you want to connect to using Telnet.
6. Open a Telnet Session
Type this command in Terminal: “telnet [hostname] [port]”. Replace [hostname] and [port] with the corresponding values for your target server. Press Enter to initiate a connection.
7. Wait for Connection
If successfully connected, the terminal window will display a message confirming that the connection has been established.
8. Enter Login Credentials
Prompted with a login request, provide your username or user credentials when requested after pressing Enter.
9. Execute Commands
Use specific commands depending on what actions you want to perform on the remote server via Telnet. This may include viewing files or directories, downloading data, or managing server configurations remotely.
10. Disconnect from Server
To close the Telnet connection, type “quit” or “exit” and press Enter. You will be disconnected from the remote server, and the terminal window will return to its normal command prompt.
11. Close Terminal
After completing your Telnet tasks, close the Terminal application by either clicking on the red close button in the top-left corner of the Terminal window or typing “exit” followed by pressing Enter.
12. Safely Store Your Telnet Credentials
To protect sensitive information, make sure to securely store any Telnet login credentials used during your session. Avoid writing them down or saving them in plain text documents where they can be discovered and exploited by unauthorized users.
In summary, using Telnet on MacOS isn’t difficult once you have it installed and understand how to navigate through its processes. Follow these 12 straightforward steps to access remote servers with ease and confidence on your Mac!