Connection using Telnet

You should be aware that telnet uses an old-fashioned protocol that does not provide adequate security in the current Internet environment. A more secure alternative to telnet is provided by Secure Shell (SSH), described in the next section. However, it may not be convenient or practical for all users to install Secure Shell. In such cases, telnet is an alternative.

All computers running Microsoft's operating system Windows 95 or later include a telnet client as part of the default installation. (The same holds for Macintoshes running MacOS X. Telnet clients are also available for ``classic'' Macintosh [i.e., MacOS 8 and 9], but as noted above, if you are going to install anything, you are better off installing a Secure Shell client instead.)

You may find telnet on the Applications menu under Internet Tools. If not, you can use the Run$\ldots$ menu item and type the command telnet in the box, then hit the Enter key. Use the Connect menu to enter the name of the server to which you want to connect. You will have to provide the full name of the server, namely storm.cis.fordham.edu for storm, or erdos.dsm.fordham.edu for erdos.

You will then be prompted for your username and password. Type these exactly as they are given on the account information sheet. (The password will not appear when you type it.) Note that in Unix, upper and lower case are not considered equivalent.

Note that telnet provides only a text-based connection, with no graphics or mouse support.

To log out of your telnet session, at the shell prompt type the command logout and hit the Enter key.