On Thu, 11 Mar 1999, Wilson, Linda wrote:
+++ [CLIP] ++++
> Hi Museum-L-ers and ISEN-ASTC-ers

> Can anybody give me a quick lesson on what one uses TelNet for?  I know it
> has something to do with being able to access other computers, but that's
> about it.

================================

Linda:

Telnet is a simple system for accessing another computer site via the
internet.  Later versions of Windows come with telnet programmes built in:
you just have to bring them out and install them (use e.g. Windows
Explorer to search on "telnet" as a file name).  However, both Netscape
and Explorer will now launch a telnet command from the address strip (i.e.
instead of the usual http:// put telnet:// plus the address of your
computer site (which you can find from your museum or university system
people), e.g. telnet://unix.city.ac.uk in my case.

This command will quickly take you to your normal log-in and password screen
on your "home" system from any internet-connected computer anywhere in the
world, just as if you were logging on from your own museum office or
wherever you usually connect from. Once the login and password are
accepted you can use the system to access your normal files, check
and send e-mail etc.

Obviously there is a security risk if you are careless with your login and
password, and some hackers have systems to try out thousands of possible
login names and passwords, but the probability of this is often
exaggerated.

Patrick Boylan

P.S. I have read and replied to this via a telnet connection from my home
computer via a commercial Internet Service Provider connecting to my
university base computer 30 miles away, though I have done the same from
as far away as Australia!