How To Internet & Network What Exactly Is 'Telnet'? What Does Telnet Do? Share Pin Email Print Olaser/E+/Getty Images Internet & Network Basics Guides & Tutorials Installing & Upgrading Tips & Tricks Key Concepts What Are Bitcoins? by Paul Gil Updated September 19, 2017 Telnet is an old computer protocol (set of programmatic rules). Telnet is famous for being the original Internet when the Net first launched in 1969. Telnet stands for 'telecommunications network', and was built to be form of remote control to manage mainframe computers from distant terminals. In those original days of large mainframe computers, telnet enabled research students and professors to 'log in' to the university mainframe from any terminal in the building. This remote login saved researchers hours of walking each semester. While telnet pales in comparison to modern networking technology, it was revolutionary in 1969, and telnet helped pave the way for the eventual World Wide Web in 1989. While telnet technology is very old, it is still in some use today by purists. Telnet has evolved into a new modern version of remote control called 'SSH', something that many modern network administrators use today to manage linux and unix computers from a distance.Telnet is a text-based computer protocol. Unlike Firefox or Google Chrome screens, telnet screens are very dull to look at. Very different from Web pages that sport fancy images, animation, and hyperlinks, telnet is about typing on a keyboard. Telnet commands can be rather cryptic commands, with example commands being 'z' and 'prompt% fg'. Most modern users would find telnet screens to be very archaic and slow. Here are examples of telnet/SSH client software packages.Popular ArticlesWhat Is Uber? How Does Uber Work?What Is an Internet Meme?What Is a Hacker?The Best Hacker Movies of All TimeWhy You Should Use a VPN to Protect YourselfThe Most Addictive WebsitesBizarre Facts About the World Wide WebRelated ArticlesWhy Is Uber So Controversial? What Is 'TLDR'?Why Would You Ever Create a Meme?How to Make an Internet MemeWhat Is 'RTFM'? What Does RTFM Mean?What Is ''? What Does Mean?What Does 'EPEEN' Mean?Internet Trolls: How They Effect You and Tips for Dealing with Them Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit Continue Reading