Windows NT Telnet Server

Log on remotely from your cubicle

Would you like to find a software product that lets you log on to a remoteserver and run a systems administration program from the privacy of yourcubicle? Are legacy, non-client/server database applications bogging down yourWAN links and transferring MBs of data with simple queries because the client isdoing the processing? Georgia Softworks' Windows NT Telnet Server provides asolution.

Installation and Use
Installing and running Telnet Server requires little effort. I loaded thesoftware on my home-built, Micronics-based dual Pentium II NT 4.0 Server. AfterI inserted the distribution disk, I waited while the setup program ran. Duringsetup, two components are installed. A Telnet service waits for connectionrequests on the TCP/IP Telnet port (port 23) and launches a shell session afteryou log on. A client application lets you connect to the server when you don'thave another Telnet program handy. If you install Telnet Server on a computerrunning Windows 95, you need to install only the client component.

After installation is complete, the NT's Telnet service startsautomatically; no server reboot is necessary. Installing Telnet Server andestablishing my first Telnet session took me less than 5 minutes.

Special Features
Telnet Server includes several terminal emulations, such as ANSI, VT100,VT220/320/420, AT386, Wyse 50/60, IBM 3101, IBM 3151, and SCO Console. Basicgraphic capabilities, such as the box and line graphics found in MicrosoftEditor, can operate with Telnet client software. Function keys, the Alt key, andother special keys (e.g., the arrow or Home/End keys) also work with the Telnetclient. As a bonus, Telnet Server supports mouse functions (e.g., key clicks inan Edit session) when it's used in conjunction with the client software.

When a user logs on through the Telnet session by providing a valid NT username and password, Telnet Server can run logon scripts. No special user accountdatabase is necessary; Telnet Server fully integrates with NT's native security.When a user logs on, the software searches a special directory for one of twofiles: c_start.bat or k_start.bat. Telnet Server accesses c_start.bat, and thescript executes. After execution is complete, the Telnet session automaticallydisconnects the user. This way, users can only run specific programs byautomatically executing a menu program. If Telnet Server accesses k_start.bat,the software will place the user at a system prompt (cmd.exe) once the scriptexecutes. The user can then execute other system commands or navigate throughdirectories as easily as if the user were sitting at the system console lookingat an NT command prompt.

Network links can be unreliable, so when a user disconnects in the middleof an important job, the software can use proprietary algorithms to identify andclean up these sessions with its industrial-quality, session cleanup feature.You can even program the software to automatically execute a series of commandswhen it detects an abnormal termination of a Telnet session. This way, you canunload terminate-and-stay resident (TSR) programs, close database files, or savetemporary files.

Getting the Most Out of Telnet Server
Even though Telnet Client isn't required, I used the client to take fulladvantage of Telnet Server's capabilities. The client is especially helpful ifyou perform any software operation that requires ASCII graphics or functionkeys. Screen 1 shows a GS Telnet Client configuration file editing session.

I found that alternative Telnet programs don't work very well. When Iconnected to my server from an alternative NT workstation using NT's stockTelnet application, my graphics applications didn't paint to the screencorrectly. When I tried using HyperACCESS from Hilgraeve (software that hasexcellent terminal emulation), I had better luck but still experienced problems.However, when I used GS' Telnet client, it performed flawlessly. If you need aninexpensive Telnet server for your NT server, try this product.