Hello, I have joined this website in the hope someone can answer a few questions I have.

I am an Amateur when it comes to computers and networks. My firend and I have been trying to connect to one anothers computers using telnet in the command prompt. First we go to whatsmyip.org and we use that ip to try to connect. We then shutdown our firewall security and attempt to connect. We both end up failing. So I then tryed to ping his computer and that also failed.

So first i was wondering is it possible to connect though the internet like that??? And if so what am i doing wrong?? Or do u have to be on the same network?
I was also thinking could it be possibly the router I have blocking the ping or telnet.
Thank you and I hope someone can help me with my ignorance.

whatsmyip.org gives the public (ie wan side) address of your modem or router
while the systems are on the LAN side and the NAT feature hides the system addresses.

1) reenable those firewalls!

2) from your router port forward (port 23) to your system's ip address

3) open port 23 on the firewall

and pinging the systems ip address across the Internet will not work.

Once you correct the above, I HIGHLY recommend you stop using telnet and move to SSH (runs on port 22) which will encrypt the traffic and the login.

Thank you. But I still dont understand what ip should I be using and where or how can i get it? Also what is SSH??? And how can i use that?
Thank You

On EACH system, get a command prompt (run->cmd) and enter IPCONFIG
the ip address show is the target needed for port forward port 23.
For you, you can only port forward to one system.
You friend needs to do the above and has the same restriction

I should have deferred that comment until you resolved the above usage of telnet -- sorry. Let's get the Telnet working and then come back to that question

Ok cool. I figured out what my IP is and that awesome. But this step i dont understand

2. from your router port forward (port 23) to your system's ip address

I dont know what that means at all could you rephrase so i could understand.

Just wondering this can be done though the internet? Cause I thought my Ip 192.168.1.*** could only be used on the same network????


Thank you many Times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

each of you need to use whatsmyip.org and tell the other person that address

If you use whatsmyip.org and get back a.b.c.d, you give that to the other person.
Then (s)he uses telnet a.b.c.d and logs into your system -- IF and ONLY IF
1) you've got the router port 23 forwarded to your lan address seen in IPCONFIG

To make that work, you need to log into your router config page using your browser,
like 192.168.1.1
and enter the admin ID/Password

find the config page for FORWARDing and fill in the information, save the results.

The other person does likewise to their router

Ok this is all starting to make sence now! Im guesing that this its called "Port Range Forward"??? And i have to put my IP 192.168.1.*** in and the port Number 23???

And also on the security firewall tab do i need to deselect any of the checked boxes.


checked ---Block Anonymous Internet Requests
checked-----Filter Multicast
not checked-----Filter Internet NAT Redirection
checked -------Filter IDENT(Port 113

two above is correct

one above? don't see any issues there --- WHICH firewall are you (and the other person) using?

Thats me. Um i think i might need to deselect one of these my friend and i are about to try cause ive set every thing up I Will let you knwo how it goes!!

Uve been a great help thank you!!!!!!!

Ok we failed;(. Thats ok this is a learning experience.
Ok lets go over every thing I did. First my friend was trying to connect to my computer.
I had my router firewall turned off. I had "port Range Forwarding" on port 23.
I turned off windows firewall, and whent to whatsmyip.org and gave my friend my IP.
He then opend telnet and tryed to connect. We failed i changed some settings and still nothing.
Is there anything he needs to do??? or that I seem to be missing
Thanks a bunch..

P.S Im on an Xp my friend is on vista

failed HOW -- what was the message returned?

I have gotten it to work! Thanks to you! U have helped soooo much thank you u very very very very very much.

Nice. Now then consider the risk of Telnet.

When the connection is made, the user must log into the remote system.
That user/password is sent in plain text (just like what you're reading right now).
That means that anyone can sniff the connection and discover that not only is
your system available but also the means to gain access to it.

I strongly suggest you consider this information and stop using telnet and use SSH instead.
As a bonus, SSH performs both Telnet and FTP operations.

To make this work, change the port forward from port 23 to port 22

What is the command for it or is it a download thing??

google for SSH

there are several differently named downloads that implement SSH
Putty is one

a list of others