RE: [ihc] Re: Location, location, location, and Mac's telnet

["Mac McMuffin" <mac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

## >> Mac, why don't you allow telnet? I kind of like to use it.
## >> I'm using it to
## >> compose this message on my ISP's server. I also use it to
## >> check my email,
## >> without having to download it all to my computer. Keeps the
## >> virii off my
## >> hard drive that way. I have used it to engage in real time chat with
## >> people, I have a couple of server type  progs that will allow folks to
## >> telnet to my computer (if they know my ip address), and chat,
## >> or whatever.
## >> Just curious.

telnet is insecure.  it sends everything plaintext, which isn't a real good
idea, in the modern age of computing and networking.  SSH (Secure SHell) is
a much better way of doing things, so i use that instead, and have a SSH
client or the SSHD daemon set up on all the machines here that matter.  you
can still telnet in to the POP and SMTP, but that's about it, and i have
enabled SMTP authorization so that people with legitimate mail accounts on
my server can relay through.  i have SSH set up on my mailserver, and all my
mail accounts have SSH enabled, so if you SSH into my network, you can get
your mail, send some new (without requiring SMTP AUTH), or do pretty much
anything you like, within the limits that have been set for your particular
account.  if you know how, you can even tunnel an X session back to
yourself.  try that with telnet.  +)  as for the chat, people can do that
too, all they need is my domain name--and have a valid login/password--and
they can SSH right in and we can talk on one of my servers, or talk from one
server to another.

basically, anything you can do with telnet, you can do with SSH instead,
only securely, and have some additional features on top.  plus, if you
really wanted to, you could SSH into my server and then telnet or SSH back
out (i do that myself sometimes, just because).  a friend of mine in
Michigan, a techie for CoreComm, SSH's into my server from there, and then
SSH's back out again to another server, and then back to herself at the ISP.
if you're using Windows, PuTTY is a very good and free SSH client.

there's a lot more to all of this, but that's it in a nutshell.  Richard
Welty can go into far more detail than can i about all of this.  ask *him*
why there are much better solutions than telnet.  +)

--Mac

---------------------------------------------------------------
Take care and be well, all thee and thine;

May the Hamr lend thee Strength and Courage,
May the Twin Ravens lend thee Wisdom and Guidance,
May the Wolves Guard and Protect thee, and
May the Light of Harmony ever shine brightly upon thee and thine,
Through all thy Life's Journeys, from this life unto the next!

Hail the Gods and Goddesses of our Folk!
Wassail!

Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/