Simple Ways to Quit Telnet on Windows, Mac, & Linux

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Quit telnet and go back to your command line instantly
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This wikiHow teaches you how to exit a telnet session on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.

Quick Steps

  1. Press Ctrl + ] on your keyboard.
  2. Type "close".
  3. Press Enter or Return to close the connection.

Steps

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  1. Step 1 Press Ctrl+] on your keyboard.
    Whether you're using telnet on Windows, macOS, or Linux, pressing Ctrl + ] when connected to a server via telnet brings you back to the telnet> prompt.
  2. Step 2 Type close.
    Alternatively, you can type quit or q—any of these three commands will work.
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  3. Step 3 Press Enter or ⏎ Return.
    This exits telnet and returns you to the prompt in Command Prompt or Terminal.
    • If you tried to telnet to a host and the connection is hanging, you may just see ^] on the screen when you press Ctrl + ]. In this case, you can either wait for the connection to time out, or exit telnet by closing the Command Prompt or Terminal window.
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Tips

  • While telnet used to be one of the most common ways to connect to servers remotely, most servers no longer accept telnet connections on most ports. These days, people mostly use telnet to test open ports, though tools like Netcat and Nmap are becoming more common.[1]
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  • Telnet no longer comes preinstalled on Windows or macOS. To remotely connect to a Unix server, use ssh instead.[2]
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/stop-using-telnet-test-port
  2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208430

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 63,213 times.
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Co-authors: 8
Updated: February 2, 2024
Views: 63,213
Categories: Remote Access Services
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