California Digital Library

Connecting to Telnet-based Resources with Telnet Software

A number of CDL resources are available through Telnet-based systems. To connect to these systems, you will need to have Telnet software on your computer. Fortunately, most personal computers already have Telnet software installed, and most web browsers already know how to work with them. The information provided below should be helpful if you have trouble connecting with Telnet software.


"Unable to find application" message in your web browser

In order to connect to a Telnet-based resource, you need to have a Telnet application program running on your computer. The program may not actually be named "Telnet" but it must perform the Telnet function of logging on to remote computers as a terminal.

The Unable to find application message appears if the Telnet application is not installed on your computer, or if you do not have your web browser set up to use the Telnet program you have.

To get Telnet working with Netscape, the steps are:

  1. Make sure you have Telnet software installed (check with your local computer or network support staff for help installing it).
  2. For Netscape 3.x: Select Options on the top menu bar, select General Preferences, then select the Applications or Apps tab. For Netscape 4.x, select Edit, then select Preferences. If you are using Windows 95/98, see the Note for Windows 95/98 Users below.
  3. Look for the space for entering a Telnet application. Use the Browse button to select your Telnet application, or enter the full path and file name of the Telnet application on your computer.

Note for Windows 95/98 Users

Windows 95/98 comes with a Telnet application. Netscape 4.x and Internet Explorer should automatically use this Telnet application, so you should not need to do any special setup in your World Wide Web browser to use the Windows 95/98 Telnet.

You can modify the Netscape application preferences to use any other telnet program you have installed on your computer by going into Preferences/Applications and selecting "URL:Telnet Protocol." The "Edit..." button then allows you to browse your hard disk and select the desired program. Should you wish to return to the original value in that field, it is:

     rundll32.exe url.dll,TelnetProtocolHandler %l

Sources of Telnet application software for Macintosh and IBM compatibles