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

PDF download Download Article
Quit telnet and go back to your command line instantly
PDF download Download Article

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

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/85\/Exit-Telnet-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Exit-Telnet-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/85\/Exit-Telnet-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Exit-Telnet-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    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. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a6\/Exit-Telnet-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Exit-Telnet-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a6\/Exit-Telnet-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Exit-Telnet-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Alternatively, you can type quit or q —any of these three commands will work.
    Advertisement
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7b\/Exit-Telnet-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Exit-Telnet-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7b\/Exit-Telnet-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Exit-Telnet-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    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.
    4. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      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]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Telnet no longer comes preinstalled on Windows or macOS. To remotely connect to a Unix server, use ssh instead. [2]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Detect a Remote Access to My Computer
      How to
      Remotely Access Another Computer Using Mac or Windows PC
      How to
      Remotely Shutdown a Computer
      How to
      Set up VNC on a Mac and Fix Common Issues
      How to
      Send Email Using Telnet
      How to
      Turn on Remote Desktop Using Regedit
      How to
      Use Telnet on Mac OS X
      How to
      Do a Remote Shutdown for a PC on a LAN
      How to
      Use RealVNC
      How to
      Activate Telnet in Windows 7
      How to
      Set Up Remote Desktop Printing
      How to
      Watch Movies Using Telnet
      Advertisement

      References

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

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 62,118 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement