HOW DO I ACCESS THESE BBS'S VIA THE INTERNET?
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Updated 12/07

How Do I Access BBS Systems On The Internet?

Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) have been around before the big push of
the modern Internet. They were developed back when MS-DOS was king,
mice weren't widely used (what's this point-and-click thing?) and
when everyone knew what ANSI and high-ASCII meant.

Because BBS systems were developed before today's World Wide Web, the
way you access BBS systems is different than most people are accustomed
to.

Instead of using your web browser, most BBS systems are accessed by
one of two ways - direct dial-up modem and via Telnet. This list deals
with Telnet and that method will be explained here.

Telnet is the process of using a computer from a remote location. This is
the equivalent of using a computer from the main console (keyboard) but
you are at a different location and using the Internet as a transport of
data from where you are now to where the computer is. Telnet has been used
for many years - even before the World Wide Web.

To access a Telnettable BBS, you will need a Telnet "client". This client
is a stand-alone program that is different from your web browser. For
those who are using Unix or Linux, there is a built-in Telnet client in
the command-line shell. For those of you who are using Windows 95 or
higher systems, your software also has a built-in Telnet client. It
isn't very good and you can download and install other Telnet clients
that work a lot better.

Telnet syntax is very similar to that of the web. If you are on a Unix
or Linux command line, type in the following commands:

telnet (host name)  (ex: telnet bbs.dmine.net)
or
telnet (IP address)  (ex: telnet 192.168.0.1)

Some systems integrate "telnet" into a menu prompt, which after
execution will simply ask you to enter the host name or IP address.

Most systems use telnet "port" 23. If no port is specified in the
listings, more than likely it its port 23 and no special commands are
needed. If there is a number beside the listing, you will need to use
that port number. The syntax for these is:

telnet (host name) (port number) (ex: examplebbs.com 2002)

Windows 95 & 98 have built-in Telnet clients and can use the same commands
as listed above - however the quality is awful (no color, strange characters,
etc). The Telnet clients in Windows NT/2000/XP do a fairly good job and
operates about the same as the ones for Unix listed above.

For Windows users, we highly suggest you use a stand alone Telnet client.
The best one we've seen so far is called mTelnet and can be downloaded for
free at http://ozone.eesc.com. A comprehensive list of more Telnet clients
is available at the Getting Connected
(http://www.dmine.com/bbscorner/connected.htm) page at The BBS Corner.

If you have any questions - please visit the Telnet FAQ
(http://www.dmine.com/telnet/faq.htm) page. If you need further help you
may contact us (http://www.dmine.com/telnet/contactus.htm).


