Telnet

Telnet is an older terminal protocol still found on legacy network gear, lab equipment, and industrial systems. Unlike SSH, Telnet itself is unencrypted, so it should only be used on trusted networks or for devices that support nothing else. Routing it through the Bridge gives you the access control and full session recording that Telnet on its own lacks.

You can offer Telnet two ways, and you can use either or both:

Native mode - users connect with a regular Telnet client pointed at a port on the Bridge.
Browser mode - users open a Telnet terminal inside the Bridge web interface, with nothing to install.

Telnet carries usernames, passwords, and session data in clear text. Prefer SSH wherever the target supports it, and limit Telnet to devices that genuinely require it.

Granting access. Settings here enable Telnet for the deployment. To grant a person access to a host, create a checkout - see the payload reference (Telnet uses the common access fields).

Native mode

Turn on native mode and pick a port. Port 23 is the conventional Telnet port.

bridge.yaml

telnet:
  native:
    enabled: true
    listen: "23"

Users then point their Telnet client at the Bridge:

telnet bridge.example.com 23

Browser mode

Browser mode gives users a Telnet terminal inside the web interface - no client to install or configure.

bridge.yaml

telnet:
  browser:
    enabled: true

Shared options

bridge.yaml

telnet:
  idle_timeout: 30m

Examples

bridge.yaml

telnet:
  idle_timeout: 30m
  native:
    enabled: true
    listen: "23"

Option reference

Option	Type	Default	Description
`telnet.idle_timeout`	duration	`30m`	Close a session after this much inactivity.
`telnet.native.enabled`	bool	`false`	Turn on native Telnet (a listening port).
`telnet.native.listen`	string (port)	`23`	Port the Bridge listens on. Required when native is enabled.
`telnet.browser.enabled`	bool	`false`	Turn on the in-browser Telnet terminal.

Last updated on July 6, 2026

SSH VNC