Sending an email using Telnet is a unique method that allows you to test and troubleshoot email communication without a dedicated email client. In this article, we will outline the 8 steps required to send an email using Telnet.

1. Install Telnet:

Before you can begin, ensure that Telnet is installed on your device. You can do this by running the following command in a command prompt (for windows users): ‘telnet’ or terminal (for macOS/Linux users): ‘telnet’. If Telnet is not installed, download and install it.

2. Open Telnet:

Launch the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux), type ‘telnet’ and press enter.

3. Connect to the mail server:

In the telnet session, type ‘open [mail server address] [port number]’ and press enter, replacing ‘[mail server address]’ with your mail server’s address and ‘[port number]’ with the appropriate port (usually 25).

Example: open mail.example.com 25

4. Say hello to the server:

After connecting, introduce yourself to the mail server by typing ‘HELO [your domain name]’ and pressing enter. Replace ‘[your domain name]’ with your actual domain name.

Example: HELO example.com

5. Set the sender’s email address:

Type ‘MAIL FROM:<[email protected]>’ and press enter, replacing ‘[email protected]’ with the sender’s actual email address.

Example: MAIL FROM:<[email protected]>

6. Set the recipient’s email address:

Type ‘RCPT TO:<[email protected]>’ and press enter, replacing ‘[email protected]’ with the recipient’s actual email address.

Example: RCPT TO:<[email protected]>

7. Compose your message:

Specify that you want to input a message by typing ‘DATA’ and pressing enter. The server will prompt you to enter your message. Create the message, starting with the ‘Subject:’ followed by any content you wish to include. End the message with a period (.) on a new line and press enter.

Example:

DATA

Subject: Test email

This is a test email using Telnet.

8. Close the Telnet session:

Once you’ve sent your email, type ‘QUIT’ and press enter to close the Telnet session.

These 8 steps will guide you through sending an email using Telnet. This is particularly useful for troubleshooting mail server issues or testing SMTP configurations on your server. Just remember that emails sent via Telnet lack the security and features provided by most modern email clients.