When I first got Windows Vista, I thought that Microsoft has got rid of the telnet client because I found it unavailable when I first tried to use it. But then I noticed that it was made an optional component and you have to do the following to install it:
- Go to Control Panel –> Programs and Features, and click “Turn Windows Feature on or off” on the left.
- The Windows Features box should pop up, check mark the Telnet Client or any other component that you would like to install.
A good substitute for Windows telnet client is AbsoluteTelnet from Celestial Software. Not only does it support telnet as the MS client does, but it also supports SSH, which is a better security choice. It has a tabbed interface, advanced security, and is translated into seven languages!