Linux Red Hat 7.3 telnet connection refused

[Ted Ellis_2]

We have a Linux server built fresh and telnet works out but not in. In other words, we can not telnet into this machine. We get the infamous connection refused error message. I am looking for the laundry list of ideas that need checking. I was forced to work over the phone with someone who is not unix heavy, but they reported that the /etc/xinetd.d/telnet file looked normal, that netstat -an reported a telnet port listening. Xinted -c did not clear it up and neither did a reboot. DNS resolves other hosts fine, ping works... I have installed a bunch of 7.0 Redhat without any issues with telnet... anything special about 7.3? Thanks....

Ted

[U.SivaKumar_2]

Hi,
I think you might have installed linux with firewall config. Do this
#iptables -F
#ipchains -F

Try again to telnet.

regards,
U.SivaKumar

[Donald Kok]

Hi Ted,
telnet server is not standard installed in 7.3. You can check if /usr/sbin/in.telnetd exists.
If not then install this from the RPMS-dir:
rpm -ivh telnet-server*

Goodluck
Donald

[Balaji N · Accepted solution]

Hi,

1. check if the "disable=no" entry is there in /etc/xinetd.d/telnet file.
2. check if telnet localhost is working on that machine.
3. if yes, then check if a firewall is running on the server.
iptables -L
ipchains -L
4. if yes, use lokkit to customise the firewall configuration to open up port 23.

regards
balaji

[Ted Ellis_2]

Balaji and U... great answers. I found out that the person who installed the server just selected install all for the modules, so the firewall was there, with high security settings. We have our own firewall and do not need this, so I used lokkit to disable the firewall.... many thanks, problem solved

Ted