Telnet-able terminal number emulator (for an OLD school SCO OpenServer sys)

[Gudzenheit]

Hello. Recently, i have been trying to do some work from home. My work involves an SCO OpenServer5 system. I already know the host info that i need to telnet (not ssh, this is OLD) into, the user/pass, but every time i connect, the remote host kicks me. I have come to beleive that authorized terminals on this net all have unique "terminal numbers". It is my beleif that one is not allowed to connect to the server unless the connection bears the correct terminal number.

As I am in a position in which this remote access will not affect my long-term career standing, I was wondering if there was anyway to emulate these "terminal numbers" during a telnet session.

I tried googling, but couldnt think up an effective string; all i got was garbage. Thanks in advance,

Gud

[Gudzenheit]

Alas, no responses yet. Ah well, here is some more information that might help some who know let me know. Here are the actual settings of the terminals that I wish to emulate:

Comm Mode : FDX/Line
Baud Rate : 9600 (probably irrelavant) Data xfer mode : 8,N,1 (8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit)
Xon/Xoff : None
Terminator : US/CR

TERMINAL MODE - WYSE 30, Enhanced
Program keys are terminal dependent (vs. user dpendant)
Keyboard : PC/+ (102-key non MS keyboard)

.... Some more information.. at the actual terminal, there is a function key of F01, with no link key.

... most of this information is probably pretty irrelavant, but if anyone has the answer to the question mentioned above, I would love to hear it.

/bump

[RiVeRSiDE]

Alas, no responses yet. Ah well, here is some more information that might help some who know let me know. Here are the actual settings of the terminals that I wish to emulate:

Comm Mode : FDX/Line
Baud Rate : 9600 (probably irrelavant) Data xfer mode : 8,N,1 (8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit)
Xon/Xoff : None
Terminator : US/CR

TERMINAL MODE - WYSE 30, Enhanced
Program keys are terminal dependent (vs. user dpendant)
Keyboard : PC/+ (102-key non MS keyboard)

.... Some more information.. at the actual terminal, there is a function key of F01, with no link key.

... most of this information is probably pretty irrelavant, but if anyone has the answer to the question mentioned above, I would love to hear it.

/bump

I use a trick that is kind of abnormal for a lot of my older gear. Hewlett Packard makes a "Secure Web Console". It attaches via a serial cable to the back of any box (including PBX devices, old mainframes, almost any UNIX host etc.) This is unsupported of course on any other platform besides HP-UX, but it's a sure thing solution. It push's out the console content via the web (SSL). For my HPUX servers these things rule, because I can do hardware control that you normally couldn't do from a telnet or SSH session. There about the size of a Linksys DSL router, and are about the same cost.

-RiVeRSiDE

[Gudzenheit]

Alas, I am trying to remotely connect, and am not sure where the mainframe is. (im not even sure if its on-location) I work from a dumb terminal, with an phone-like rj-45 cable attaching to a parallel(at least 20 pin)-looking converter, which in turn plugs into one of the ports on the back of the terminal. Also, plugged into the terminal is an old dot-matrix(impact!) printer via a parallel port.

I am beginning to think the machine that I am trying to telnet into is more secure than I originally thought. Its security is based on the fact that I cannot find out enough about tt. While I AM just planning to do some work at home (work while drinking is perversley fun), I doubt the IT division at my company would approve of it, especially considering my position in the company.

I guess the next question is if i AM able to find my way to the box, and WAS able to hide a box the size of router:

1) Would need I some kind of priveleged access to actually install the drivers? I seroisly DOUBT that this system has any type of plug-and-play.
2) If i were able to set up this, could i spit the output through the air via wi-fi? (Or hook into a modem... grr probably behind a pbx.)

Wi-fi probably wouldnt work anyways, unless i had some MAJOR power, becuase the physical building is pretty old and my CDMA (1800mhz) fone doesnt get a signal while Verizon and Nextel do (900mhz). I heard that the higher the freqency, the less it penetrates solid materials, so at 2.4 ghz i doubt it even get out of the building...

[RiVeRSiDE]

I guess the next question is if i AM able to find my way to the box, and WAS able to hide a box the size of router:

1) Would need I some kind of privileged access to actually install the drivers? I seriously DOUBT that this system has any type of plug-and-play.

The beauty of the "Secure Web Console" is that it just emulates a console monitor. All servers come with a console port. Just plug it in, and it will work with a little configuration. You will have to research what emulation mode is necessary for the console of that server. (VT100, hpterm, VT102, VT220, basic Wyse 50/60, ANSI, SCO ANSI etc…) I would say 99% of the systems I plugged one of these into worked out of the box with the default settings. Most of the older systems the only way to reboot into single user mode was through a "console". Having this on the web could be a security issue, so if you do add it, configure it with an internal IP address on a secure subnet, then VPN in or something. Personally if I was responsible for that server and found that box hanging off the end without my permission, I’d fire whoever did it, so be careful.

2) If I were able to set up this, could I spit the output through the air via wi-fi? (Or hook into a modem... grr probably behind a pbx.)

Wi-fi probably wouldnt work anyways, unless i had some MAJOR power, becuase the physical building is pretty old and my CDMA (1800mhz) fone doesnt get a signal while Verizon and Nextel do (900mhz). I heard that the higher the freqency, the less it penetrates solid materials, so at 2.4 ghz i doubt it even get out of the building...

2.4Ghz is not the only band you can do Wi-Fi on. If 2.4GHz is bad, go to a restricted range, or get hard core boosters. You may be able to figure a way out. You might have to put several “repeaters” or other base stations around to get it out of the area, but if you have the will, there probably is a way.

-RiVeRSiDE

[skroo]

Alas, I am trying to remotely connect, and am not sure where the mainframe is. (im not even sure if its on-location) I work from a dumb terminal, with an phone-like rj-45 cable attaching to a parallel(at least 20 pin)-looking converter, which in turn plugs into one of the ports on the back of the terminal. Also, plugged into the terminal is an old dot-matrix(impact!) printer via a parallel port.

It sounds like the terminal is operating over a leased line or other dedicated direct circuit back to the mainframe itself. If this is the case, there's possibly no IP connectivity involved whatsoever. If there is IP connectivity, an access control mechanism such as hosts.allow and hosts.deny could be causing you to not connect. Without knowing the specifics of the remote system it's hard to say.

I am beginning to think the machine that I am trying to telnet into is more secure than I originally thought.

Or you're trying to telnet via a connection that doesn't use or pass TCP/IP traffic, which is possible; ditto the possibility that your TTY isn't authorised to make connections; ditto that there may be access controls on IP traffic at the mainframe. The mainframe itself may have IP connectivity, but that doesn't necessarily mean its terminals do.

Its security is based on the fact that I cannot find out enough about tt. While I AM just planning to do some work at home (work while drinking is perversley fun), I doubt the IT division at my company would approve of it, especially considering my position in the company.

Let's recap at this point:

- In your first post, you state: "As I am in a position in which this remote access will not affect my long-term career standing, I was wondering if there was anyway to emulate these "terminal numbers" during a telnet session."

- Your next post gives out information that, quite frankly, if you were meant to legitimately have access to this in the first place, you would know how to use to connect to it or be able to contact someone who can walk you through getting it set up.

- Your last post contradicts your first one: "While I AM just planning to do some work at home (work while drinking is perversley fun), I doubt the IT division at my company would approve of it, especially considering my position in the company." No fair trying to edit them to backpedal; the text I'm quoting won't change.

In short: I'm calling bullshit on you. This smacks of a cheap attempt at not directly asking the 'how do I hack _____?' question.

I guess the next question is if i AM able to find my way to the box, and WAS able to hide a box the size of router:

Yeah, you really need to stealth hardware in an environment where you've got legitimate access. The only reason I'm not outright banning you yet is because I want to see what you've got to say about all this.