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I'm looking for a tool that works across windows (xp through 7) that will allow me to open a TCP connection to a specified ip and port. This functionality used to exist in windows xp (netsh diag connect iphost ), but the Netsh diag commands seem to have been removed in vista/7. I've been looking around for something similar, and I've searched Super User, but I can't seem to find anything.

Something that's already built into windows would be ideal, but a small executable that does this (preferably command line, standalone executable).

Edit: I should have specified further. I'm familiar with Telnet and putty, and it is what I currently use, however, I'm in an environment where I have to guide non-technical users through troubleshooting very technical problems over the phone, without any form of remote access (sounds fun, right?). While telnet works, it doesn't explicitly state whether or not the TCP connection was successful; you have to look at the title bar and the contents of the terminal output, which, for some reason, seems to be impossible to users. I'm looking for something with a clear "TCP Connection completed successfully/failed" type response, if such a tool exists.

Edit #2: Thanks to everyone who answered. All suggestions were good, despite the fact that I didn't post as clear a question as I should have. Thanks for the help.

TheEmpireNeverEnded
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6 Answers6

19

Netcat

nc mail.server.net 25

Socat

socat - TCP4:www.domain.org:80

(Windows version)

Reading socat's examples page never fails to boggle my mind.

Charlotte
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RedGrittyBrick
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14

pkgmgr is now replaced by dism.

Install telnet from command line (run it as administrator):

dism /online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:TelnetClient

Then you can test TCP connection by:

telnet example.com 80
mixel
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13

Late answer, but still a good one:

PowerShell v3

Test-NetConnection google.com -Port 80

Will actually perform a TCP test and provide results:

TcpTestSucceeded : True

I do need to note that PowerShell v3, which has the NetTCPIP module this command needs, does not come installed by default prior to Windows 8. However, you can install PowerShell v3 on Windows 7.

This does not provide a solution for earlier versions of Windows, but for others who land here as I did from the interwebs, it's an easy test tool.

Unknown Variable
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8

Just use Putty it's tiny (and has a portable app version). It lets you specify port and can use telnet which is a TCP connection. It also has other useful functions like serial connections (no hyper terminal in Windows 7), SSH, And Rlogin. It even has a RAW function that lets establish RAW TCP connections.

Also just so your aware: Telnet is included in XP, you can use it from the command line IE:

telnet mailserver.server.com 25

Which would establish a TCP connection on port 25.

Supercereal
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4

We used to telnet to a certain port, but telnet does not come with windows 7 anymore by default. So for your USB stick: http://www.drk.com.ar/builder.php

1

There used to be telnet in Windows, not sure if that's been removed in later versions. Try looking for it.

You could download Cygwin and run the utilities in there, including netcat and telnet.

There is a Windows version of NetCat available, but I didn't see a canonical URL for it, so I did not include a specific one.

Rich Homolka
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