check port open without telnet [closed]

What do people use when Telnet is not installed to check a port is open and reachable? E.g. I used to use the technique of telnet <destination> and know it was there, even if telnet could not interact with the system on the other end.

With Windows 2008 telnet is not installed so I've been a bit lost. So what can I use instead. And something if its not there in Linux or Solaris, too please.

I am a consultant who works on different sites. For a number of reasons (access rights, change control times, if I install it someone uses it next year we have some liability, etc) I cannot install on someone else's server. But a USB or other self contained, non-installed tool would be wonderful ...

Use Powershell like a boss

Basic code

$ipaddress = "4.2.2.1"
$port = 53
$connection = New-Object System.Net.Sockets.TcpClient($ipaddress, $port)

if ($connection.Connected) {
    Write-Host "Success"
}
else {
    Write-Host "Failed"
}

One Liner

PS C:\> test-netconnection -ComputerName 4.2.2.1 -Port 53

Turn it into a cmdlet

[CmdletBinding()]
Param(
  [Parameter(Mandatory=$True,Position=1)]
   [string]$ip,
    
   [Parameter(Mandatory=$True,Position=2)]
   [int]$port
)

$connection = New-Object System.Net.Sockets.TcpClient($ip, $port)
if ($connection.Connected) {
    Return "Connection Success"
}
else {
    Return "Connection Failed"
}

Save as a script and use all the time

Then you use the command in your powershell or cmd prompt like so:

PS C:\> telnet.ps1 -ip 8.8.8.8 -port 53

or

PS C:\> telnet.ps1 8.8.8.8 53

Here are several different ways to test a TCP port without telnet.

BASH (man page)

# cat < /dev/tcp/127.0.0.1/22
SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.3
^C

# cat < /dev/tcp/127.0.0.1/23
bash: connect: Connection refused
bash: /dev/tcp/127.0.0.1/23: Connection refused

cURL

# curl -v telnet://127.0.0.1:22
* About to connect() to 127.0.0.1 port 22 (#0)
*   Trying 127.0.0.1... connected
* Connected to 127.0.0.1 (127.0.0.1) port 22 (#0)
SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.3
^C

# curl -v telnet://127.0.0.1:23
* About to connect() to 127.0.0.1 port 23 (#0)
*   Trying 127.0.0.1... Connection refused
* couldn't connect to host
* Closing connection #0
curl: (7) couldn't connect to host

Python

# python
Python 2.6.6 (r266:84292, Oct 12 2012, 14:23:48)
[GCC 4.4.6 20120305 (Red Hat 4.4.6-4)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import socket
>>> clientsocket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
>>> clientsocket.connect(('127.0.0.1', 22))
>>> clientsocket.send('\n')
1
>>> clientsocket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
>>> clientsocket.connect(('127.0.0.1', 23))
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "<string>", line 1, in connect
socket.error: [Errno 111] Connection refused

Perl

# perl
use IO::Socket::INET;
$| = 1;
my $socket = new IO::Socket::INET(
  PeerHost => '127.0.0.1',
  PeerPort => '22',
  Proto => 'tcp',
);
die "cannot connect to the server $!\n" unless $socket;
print "connected to the server\n";
^D
connected to the server