Telnet Host configuration data
File type: Various data file
A .tel file is a legacy Telnet host configuration file. It contains settings used for a terminal connection to a Telnet host.
File type category:
Various data file
Date updated: October 29, 2026
The .tel file extension was used for Telnet host configuration files associated with Telnet client software.
These files contain configuration data for connecting to a remote host through Telnet. Telnet is a network protocol for interactive terminal connections over the Internet or a local area network, developed in 1968.
The .tel extension is not a general-purpose, standardized Telnet data format. It is a legacy extension, so the exact contents and compatibility depend on the Telnet software that created the file.
Open a .tel file with the Telnet client that created it, if that software is available. Other Telnet clients may not recognize the file because the extension does not define a standard configuration format.
If the original client is unavailable, a text editor may show the contents when the file uses a text-based configuration format, but editing or saving it may make it unusable to the client.
There is no standard converter for .tel files. To use the settings with different Telnet software, create a new connection in that software and enter the host and other configuration values manually.
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