Configure Idle Session Timeouts for Telnet Sessions

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Vista

You can use this procedure to change how long the Telnet Server service allows a Telnet session to remain idle before it drops the session.

The default idle session time-out duration is one hour.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To enable or disable idle session time-outs

At a command prompt, type the following, and then press ENTER:

tlntadmn [\\server] config timeoutactive={yes|no}

Parameters

Value	Description
\\server	The name of the computer running Telnet Server whose time-out function you want to change. If this parameter is not present, then the command runs against the Telnet Server service installed on the local computer.
config timeoutactive={yes\|no}	A value of yes specifies that you want to enforce idle session time-outs. A value of no specifies that an idle session is never disconnected.

At a command prompt, type the following, and then press ENTER:

tlntadmn [\\server] **config timeout=**hh:mm:ss

Note

The TimeOut value only is enforced if the TimeOutActive value is set to Yes.

Parameters

Value	Description
\\server	The name of the computer running Telnet Server whose time-out duration you want to change. If this parameter is not present, then the command runs against the Telnet Server service installed on the local computer.
config timeout=hh:mm:ss	Specifies the duration that the server allows a Telnet session to remain idle before it is disconnected.

Formatting legend

Format	Meaning
Italic	Information that the user must supply
Bold	Elements that the user must type exactly as shown
Between brackets ([])	Optional items
Between braces ({}); choices separated by a pipe (\|). Example: {even\|odd}	Set of choices from which the user must choose only one

Tlntadmn.exe must be run at a command prompt that was opened by using the Run as administrator option. If you do not run it at an elevated command prompt, you receive an Access is denied message.
The Tlntadmn.exe tool is installed with Telnet Server, so it might not be present on a computer that does not have Telnet Server installed.
You can determine the current time-out settings used by Telnet Server by running the following command:

tlntadmn [\\server]

Windows displays several current settings, including the time-out value.