Sometimes you need to be sure that your FTP transfers are not going to get hijacked or intercepted by a third party. Most FTP applications are not designed for secure transfers over SSL which is why WinSCP was developed.

For starters, be warned that WinSCP is not the easiest FTP client to use. Because of the extra security features, it can appear overwhelming at first although it does feature a graphical user interface. It also supports integration with Windows in terms of drag & dropping files, pasting in URL's and shortcuts.

The key to the program is the fact that it supports both SFTP and SCP protocols over SSH-1 and SSH-2. Of course, it also supports normal FTP protocols too. It also features full support for SSH password and Kerberos (GSS) authentication. A particularly nice little addition is the Session Saving option. If you want to save your session configuration, you can use the save button on the login dialogue. In this way, you can make huge FTP file transfers and not worry about stopping and completing it later.

This is not the most user friendly FTP client out there but it must be one of the most secure. If security is your concern, you won't be disappointed by what it offers.

Download WinSCP 4.1.5 Beta in Softonic

Putty is a popular SSH and Telnet client that helps you establish secure connections over the Internet and doesn't even require installation.

It's especially aimed for programmers and network administrators, which means that newcomers won't find it easy to use. The program features a simple, straightforward interface with no included documentation.

Despite its apparent simplicity, Putty is highly configurable and includes many options to tweak connections, sessions, SSH security features and even the window's appearance.

If you ever need to establish SSH or Telnet connections online, Putty is probably the most reliable choice.

Download PuTTY 0.60 in Softonic

If you're a fan of PuTTY then you'll be pleased to hear that now you can take it anywhere with PuTTY portable.

PuTTY Portable is a Telnet Client and SSH Server for Windows that is packed with features and can be transported anywhere on a USB stick or external storage device. Whatsmore, it's completely free. Firstly however, note that the developer issues a warning on the program website that PuTTY Portable may not be legal in your country so check the law before you use it! Basically, PuTTY Portable allows you to connect to another computer remotely using the Telnet and SSH protocols. So for example, you can install it on a Windows machine and it will connect to a Unix machine. This is great if you are administrator as you can take full control of the machine and work at it remotely. In the PuTTY windows that's opened, you can them send messages to the other machine and vice versa. The annoying thing however is that you have to set up password credentials to instigate this connection. The problem is that the program does not remember the credentials for successive logins. This is understandable for security reasons, but would be very annoying if you`re connecting regularly to an external client.

If you need to control a remote computer and need a client that supports SSH, then PuTTY Portable is a superb option considering that it's totally free and portable.

Download PuTTY Portable 0.60 in Softonic

Xshell is a powerful SSH1, SSH2, SFTP, TELNET, RLOGIN and SERIAL terminal emulator for Windows platforms. It allows users to gain access to Unix/Linux hosts easily and securely on a Windows workstation. SSH (Secure Shell) protocol supports encryption and user authentication for secure connections over the Internet, and it replaces legacy protocols such as TELNET and RLOGIN.

Xshell is designed to satisfy both beginners and advanced users. Its user interface is intuitive and it provides advanced users with powerful features such as local commands, searching with regular expressions, dynamic port forwarding, international languages and so forth.

Key features:

• High performance terminal emulator with TELNET and SSH support
• Multi-Session feature to connect to multiple servers concurrently
• Convenient session feature and other various ways to create connections
• Management tools for SSH user authentication
• Provides SSH tunneling, X11 forwarding service and interoperates with Xmanager
• Supports file transfer using SFTP and ZMODEM and interoperates with Xftp
• Provides a set of local shell commands for advanced users
• Copy/Paste support between Windows applications and terminal window
• Assign frequently used text strings in Quick Command buttons
• Many convenient features and useful options for terminal operation

Download XShell 2.0.0911 in Softonic

CRT is a robust, configurable 32-bit terminal emulator designed for Internet and intranet use with support for Telnet, rlogin, serial, and other protocols. CRT is ideal for connecting to remote systems running UNIX and VMS as well as the many BBSs and databases that are now available via the Internet.

CRT's Windows interface is easy to use and offers pinpoint control of session behavior with extensive customization options. The Quick Connect feature connects to UNIX, VMS, and Windows servers by entering only a hostname. Emulation support includes VT100, VT102, VT220, basic Wyse 50/60, ANSI and SCO ANSI, Linux console, and Xterm.

All of CRT's emulations support ANSI color. Other features include support for SOCKS and generic firewalls, transparent printing, and ZModem file transfers. With the Activator utility, manage sessions from the system tray instead of the taskbar.

Or use session folders to manage hundreds of sessions. Dialer support for Windows 95/98 and NT through Windows TAPI allows saving dialup connections in session information. CRT's ActiveX scripting support lets you automate remote tasks with VBScript, JScript, PerlScript, or other Windows scripting engines.

Download CRT 5.5.5 in Softonic

HyperTerminal Private Edition (HTPE) is an upgrade from the standard HyperTerminal program which is included in every copy of Windows 95/98 and NT 4.0. It offers many features that you won't find in the standard program, making it an essential version for those who frequently use the standard HyperTerminal client.

HyperTerminal offers the following features:

• Microsoft Windows security bug fixed
• Fully compatible with Windows 2000
• Supports VT320 terminal emulation, which is used by many businesses for access to applications running on UNIX and VMS host computers
• Enhanced printing control to print through Windows’ print driver
• Dozens of other quality improvements

Download HyperTerminal Private Edition (HTPE) 6.3 in Softonic

AbsoluteTelnet is a Telnet client that has the capacity to establish direct connections with COM ports, SSH and VT100 emulators

The utility includes options for firewalls and supports a SOCKS proxy. It also includes features, printing and logging options. There's not much that distinguishes this from other Telnet utilities except that you can customize colors and fonts and it supports Modem transfers. It does also integrate into Windows shell meaning it can be accessed simply by right clicking and selecting the program from the context menu. The developers have added an in integrated SFTP client in this latest release which means you no longer have to start an external file transfer application to transfer your files which is another plus. They also urge anyone who wants to test a mobile version of this to get in touch with them which would certainly be an interesting evolution for the Windows Mobile platform although whether it's necessary or not I'm not so sure.

A solid Telnet application that features a built in SFTP client and plenty of customisation tools to make it worth trying if you're bored of you current client.

Download AbsoluteTelnet 6.01 in Softonic

Portable Tunnelier is a portable client SSH and proves to have all the functions that you need to connect, in a safe way, with other machines through the network. Its portability is its key asset. The program requires no prior installation and can be accessed directly from a pendrive, a CD or any other storage medium, allowing you to get on the network very quickly.

The software will allow you to connect via SSH or SSH2, to emulate bvterm, xterm or vt1000 terminals; to authenticate sessions by SSPI (GSSAPI) Kerberos 5 and NTLM, to work with public keys RSA/DSA. As a result, it is a great way to communicate with other machines without compromising the security of your system.

Download Portable Tunnelier 4.24 in Softonic

SecureCRT combines rock-solid terminal emulation with the strong encryption, broad range of authentication options, and data integrity of the Secure Shell protocol. In today's security conscious world, it is more important than ever to protect passwords, user accounts, data, and computer systems. SecureCRT provides secure remote access, file transfer, and data tunneling for everyone in your organization.

SecureCRT gives you an encrypted Secure Shell (SSH1 and SSH2) session with servers and devices. For SSH, Telnet, and other protocols, SecureCRT has some great session management and customization features, complete with named sessions and multiple session windows.

You can choose from a wide range of emulations including VT100, VT102, VT220, ANSI, SCO ANSI, Wyse 50/60, Xterm, and Linux console. SecureCRT can help you save valuable time by automating routine configuration tasks with powerful scripting capabilities.

Download SecureCRT 5.5.1 in Softonic

Bus Hound is the premier software bus analyzer for capturing I/O, protocol, and performance measurements. You can also send your own custom commands from a graphical interface. Because Bus Hound is a 100% software product, it is especially suited to inspecting host side protocol. The tables below illustrate Bus Hound's capabilities.

Download Bus Hound 5.04 in Softonic

FIJInet telnet server for Windows 2000, XP, 2003 redefines telnet and for RF devices. Optimized for your text-based applications and the RF environments, FIJInet takes an old technology and makes it new again. We support all your needs like client-side printing, small screen sizes, local beep, and more. FIJInet just does it better, faster and smarter than the competition.

Download FIJInet 1.0 in Softonic

TelStar is a lean and quick telnet client for Windows 95 and up. It supports and displays visual attributes such as bold, dim, blink, underline, italic, double-width and double-height, and colors.

The software supports ansi, scoansi, vt100, vt220, and wyse60 emulations. In addition you can "clone" existing emulations to create customized versions.

Download TelStar 1.9.2.1 in Softonic