Ever wanted to be a real web geek?
Well, you can get one step closer by following these steps and browse a website using a Telnet session via the Windows(R) DOS terminal.
Believe it or not you can actually use this method to diagnose HTTP issues, and it also provides an insite into how the HyperText Tranfer Protocol (HTTP) works.

HTTP Request using Telnet

1. Open a DOS prompt by clicking Start > Run and typing CMD and hitting Enter.
2. Clear your screen of commands by typing CLS and pressing Enter.
3. Start a Telnet session by typing telnet and pressing Enter.
4. Configure the Telnet session to echo typed characters to the screen by typing set localecho.
5. Instruct Telnet how you want to handle the Enter key by typing set crlf.
6. Open up a connection to the site you want over HTTP port 80, by typing o nikmakris.com 80.
7. Press Enter several times until the cursor lands on an empty line and then request a page from the site.
8. Type the following carefully without making errors:

GET / HTTP/1.1
Host: nikmakris.com

1. Then press Enter twice and you should receive the HTML response for the page you just requested from the web server, delivered to you by HTTP!

Here's what you should have typed, and the response from the DOS terminal and Telnet session. I've ommited the verbose HTML response from the web server.

Welcome to Microsoft Telnet Client

Escape Character is 'CTRL+]'

Microsoft Telnet> set localecho
Local echo on
Microsoft Telnet> set crlf
New line mode - Causes return key to send CR & LF
Microsoft Telnet> o nikmakris.com 80
Connecting To nikmakris.com...
GET / HTTP/1.1
Host: nikmakris.com

[updated - 6th April]I've just been going through files on my computer and giving it a bit of a spring clean in preparation for installing Windows Vista. As I was doing this I came across a Cisco folder containing more notes than I thought I had. When I get time I'll sift through them and post them in my Cisco section with the others, and add a link to them here.

In the meantime, thanks for all the nice comments and remarks I receive about my Cisco notes. If you're nearing your CCNA test I wish you the best of luck!

[newly published content]

Here's my CCNA cram sheet: Cisco CCNA pre-exam cram sheet

It's been a while since I completed my CCNA course, but I've been thinking about the course recently, partly because I'm having a clear-up and I've decided to sell the Cisco 2501 router I bought to practice IOS commands on. I've also given my website a bit of a redesign and I got looking over my CCNA notes again.

I attended evening class at my local college for several years, one night a week to learn about networking through Cisco's online e-learning site. The course was thorough and included hands-on router lab experience, fault-finding etc. Subsequently when I took the exam I got a high score.

What baffles me is the fact that you get adverts on Google for 2 week intensive courses in India. How can anyone possibly learn the whole course material in 2 weeks?? Perhaps if you are already an IT professional and just wanted the certification, but a networking newbie? Beats me!