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Tera Term for Windows

  • Free

  • In English
  • V 4.107
  • 4.2

    (219)
  • Security Status

Softonic review

Xavier Slim
Xavier SlimUpdated a month ago

Free lightweight server manager

Tera Term is a free, open-source development tool from the Tera Term Project. It is a terminal emulator designed for different computer terminals: DEC VT100, DEC VT382, and more. The software is compatible with Microsoft Windows PCs and laptops on Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP, and Windows Vista operating systems. The freeware establishes serial port, SSH, and Telnet connections. TT manages remote connections that come from a PC.

Is the Tera Term download free?

Tera Term is a free software utility offered by the current development team: Tera Term Project. The free download package is lightweight and does not require a lot of storage space on PCs and laptops.

Is Tera Term safe?

Tera Term is a safe program for PCs. TT is an open-source project that began in 1994. If you can build with the C, C++, and Pascal programming languages, then you can modify Tera Term based on the BSD License agreement. The emulation tool does not have in-app advertisements. The software is free of malware and spyware.

What is TeraTerm Pro?

The original and recent versions of TT are open-source and available for keen developers to modify. Tera Term Pro is the edition that came after the original release and was not developed by the founding creator. 

Tera Term Pro provides a built-in server that has API integration with remote systems, ODBC support with the Macro Scripting Language, reoccurring commands, and SSH2 support. The first TeraTerm laid out the foundation for the Pro TT, and the Pro provided the basis for more open-source projects to emerge.

The most recent Tera Term Pro platform was built on the original open-source code and implemented features from the first Pro program: SSH2, and more. The developers created a support forum to answer inquiries and better understand what users wanted: new commands, features, Macro languages, and more.

There is a list of languages available to use with TT: Chinese, English, German, French, Japanese, Korean, and Russian. The English and Japanese versions of Tera Term are the most up-to-date.

What is Tera Term used for?

Tera Term is a communications program that lets PCs connect to external systems to automate tasks, collect data, and more. You can link TT to either a TCP/IP or serial port connection. The TCP/IP option includes Telnet, SSH1, and SSH2 services. Tera Term will display the ‘New connection’ window when you open the application.

The initial screen is sectioned into two parts: ‘TCP/IP’ and ‘Serial’. You can only mark one of the connection options. If you choose the ‘TCP/IP’ segment, then you will need to input your host URL. You can only select one service to connect to: ‘Telnet’, ‘SSH’, or ‘Other’. There is an area to specify the TCP port number.

If you are connecting to the SSH service, then you can choose between SSH1 and SSH2 in the dropdown menu next to ‘SSH version’. The ‘Serial’ portion only requires the preferred port. You can determine the port by tapping on the dropdown menu next to ‘Port’ and deciding on your preferred connection method. TT is commonly used for serial links.

The default baud rate is set to 9600 bps. You can adjust the serial settings by clicking on ‘Setup’ and then selecting ‘Serial Port’. A ‘Serial port setup’ window will appear. The ‘Port’, ‘Baud rate’, ‘Data’, ‘Parity’, ‘Stop’, and ‘Flow control’ are accessible on this screen. You can adjust the settings for each option in the dropdown menus.

If the Tera Term main window is titled with the port name, then the system is ready to begin sending and receiving data. You can type in the main area on the user interface. TT has a minimalistic user interface. There is a menu bar in the upper portion of the UI: ‘File’, ‘Edit’, ‘Setup’, ‘Control’, ‘Window’, and ‘Help’.

How do I enable echo in Tera Term?

You may not see the typed data that Tera Term transmits between the app to the device. If you want to see the correspondence between the program and the external system, then you can enable ‘Local echo’ by going to ‘Setup’ and then pressing ‘Terminal’. There are additional important features that you can change in the ‘Terminal setup’ UI, such as terminal size, new-line, terminal ID, and more.

Communication is managed in the main window with the black screen. The letters are colored white. You can clear the written content by choosing either the ‘Clear buffer’ or ‘Clear screen’ options from within the ‘Edit’ tab. The ‘Clear screen’ command will delete the text from the console. If you want to erase the preserved data history, then you can tap ‘Clear buffer’.

Alternative server management apps

PuTTY, RealTerm, SecureCRT, and WinSCP are comparable terminal platforms. PuTTY, RealTerm, and WinSCP are additional open-source emulators. PuTTY is a popular SSH client. PuTTY can be a client for rlogin, serial, TCP, and Telnet connections. 

WinSCP is an SFTP and FTP client that secures file transfers from a local to a remote device. RealTerm is primarily for debugging terminal program issues. SecureCRT can be for commercial purposes since the platform is not open-source and mainly focuses on security.

A new countermeasure and more

Boosting security measures, Tera Term offers a Go-based console tool designed to identify vulnerabilities to Terrapin attacks in SSH servers and clients. The tool evaluates encryption modes and key exchange countermeasures, prioritizing safer connections without resorting to attack execution. Version 5.2 includes practical enhancements such as a resizable TCP/IP setup dialog, horizontal host list scrolling, and Unicode support. Bug fixes tackle issues like incomplete host list saving. Previous version improvements focus on refining the user experience, addressing local echo, and improving VT window behavior.

Free connectivity tool

Tera Term is a freeware for Microsoft Windows PCs that lets you communicate with remote systems through TCP/IP and serial connections. TT is a complete terminal application that boasts many features: local echo, and more. The comprehensive program is impressively lightweight. and the simple user interface makes using Tera Term relatively easy.

PROS

  • Safe
  • Lightweight
  • Open-source
  • Multiple languages
  • Comprehensive service

CONS

  • Not cross-platform

Program available in other languages


Tera Term for PC

  • Free

  • In English
  • V 4.107
  • 4.2

    (219)
  • Security Status


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Laws concerning the use of this software vary from country to country. We do not encourage or condone the use of this program if it is in violation of these laws.