using cmd.exe as a telnet client

[Donnal Walter]

Several months ago I tried using the telnet module (on Windows XP) to 
communicate with a proprietary host on our network. This was 
unsuccessful due to problems with "option negotiation", and I gave up on 
the project for a while. I still have need for this, however, so I 
recently started thinking about alternatives. I suppose I could dig deep 
enough into option negotiation to use the socket module (with telnet as 
a guide), but I am hoping to find a way to use fewer synapses.

Using the Windows C:> prompt (cmd.exe) I can telnet into this host with 
no problems (the Windows telnet client performs option negotiation just 
fine). Is there a straightforward way of using os.popen() (or os.fork() 
or os.exec*() or os.wait*()) to connect to the host from Python via the 
Windows telnet client?

Thanks,
Donnal Walter
Arkansas Children's Hospital