How to hide or replace password on terminal client?

[chithanh04dt2]

Hi all.
I am coding small hobbily poject, it used rs232 protocol. When i use an client software (example: Putty, SecureCRT) to connet to project over rs232 i must type password to login in to project to control something...But when i type password, all of them show on client software, everybody can see password, so it's not security! So i want hide or replace the password by character * or "" (nothing). It's same as case when you consolo to a router...etc and you type user name and password.
I'm fromt Viet Nam so my English does not good.
Thank for all reply.

[metal]

When I use telnet to a router or switch, password is not shown. Usually when the console applications for telnet are created, keyboard input is read this way:

Console.ReadKey(true);
Console.Write("*");

So what you type appears like ******. I think you might have to write such application and implement Console.ReadKey(true) method. There are plenty of examples on the net, such that when asking for a password, Console.ReadKey(true) is used.

[engamor]

Among the settings of most terminal emulators (hyperterminal etc.) there is the possibility to "not echo" the characters typed. Of course you then will need to have the remote system to echo the typed characters. AND the remote system will be responsible for sending "***" in response when typing password. You will have to instruct the user to set appropriately the terminal options on the pc, of course, but the screen will show double characters if he does not follow your instructions, so it should not be any problem. The other way is to write your own application on the pc side, as suggested above, but this is an unnecessary trouble in my opinion.

[metal]

You mean "@echo off" ?

[engamor]

I mean what I said. There are options available in most terminal emulator applications that can suppress the echo from keyboard, Sorry I do not know the specific commands for the programs you use. I mostly use Hyperterminal for telnet and all serial applications. Another good example(not free) is ZOC. A free one is TeraTerm. All of them do have a check box to set up: "local eco" on or off. That should do the trick if the remote system takes care of what can be displayed and what should not. An added advantage is that the echo now coming from the remote system you have a confirmation of the fact that the typed character was actually received and processed.