I used to use telnet at work some 15 years ago...
to remote log in from one UNIX machine through an ISDN phone-line into an SCO server on the other side of the country...It was almost like remote administration (re directing print jobs that were stuck in the spooler queue, checking backup logs etc.) So it sure had its use in the days.
Try it with your netbook (make sure to use a port that is not blocked by your AV
-DG