Java APIs

I've been searching around these forums and all over the internet and reading up on the protocol and command sending (bytes and such).

I feel I have a firm enough grasp to start working on creating this TELNET client. I also understand Java Sockets well enough as well.

Here's the goal: I, like so many other Java/MUD-nerds want to create my own MUD client. If I just set up a socket with input and output readers I can for the most part communicate/interact with the MUD, but I'm not catching any TELNET commands so sometimes I miss a carriage return and so forth.

Final question: When I'm receiving all of the data from the MUD (I have this setup in a Thread going at its own pace) how do I know what's a TELNET command/byte sequence and what's text from the game? I just can't quite get a grasp on how both of the concepts I understand well connect to each other.

I hope that made sense.

Thanks,
Thomas