What file is typically used to display messages at the login prompt when remote users telnet in to the machine?

`/etc/issue` contains a message displayed to users on *local* text-mode terminals before the login prompt.

`/etc/motd` (message of the day) is displayed to users *after* they have successfully logged in, not at the login prompt.

`/etc/net.banner` is not a standard Linux/Unix file for displaying network login banners.

The `/etc/issue.net` file is specifically read and displayed by network login services (like `telnetd` or `sshd`) to remote users *before* they are prompted for authentication, making it suitable for pre-login banners.