This is the most basic method of playing Tradewars, above is a link to the download site and this page will show you how to configure it to work well with servers in general. You may want to enable scroll back for reference, it's disabled here. (Don't forget to SAVE settings!)
Putty is free, current and available, so perfect to look around while becoming accustomed with the game and menus. Some servers also prefer you play with no scripts or automation so read server rules!