Mail server pop
POP (Post Office Protocol) is a protocol used to retrieve email messages from a mail server. Here's an overview of how it works:
How POP works:
- Client: A POP client, such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird, is installed on a user's computer or device.
- Connection: The client establishes a connection to the mail server using the POP protocol.
- Authentication: The client authenticates with the mail server using a username and password.
- Message retrieval: The client requests a list of available email messages from the mail server.
- Message download: The mail server sends the requested email messages to the client, which downloads them to the local device.
- Deletion: By default, POP deletes the email messages from the mail server after they are downloaded. This means that the messages are no longer available on the server.
- Quit: The client disconnects from the mail server.
POP settings:
To set up a POP client, you'll need to configure the following settings:
- Server: The hostname or IP address of the mail server.
- Port: The port number used for POP connections (usually 110).
- Username: The username used to authenticate with the mail server.
- Password: The password used to authenticate with the mail server.
- Leave messages on server: A setting that determines whether to leave messages on the server after downloading (usually set to "no" to delete messages).
POP vs. IMAP:
POP is an older protocol that was widely used in the past. IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is a more modern protocol that allows for more advanced features, such as:
- Multiple clients accessing the same mailbox
- Offline access to email messages
- Flagging and labeling messages
- Searching and filtering messages
IMAP is generally considered a more secure and feature-rich protocol than POP. However, POP is still widely used and supported by many mail servers and clients.