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Summary: POP, POP3 and SMTP are all acronyms that you might see used when talking about configuring email. We'll look at what they mean, and how they relate.
POP3 is one half of the email puzzle, and SMTP is the other. POP3 is the protocol, or "language", that's used to download your email from your ISP to your mail program. SMTP is the protocol used to send mail. But why "POP"? or 3? And what are you supposed to enter when you're asked to configure your "POP3" or "SMTP" account in your email client? • "POP" is pretty simple; that's an acronym for "Post Office Protocol". A communications "protocol" is just the language used between your email program, a POP client, and your ISP's mail - or POP - server. "3" is even more boring. This is version 3 of the POP protocol. It underwent a few revisions before it became what it is today. To configure a POP account you need three pieces of information:
That's it. With that properly configured, you can download the email that your ISP has been collecting on your behalf. Sending mail uses a different protocol, SMTP, which stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Again, another language used between your email program, an SMTP client, and the SMTP server to which you will send your email. Typically your SMTP server will be the same as your POP3 server, though that's not always the case. If so, it doesn't really imply that the two are related, just that the same machine is acting as a server for both protocols. Like POP3, the SMTP server may require you to log in first; often with the same account information that the POP3 server used. (If it doesn't require you to authenticate somehow, it's called an "open relay" and may be a major contributor to internet spam.) So to configure your outgoing mail, you'll specify the name of the outgoing server, and possibly the login information it will use. And finally, note that all of this really applies only to email programs that you run on your own computer, like Outlook, Eudora and others. Web-based email, such as Hotmail, Yahoo and the like, simply display the email directly from their servers in your web browser - no configuration needed, other than logging in. Article 403 | Posted July 29, 2004 |
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I have configured my POP3 and SMTP settings - which is the same as my POP3 server I just copied the POP3 address into the other field. I got the POP3 address from my provider. I thought it was IMAP but definitely POP3, well they told me it was POP3.
Posted by: reg at October 10, 2008 4:34 AMI am now receiving email through POP3 including large attachments with pictures.
Now I need POP-CORN. Where is the best place to get POPCORN. Do you also know how I configure my stove to receive POPCORN? Is the SMTP protocol able to forward POPCORN as well as messages received via POP3?
welll
its been observed that my isp uses qmail server,and i want to know lil bit more abt it,
Posted by: ashish at October 20, 2008 10:47 PM1)does qmail supports imap?
As far as i know that SMTP protocol rely on internet connection that provided by ISP itself, then what will happen if email address was used brandA ISP and the connection used brandB ISP ??? Can the user receive / send email ???
Posted by: saputro at October 23, 2008 2:01 AMI am trying to set up my Mail account on my Mac. It asks for my email address and password which I've filled in. Then the incoming mail server details, i.e. POP, IMAP or Exchange. Then the name of the Incoming Mail server. I don't know what this is or how I find it. My ISP is Firefox and my normal email account is with MSN [email address removed]
Posted by: Debby at October 28, 2008 7:29 AMTrying to setup my outlook so that I can receive emails from my hotmail account. Everything is completed but the pop3 & smtp. What do I put in these fields?
03-Nov-2008
Posted by: Althea at November 2, 2008 9:37 AM
I'm really not computer savvy, and I get tired of trying to send certain e-mails which require this info., which I don't know. I use yahoo e-mail, what should I put when it asks about http, pop3, whatever....?????
Posted by: renae at November 11, 2008 10:34 AM#1: The host 'smtp' could not be found. Please verify that you have entered the server name correctly.
Subject 'Emailing (Email), Account: 'pop3', Server: 'smtp', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 11001, Error Number: 0x800CCC0D
#2:
The host 'pop3' could not be found. Please verify that you have entered the server name correctly.
Account: 'pop3', Server: 'pop3', Protocol: POP3, Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 11001, Error Number: 0x800CCC0D
I have Vista. I can get mail, just not send.
Posted by: Charlie Scultz at November 19, 2008 7:00 PMThat was why I had trouble mailing back to you. I had to restart several times.
Had to rebuild my Windows Xp computer.
Input the wrong pop3 and smtp addresses.
How do I get to the place where I can correct these entries? It just won't connect to the internet.
28-Nov-2008
Posted by: Paul Kleeween at November 27, 2008 9:12 AM
I'm trying to add another account to my Windows Live Messenger and I have everything else but it's telling me that I need to put in my "POP server". I don't even know what that is! How would I find that?
27-Dec-2008
Posted by: Riley at December 26, 2008 12:22 PM
? re my level of competence: I don't even know what's meant by using HTML tags for style ;-)and you expect me to really comprehend all the logic and intricacies of pop3, SMTP, IMAP, whatever?;-)) It was six years before I realized I could move 'Windows'. I've used ONLY Yahoo's web based email program, and whatever I have not deleted I can access on-line. I'd like to insure permenant accessibility to that material and hope I could handle simple directions, if there are any, as opposed to theoretical or technical explanations, to achieve this goal. That there were recent comments was encouraging, even though I'm even dizzier now that I've read them ;-)). Would downloading an 'application' such as Thunderbird, et al, be the route to go? Is transferring or sharing this material possible somewhere else on line, in the event Yahoo 'goes down' for example?. I use two different ISPs and have a few web-based email accounts and run XPsp2, if any of this makes a difference. I am in a panic which may account for why much of the discussion isn't sticking to the brain. I sure hope you are for real.
Posted by: bb at December 30, 2008 10:48 AM