POP/SMTP are the two main protocols needed to send and receive e-mails.
Most e-mail services require a direct link to the Internet. E-mails can be sent to any part of the world, provided that the receiver has a mailbox and an e-mail address.
A mail box is a storage area on the web server which will be used to receive and store incoming e-mail messages.
An e-mail address is the user’s unique Internet address consisting of the user’s identification and web server name. For example user@web server name.organisation.country
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is used to transfer e-mail between computer systems. All incoming e-mail is stored on the Internet Service Provider’s computer system. The user needs to request that e-mails are downloaded from the Internet Provider’s server.
POP (POP3)
Post Office Protocol is also used to transfer e-mails between computer systems. POP offers more facilities than SMTP and allows automatic download of e-mails.
POP is the sending system for most Internet-based e-mail systems (i.e. your outgoing mail).
The e-mail account shown below uses POP for incoming mail and SMTP for outgoing mail.
Download and complete Worksheet 6.