Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
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.
What is POP? Or POP3? Or a POP account? And what about SMTP?
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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?
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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.
The "3" is even more boring. This is version three 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:
The name of your ISP's mail server that holds your email. Typically, it's something like "mail.example.com".
The name of the account that you were assigned by your ISP. This may or may not be your email name, or something like it. Or something completely unrelated.
The password to your account.
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, although 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 C2143 - July 29, 2004
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
Good day,
I need your help. I have been trying to set my windows Live mail for Windows 7 32 bit. But no result - I cannot open my inbox for these 2 accounts! On Windows Vista they worked properly.
Then I downloaded missing dll drivers and Microsoft Silverlight 5 beta - no result.
Then I tried to set these addresses in Mozilla Thunderbird - but even no connection with server.
Tell me please, what is the problem? What should i do?
I tried very hard but still cannot read my mails, it upsets me((( I have lots of necessary mails connected with my job(
If there will be no good way out - can I transfer my mails to other (not hotmail) accounts?
Waiting for your reply. Will be gratefully thankful.
15-Jul-2011
Posted by: valeria at July 14, 2011 8:46 AM
I have downloaded an auto responder and it demands POP name . What name should I fill up For Yahho india ?
01-Sep-2011
Posted by: Gursaran Singh Jaswal at September 1, 2011 10:04 AM
Ok well I don't have a computer,I have an iPod that I can get on email,but today I went to go to my email and it wouldn't let,it said go to mail settings.how do I go to mail settings on my iPod?
Posted by: Nicole at September 8, 2011 10:17 PMHi Im not very up on computers and my email will not send , Ive tried all the different sites but to be honest I dont understand a word of it please help.
31-Oct-2011
Posted by: marjorie at October 31, 2011 2:07 PM
Some ISP's are more particular, and may insist upon access via specific port numbers, and/or via SSL, as well as proper username and password, for E-Mail account access.
It scarcely needs saying that these ISP's are pains in the gazobo!!! :(
08-May-2012