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SMTP vs POP3

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by steve penn

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Can anyone briefly explain the advantages and disadvantages of SMTP and POP3 and in what situation they would be used.

7 replies

by erikdr

Well, both maybe just a bit TOO brief...

SMTP:
* Mail client to mail server A
* Mail server A to mailbox (server B) of
recipient

POP and IMAP are simply not intended for this client TO server traffic, although a system (e.g. ISP) which combines SMTP and IMAP still will store a copy of the sent message on the central folder. With POP this isn't an issue as POP always presumes locally stored mail.

POP/IMAP:
Traffic _from_ mailbox server (B) _to_ client.
Main difference is that POPpresumes erase-after-read (message to be stored locally), while IMAP has the option of storing centrally also and better search/browsing options.

All of this holds for normal Internet mail. Webmail is a slightly different beast because it has no real 'client' (only the surfers browser as kind of terminal window), but even there internally SMTP has to be used.

Hope thiz helpz,

- The Netherlandz

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