Mail terms
Back to emailIntroduction:
There are 3 important concepts for mail, these are the 3 protocols that are set when using a mail application. These terms are: POP3, IMAP and SMTP. If you want to make a secure connection to the mail server, a certificate will need to be active on this.
POP3:
POP3 is an incoming mail protocol that allows you to retrieve e-mail from a mail server.
POP3 ensures that mails are downloaded from the server and stored locally.
Depending on the settings in the mail application, the mail may be deleted on the server. So after that, the mail is stored only on your computer and no longer on the server. Changes in these settings may cause the mail to be kept on the server. The default port for a secure POP3 connection is 995 and to make an unsecured connection it is 110.
IMAP:
IMAP is an incoming mail protocol for synchronizing mail.
Because IMAP synchronizes the mail, the mail can be viewed anywhere and you are not locked to one device, as is the case with POP3. You can also see the folder structure that is set up on other devices, and if you delete a mail it will be deleted from all devices. The port for a secure connection is 993 and for an unsecured connection you can use 143.
SMTP:
SMTP is the outgoing mail protocol used to send mail.
SMTP causes mail to be sent from the mail application instead of being pulled in like POP3 or IMAP. SMTP can also be used to send mail from a Web site.
SMTP can use port 587 for both secure and unsecured connections.
Alternatively, port 465 can be used for secure connections.
