What is Post Office Protocol?
Definition – POP3 full form for “Post Office Protocol 3“. Post Office Protocol (POP3) is a simple type of internet protocol that is used in the computer network to access all e-mails from the mail server side by User terminal machine.
POP protocol is used in the application layer protocol, and it delivers best ability to fetch and receive all email by users.
POP (Post Office Protocol) has two versions first is POP2 and other latest is POP3. POP2 is needed SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) to push emails, but POP3 do not require the SMTP protocol.
POP3 means (Post Office Protocol version 3), and it is integrated into famous e-mail softwares, like as Eudora and Outlook Express.
POP protocol Uses two types of PORT
PORT 110 – Mostly email users use the default TCP PORT 110 that is connected to POP3 server, but it can’t support encrypted communication.
PORT 995 – If users want to establish connection with securely, then they can use the Transport Layer Security (TLS) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) on TCP port 995.
History of Post Office Protocol
Internet Engineering Task Force developed first version of POP (Post Office Protocol), in 1984 as RFC 918. But back end developers tried to make layout simple and effecting methods to access all emails from server machine. Due to efforts of developer team, whole emails can be read after discontinue from server.
- Post Office Protocol version 2 was designed, in 1985 as RFC 937.
- Post Office Protocol version 3 was developed, in 1988 as RFC 1081 and POP3 was updated various times in later 10 years, and then finally it was released with current specification in 1996 as RFC 1939.
Working of Post Office Protocol
If, users try to check all recently emails then they will establish connection with POP3 server side. User sends the username and password to server machine for getting the proper authentication. After getting connection, users can receive all text based emails and store them on their local terminal (machine), then finally discard all server copies and break the connection from server machine.
Advantages of POP3
Post office protocol 3 has few benefits, below explain each one –
- No need more server storage space for storing email on server machine, because emails are saved on the local terminal.
- No need internet connection every time for reading emails because all emails can be read offline.
- Need only less storage space for storing emails on the hard disk.
- Attachment files are opened quickly, due to already files downloaded.
- Easy to use
- Simple ways to configure
Disadvantages of POP3
POP3 has some limitations for accessing email from server side, such as –
- Other machine has not permission to access all emails.
- It is difficult task to transfer local mail folders to other email client terminal point.
- User’s system can get virus easily, due to virus infected attachment file with email.
- Entirely email folder can discard at once without intimession.