Most of the e-mail applications (known as an e-mail client) make use the POP protocol and someone can use the newer IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol). For setting up POP3 email, accounts for your domain, your domain must be hosted on server, which has nameservers.
POP3 allows a client computer for retrieval of Electronic Mail from a POP3 server through a TCP/IP (temporary) or other connection and it does not provide any option for sending mail, which is assumed to be done via SMTP or some other method. POP is useful for computer applications, e.g. mobile or home computers, without a permanent network connection which therefore requires a "post office" (the POP server) to hold their mail until they can retrieve it.
There are two versions of POP. The first level POP2 became a standard in the mid 1980's and requires SMTP to send messages. The newer version, POP3, can be used with or without SMTP.
Major Features of POP and IMAP protocols
The protocols are directly incompatible and differ in significant ways and there are some common characteristics.
Both of them:
- These protocols handle e mail access only. Email sending is handled by SMTP protocol.
- They have freely available implementations available (inclusive of source).
- They can allow access for new email from anywhere on network.
- They have commercial implementations available.
- They have client implementations available for Macs, PCs and UNIX.
- Use of persistent message identifiers for disconnected use.
- They are open protocols, which defined by Internet RFCs.
- They rely on the email delivery for a shared mail server, which is always up.
- They allow access for new mail from a variety of client platform categories.
- Fully support the offline (download and delete) access model.
