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pop 3 and smtp

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Any computer experts care to advise a beginner?
<geek mode>
POP3 (or Post Office Protocol 3) is the protocol used on email servers (such as the one your ISP uses) to send emails between servers. When you send an email, you use the POP3 protocol.
SMTP (or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the protocol used by your machine at home to retrieve mail from a server.
</geek mode>
Mega Geek Mode...
SMTP: Simple Mail Transmission Protocol this is how all the email on the web is sent and received by the ISP, large businesses and those geeky enough to have their own SMTP servers rolleyes . SMTP servers look up the DNS MX (Mail eXchange) record of the recipient (or recipient's ISP) and routes the email directly to that email server. Once received by the recipient's email server the POP server (which is just software) then takes over.
POP: Post Office Protocol is how you retrieve email from the ISP's servers. The Post Office bit acting more like the Bricks and Mortar Post Offices in the US where mail is sorted and placed into a PO Box ready for you to collect at your convenience.
It is very unlikely that you need to know how it works, just like we don't know how (or if) the Royal Mail works.
so it is, I always get those two mixed up, lol...
*bows down to one more worthy of the title of geek*
As a sort of example:
Take an email being sent to:
The sending SMTP server looks up, in turn, the following information from the various DNS servers:ukcoyahooMX recordThe sending SMTP server now has the address of the email server and so sends your email directly (i.e. by the shortest route possible) to .
When your email arrives at the POP server checks that "someone" exists as one of their users and, if so, places the email into that PO box. The recipient logs in a couple of days later and retrieves the email.
Quote by flapjackboy
so it is, I always get those two mixed up, lol...
*bows down to one more worthy of the title of geek*

I don't know if I should reveal this but.. you only really grasp it if you either work with these things or have them. Erm... I have both: have them and work with them and more besides rolleyes
Sad old geek needs rescueing - any takers lol
Any chance of a Sad Geek smilie? Now where's that pocket protector...
JQL good sir you can borrow my MCSE anorak anytime ;)
TnH,
As Lofty said he was a beginner, I thought I would gloss over a few parts and make some generalisations.
Also I didn't want to bore the pants off everyone... Though I've probably done that already smile
Thanks for the loan of the anorak. I'm just about to order some pizza and coke to be delivered...
Also I didn't want to bore the pants off everyone... Though I've probably done that already


oooohhh! scratch my fanny....
Can I have my trousers back now JQL? wink
Mr KL
Thank you for the information about mailservers, now can you help me further please.
My computer is trying to use pop 3 server to send my email documents and photo's from my scanner instead of smtp and therefore is failing every time.
All my settings have been double checked and are correct, so what can I do to change the method it uses from pop3 to smtp.
I would be gratefull of any advice you can give me.
Thank you in advance.
Lofty.
I should have mentioned that I have tried everything to make my scanner send emails:settingssurprisedn line:TCP/:dial up connection:so whatever is wrong I can't solve it.
What email program are you using?
I am using Outlook Express and the computer is trying to SEND with pop 3 instead of SMTP, and I don't know how to get it to SEND using SMTP, all my settings are correct.
Lofty.
Lofty,
Get your scanner to use Outlook Express to send the images. That would solve your problem. The other way is to save the image in your "My Pictures" folder then start up Outlook Express and send them as an attachment.
A word of warning:
A scanned image can be in excess of 300 MB, on a 56kb connection would this would take approximately 11 hours to send the picture! About 2 hours to send it using standard Broadband (512kb). Your recipient would be extremely pissed off at receiving something that big.
It is best to manipulate the image to a sensible file size (no bigger than about 100kb) prior to sending it.
As to using pop3 and smtp, we would need a lot more detail about the program you are using and the settings before we could offer sensible suggestions.
How do I get my scanner to use Outlook Express? sorry to be such a pain but I simply don't know.
Quote by JQL
Lofty,
...save the image in your "My Pictures" folder then start up Outlook Express and send them as an attachment.
...

Remember to preview your images for both quality and file size before you send them.