Which Email Protocol Is Capable of Sending Emails? (SMTP, IMAP, and POP)
What are mail server protocols?
Multiple email protocols are involved when talking about mail accounts, which can confuse you. So you should know about these protocols and understand that each performs slightly different functionality. Protocols like IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and Exchange are mostly the common ones being used.
Email Protocol: SMTP
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard method for sending emails from one mail server to another. In simple terms, email protocols are sets of rules that allow different email clients and accounts to exchange information. It is also knowns as the only dedicated protocol for sending emails. Several email clients like Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail depend on SMTP to send messages from a sender to a recipient. SMTP doesn’t require any authentication to function. Modern SMTP server applications use some restrictions for this matter. However, it still lets some spam exist on the web, which can eventually be in your email server and, thus, your inbox.
Additionally, the SMTP protocol also gives notifications when an email message arrives. After a sender emails a message, your SMTP server sends commands via the client. These commands specify the sender’s and receiver’s email addresses, messages, and other attachments. You should know the two ports which are commonly beneficial for the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol client:
Port 25: The default SMTP port (non-encrypted port) Port 465 / 587: The default port for using SMTP through SSL
Email Protocol: IMAP
As its name suggests, IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) allows you to access your emails worldwide. Email messages are stored on servers. So When you check your inbox, your email client contacts the server to connect you to your messages. When you read your emails using IMAP, you aren’t downloading or keeping them on your computer; instead, you read them from the server. That is why it’s possible to check your email from different devices without missing anything.
IMAP allows you to access, organize, read and sort your email messages without downloading these emails first, So IMAP is fast and efficient. The server also keeps a record of your messages, enabling you to access your sent messages from everywhere. Instead of moving messages from the server to your computer, IMAP syncs emails on the computer and the server. Here are the default ports for IMAP:
Port 143: This is the default non-encrypted port. Port 993: This is the default port for secure connections.