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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN IMAP AND POP PROTOCOL?
If you are not sure which e-mail protocol, IMAP or POP,
you want to use to setup your e-mail program refer to the following basic
differences between these two protocols and choose the one that fits your needs.
The e-mail protocol is the procedure which your e-mail program
will use to communicate with the server on which your e-mail messages are
stored. Currently there are two ways to receive your mail from Trinity College
e-mail servers: IMAP and POP. Following is a short comparison of major
differences between these two protocols.
| IMAP |
POP |
| The IMAP
protocol, by default, allows the user to keep all messages on the
server. It constantly synchronizes the e-mail program with the server and
displays what messages are currently present. All the actions performed on
the messages (reading, moving, deleting...) will be done directly on the
server. |
The POP
protocol, by default, is set to download all the messages from the e-mail
server onto your computer. This means that all the actions performed on the
messages (reading, moving, deleting...) will be performed on one's computer.
Because everything is kept on the users computer, the user will not be able
to reopen messages from any location other than the computer where
the messages have been downloaded. |
| Because everything is kept on the server
the user will be able to access the e-mail in the inbox from any computer in the
world connected to the Internet and can will always find the same settings
in their e-mail account. |
Once e-mail is downloaded it can be accessed only using
the same computer.
There is an option to setup the POP protocol to
save the copy of the messages on the server after downloading them on the
computer. For more information look in the documentation for setting up the
e-mail client. This configuration will have to be setup on each computer you
wish to use this feature. |
|
Because there is a quota on the e-mail
servers, it
is necessary to regularly delete unnecessary e-mail messages from the
server, to avoid problems. |
The
client is not limited by the amount of free
space on the server. The limitation is the size of the hard drive on the personal
computer. |
For more information:
Please contact the Help
Desk by visiting the desk on B level of the LITC, or calling x2100
(faculty and staff) or x2007 (students).
Return to Help Guides Index
Last Modified:
09/27/2004 |
