What Is Mail SMTP Host?
"SMTP" stands for "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol." It is a system for transferring email from one computer to another over the Internet. It's commonly used in conjunction with POP3 (Post Office Protocol) or IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol).
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SMTP Origins
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John Postel, a researcher at the University of Southern California, developed SMTP in the late 1970s. SMTP originally handled email within a local network, but the arrival of the World Wide Web caused some changes that allowed it to work between local networks.
SMTP Basics
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When you send email using SMTP, Internet servers use the domain name in the email to figure out where it needs to go. These servers access MX (mail exchanger) records to figure out the IP (Internet Protocol) address associated with the domain name.
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Delivery to the SMTP Host
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The IP address is like a street address for the Internet. Once the Internet server finds the IP address, it sends the email to a local SMTP host server associated with that address. This host is like a local post office box.
Getting Your SMTP Mail
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Your SMTP email client periodically asks its host server if there's any new email, either manually or according to a schedule. The user basically becomes his own mail carrier.
IMAP and POP3
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With IMAP, your SMTP email does not leave the host server. With POP3, the server delivers your email to your computer when asked.
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References
- Photo Credit Email LCD display image by Alex Yeung from Fotolia.com
