POP (Post Office Protocol)

Common protocols: POP (Post Office Protocol)

1.3.2 Wired and wireless networks, protocols and layers

Wired and wireless networks, protocols and layers — Note 10 of 13

What you need to know

POP (Post Office Protocol) is used to retrieve emails from a mail server. It downloads emails to the client device and typically removes them from the server, allowing offline access.

What to know

Emails can be read offline after downloading.
Once downloaded and removed from the server, emails are only available on the device they were downloaded to.

Key terms

Exam tipCommon mistake

POPPost Office Protocol: Downloads emails from a mail server to the client and typically REMOVES them from the server.
Exam tip: POP DOWNLOADS and REMOVES from server. IMAP KEEPS emails on the server. This is the key difference.
Common mistake: Confusing POP with IMAP. POP = download and delete from server. IMAP = keep on server and sync across devices.

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