How E-mail Works
Resources » How E-mail Works
E-mail (or electronic mail) is a method of composing, sending, storing, and receiving messages over a communication network (like the Internet). The only requirements for e-mail are a computer (or other electronic device with Internet Access), an e-mail service, and an e-mail address.How E-mail Works
Although the process of sending an e-mail is very easy, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. Here are the highlights:
1) You open an e-mail client such as Outlook, and compose an e-mail message. You type in the address "bob@otherdomain.com" and click "SEND".
2) Your e-mail first goes through your own outgoing mail server (SMTP), which checks for the validity of both the source and destination e-mail addresses.
3) Your e-mail is then sent to the destination SMTP server which then delivers it to the recipients incoming mail server (POP3).
4) The recipient either views the mail directly on the server with a webmail application, or ideally, downloads it with their e-mail client (Outlook).
Note: With Webmail, you are viewing the mail directly on your POP mail server, whereas with an E-mail Client like Outlook, you are downloading mail to your computer. A webmail application is great when you are traveling and do not have access to your own computer.
Resources » How E-mail Works
Published Jan 02, 2011 by Matthew Fleming Inc.