MTU Email - POP, IMAP, POPS, and IMAPS

The central mail server (email.mtu.edu) allows you to use either POP or IMAP protocols. IMAP is the preferred and recommended protocol to use, unless your department specifically wants you to use POP.

POP - Using a POP account, your mail will be downloaded from the mail server to a "folder" on your local machine. Every mail client (Eudora, Pine, Outlook, Outlook Express) stores the local folders in a different format. If you use a POP account, you will have to use the same mail program from the same computer or computer lab in order to access any mail that has been placed into folders. You can set up your POP mail client to leave messages on the server (i.e. to not download them to the local computer) but you will not be able to store them in any sort of folders this way.

IMAP - Using an IMAP mail server overcomes some of these limitations. First, there is support for remote folders. The structure and contents of any folders are stored on the mail server itself, making your folders and messages accessible from any IMAP capable mail client. No matter what program you use to check your email or where you check it from, you will always be able to see your folders and the messages that they contain.

Second, IMAP allows you to only transfer the header of the message. For example, when you check your email you can set it up so you will see the name of the sender, the subject, the date, etc. without having to transfer the body of the message or any attachments to your local computer. You can then read only the messages that you want without waiting to transfer a large message over a slow connection.

POPS, IMAPS - These are simply secure versions of the protocols. They connect to the server in an encrypted manner via SSL, much like online shopping sites that require a secure transfer of information like credit card numbers.

This material was adapted from the University of Washington and from www.imap.org.

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