How Electronic Mail works ( E-mail )

Checking for e-mail is similar to viewing web pages, although the process uses different software and protocols. Using your mail software ( Such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger, Eudora, Pegasus, Pine, etc. ) your computer checks for mail using the Post Office Protocol ( POP ) and then sends mail using the SMTP ( Simple Mail Transfer Protocol ). You specify the servers under the software configuration, including the outgoing and incoming mail servers, and also your authentication information such as your username and password. E-mail that is addressed to you is processed by your Internet Service Provider ( ISP ) and is stored into a queue, and awaits for you to retrieve it. The mail server authenticates you, and then will allow you to receive mail that is awaiting in your Que. Sendmail servers do not usually require authentication, but most sendmail servers use and I.P. lookup table. That is, if your not a user of that particular system, and/or not logged onto that network related to that sendmail server, the server will not allow you to send messages. Outgoing mail servers ( mail servers that send e-mail OUT of your network, are called open relay's if they allow outbound e-mail traffic from users of other networks. Unfortunately there are thousands of open relay's on the Internet, and those that send junk e-mail ( SPAM ), use these servers to their advantage.

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