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POP Full Form

Learn about the full form of POP and get detailed information about its advantages and disadvantages.

The POP stands for the Point of Presence (also known as Post Office Protocol).

It is an area where several gadgets may connect and interact. It can be described as an artificial boundary point between communicating entities. It mostly consists of high-speed telecommunication tools and technology that facilitate online interactions between individuals worldwide. POP can be seen, for instance, in the local access point that links users to the rest of the world through their Internet Service Provider (ISP). By counting the service provider’s POPs, one may figure out the size of an ISP. POPs are used in servers, routers, modems, and similar equipment that must transfer data via networks. Internet service providers use many POPs.

Table of Contents

  1. History of POP
  2. Characteristics
  3. Modes
  4. Advantages
  5. Disadvantages

History of POP

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) released the first generation of Post Office Protocol as RFC 918 in a Request for Comments in 1984. The designers then understood the need to create a quick and efficient way to get emails off a server. Later, designers released Post Office Protocol version 2, in RFC (Request for Comments) 937 in 1985. POP3, released in 1988, had multiple revisions over the following ten years and was launched in 1996 as RFC 1939.

Characteristics

  • The Internet RFCs that describe Post Office Protocol make it an open protocol.
  • It enables access to new mail from a wide range of client platform types.
  • Even while offline, it provides download and deletes features.
  • Due to its original nature, it does not require mail gateways.
  • POP can only manage email access when emails are transmitted using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
  • POP works on PORT 110.

Modes

POP features in two modes:

  • Delete Mode

While using the delete mode, the mail is removed from the mailbox after each query, and when using the retain option, the message is kept in the mailbox. When a user works on a computer, they can store and arrange incoming mail after viewing or responding by using the Delete mode.

  • Keep Mode

When people access mail on a computer other than their primary one, they often use the keep mode. Although the mail is read, it is still stored in the system for subsequent access and categorisation.

Advantages of POP

  • The downloaded emails can be accessed using this protocol without an internet connection.
  • POP3 is highly helpful for receiving emails on a single device.
  • This protocol is simple to configure and use.
  • Emails can be stored on the hard drive with less storage space.
  • This protocol is considered superior for those who rarely read their email on any other computer.

Disadvantages of POP

  • All emails are automatically removed from the server after being downloaded from it. Therefore, emails cannot be accessed from those devices unless other workstations are set to leave a copy of the message on the server.
  • Moving the mail folder from the local system to another might be challenging.
  • All the attachments are kept on the local PC. Therefore, if the antivirus software does not check them, there is a significant danger of a virus attack. A virus attack might harm the computer.
  • The email folder downloaded from the mail server is additionally susceptible to corruption.
  • Since the emails are kept locally, anyone using your computer may view the email folder.