3.2   Protocols (pop, imap, TLS, SSL)

This sub-section covers the following readers:

1. About POP and IMAP
2. IMAP, POP, off-campus SMTP, and SSL
3. imap, pop, and sendmail
4. SSL port number under IMAP
5. Thunderbird POP settings

-->   About POP and IMAP

From thras@nmt.edu Fri Jan 5 07:22:28 2007 Subject: Re: Thunderbird POP settings.

POP and IMAP are completely different protocols and one doesn't use the other. For most clients, the user will just select IMAP instead of POP. The port number with a secure SSL connection will be 993 -- although the client should fill that in automatically.

From the user perspective, POP downloads all mail to the client and removes it from the server. IMAP lets the user see what's on the server, but deletes nothing unless told to.

From our perspective, it's nicer when users select POP because that's less load on our system.

-- 
Joel Eidsath
thras@nmt.edu
Systems Programmer
Tech Computer Center
New Mexico Tech
Work Phone:  (575) 835-5662
http://www.nmt.edu/~thras

-->   IMAP, POP, off-campus SMTP, and SSL

ssl is needed to encrypt passwords for imap and pop.   With it turned off, the TCC username / password is transmitted in plain text.

ssl is required for off campus smtp.

-->   imap, pop, and sendmail

From Schlake, Mon Aug 4 14:22:47 2003

There are a couple of possible problems with imap, pop, and sendmail going on.

Some people apparently had "nmt.edu" as their POP, SMTP, and IMAP server (it needs to be mailhost.nmt.edu).   We moved the A (record) for nmt.edu to www to help people typing URLs.   It had previously been mailhost.nmt.edu because Microsoft MTAs would refuse to send us email.

Some people apparently still use non-standard ports for secure IMAP and POP.   I don't know how to configure those with the 2002d version of our software, and I don't think I should support them regardless.   People need to use the normal ports for IMAP and POP.   Tell them to use SSL/TLS always, to save them pain later when we turn it off again.

-->   SSL port number under IMAP

The default port number of SSL under IMAP is 993.

-->   Thunderbird POP settings

From Joel Eidsath, Thu Dec 14 08:48:11 2006 Subject: Re: Thurnderbird POP settings.

The Documentation on our main site can be misinterpreted and should probably be changed as well.   I'll email Shipman.

I'm successfully using Thunderbird POP right now here on-campus.   I use Thunderbird IMAP at home.

My "Server Settings" are:

Server Type POP Mail Server
Server Name: mailhost.nmt.edu Port: 995
User Name: test1je
Use secure connection: SSL
Use secure authentication: unchecked