POP or IMAP
When setting up Email clients to connect to the campus servers you have a choice to connect via POP or IMAP. Both server types have their advantages and disadvantages; please review this information below and select the one that you believe will work the best for you. As a campus, we recommend the IMAP protocol over POP. If you have any questions feel free to give us a call at (562) 985-4959 and we will assist you.
POP
- How it works
- Completely downloads the messages on to your computer and often removes them from the server
- Advantages
- Fast
- Easy to use
- Only need to be connected to the internet when receiving messages
- Everything is on your computer
- Disadvantages
- Not able to share folders across multiple computers
- By default most clients will delete messages on the server after downloading
- Since everything in on your computer you may be unable to access folders and older messages from other computers or webmail.
IMAP
- How it works
- Connect to the server and downloads the messages and synchronizes the folders
- Advantages
- Can view all messages and folders across multiple computers and webmail
- All messages are on the server in case something happens to your computer
- Disadvantages
- Some Email clients do not support it as well as POP and therefore it may be more difficult to use
- Can take longer to browse messages and folders
- Must be connected to the Internet to view messages and folders (unless you enable offline viewing in the client)
