itssmtpservice-blog - Tumblr blog

[itssmtpservice-blog]

A Guide to Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)

SMTP is part of the application layer of the TCP/IP protocol. Using a process called "store and forward," SMTP moves your email on and across networks. It works closely with something called the Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) to send your communication to the right computer and email inbox.

SMTP spells out and directs how your email moves from your computer's MTA to an MTA on another computer, and even several computers. Using that "store and forward" feature mentioned before, the message can move in steps from your computer to its destination. At each step, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is doing its job. Lucky for us, this all takes place behind the scenes, and we don't need to understand or operate SMTP.

What is SMTP?

SMTP is one of the most common and popular protocols for email communication over the Internet and it provides intermediary network services between the remote email provider or organizational email server and the local user accessing it.

SMTP is generally integrated within an email client application and is composed of four key components:

1. Local user or client-end utility known as the mail user agent (MUA)

2. Server known as mail submission agent (MSA)

3. Mail transfer agent (MTA)

4. Mail delivery agent (MDA)

SMTP works by initiating a session between the user and server, whereas MTA and MDA provide domain searching and local delivery services...and more info over at - techopedia.

SMTP at work.

SMTP provides a set of codes that simplify the communication of email messages between email servers (the network computer that handles email coming to you and going out). It's a kind of shorthand that allows a server to break up different parts of a message into categories the other server can understand. When you send a message out, it's turned into strings of text that are separated by the code words (or numbers) that identify the purpose of each section.

SMTP provides those codes, and email server software is designed to understand what they mean. As each message travels towards its destination, it sometimes passes through a number of computers as well as their individual MTAs. As it does, it's briefly stored before it moves on to the next computer in the path. Think of it as a letter going through different hands as it winds its way to the right mailbox...go to - https://whatismyipaddress.com/smtp to know more.

SMTP Commands

The SMTP standard defines a set of commands - names of specific types of messages that mail clients to the mail server when requesting information. The most commonly used commands are:

HELO and EHLO: Commands that initiate a new protocol session between client and server. The EHLO command requests them to respond with any optional SMTP extensions it supports

MAIL: Command to initiate sending an email message

RCPT: Command to provide one email address for a recipient of the current message being prepared

DATA: Command indicating the start of transmission of the email message. This command initiates a series of one or more follow-on messages each containing a piece of the message. The last message in the sequence is empty (containing only a period (.) as a termination character) to signify the end of the email.

RSET: While in the process of sending an email (after issuing the MAIL command), either end of the SMTP connection can reset the connection if it encounters an error

NOOP: An empty ("no operation") message designed as a kind of ping to check for responsiveness of the other end of the session

QUIT: Terminates the protocol session

The recipient of these commands replies with either success or failure code numbers...visit - GeeksforGeeks to know more.

Conclusion

An SMTP service is what you need to make sure that your emails reach your target audience without losing any speed and excellent deliverability. A great SMTP server will keep your mails from going in the spambox of your target audience.