ASSIGNMENT - 2

Submitted To Submitted By
Mr. Vikrant Rana
Kamal Saini
SMTP
&
E-mail
 Introduction to SMTP
 Jonathan Postel published the RFC821 in early
1-Aug-1982 detailing the SMTP protocol.

 SMTP is a fundamental protocol used in email

communication. Most likely, it’s behind the
emails we send and receive each day. Though it’s
a simple protocol, it still involves multiple
components and a lot of details.

 The SMTP protocol has since been updated overs

the years, namely RFC5321 in 2008 turning SMTP
into Extended SMTP.
 There are many other protocols and RFCs that Jonathan B.
combine together to make an email system. Postel
 What is RFC821
RFC 821's communication model is based on the following
steps
 It's a document  A user requests mail.
that describes
how to reliably  The sender-SMTP
and efficiently establishes a two-way
transfer mail. transmission channel
to the receiver-SMTP.

 The receiver-SMTP may

be the final
destination or an
intermediate.
 SMTP or Simple Mail  SMTP initiates a two-way
Transfer Protocol is connection with the
an application layer receiver-SMTP. In modern
protocol that makes it terms, these are SMTP
possible to transfer client and SMTP server,
emails between different respectively.
servers and computer
networks. It does this
by defining the rules of
What
communication.
Is
SMTP  Multipurpose Internet
Mail Extensions,

 Keep in mind that

? MIME (RFC 2045), to send
attachments, message
bodies exceeding the
SMTP can only send
character limits imposed
simple messages i.e.,
by SMTP, messages in
plain text without
languages other than
attachments. We use a
English, and HTML/CSS
separate protocol,
formats.
 Types of SMTP
RFC 5321 differentiates between four types of SMTP
systems:
01  Originating SMTP is the first system that interacts
with the internet as it introduces mail;

02  Delivery SMTP is the system that receives emails

from the internet and delivers them to the
recipients;

03  Relay SMTP relays emails between SMTP servers or MTAs

(more on transfer agent meaning below) without
modifying the message in any way;

04  Gateway SMTP also transfers emails between different servers but, unlike
SMTP relay, it’s allowed to transform the message if needed. SMTP gateways
are usually firewalls that rewrite addresses or intermediary SMTP servers.
 SMTP Commands
 HELO/EHLO – initiates the  EXPN – does the same as VRFY but
start of the SMTP session. for the mailing list.
01 06

 MAIL FROM – initiates mail  NOOP – checks the ability of the

transaction. 02 07 server to respond.

 RCPT TO – indicates the  QUIT – initiates the termination

recipient(s) and includes their 03 08 of the connection
email address.

 DATA – asks the server’s  HELP – asks the server to verify

permission to transfer data. 04 09 which commands it supports.

 VRFY – asks the server to verify  RSET – resets the SMTP connection
if the mailbox in the argument 05 10 and erases all the buffers and
exists on the local host. state tables.
 SMTP Responses
Common positive responses Negative responses or error codes

 250 – the requested action is

 500 – syntax error or command
okay or completed
couldn’t be recognized
 211 – system status or reply to
 503 – bad sequence of
HELP
commands
 220 – <domain> service is
 252 – the server can’t verify the
ready
user. It will still accept the
message and attempt the delivery
 221 – <domain> closing the
(responds to VRFY command)
transmission channel
 450 – mailbox unavailable
 354 – start mail input (usually
responds to DATA command)
 510 – invalid email address
 How does
SMTP work ?
Example:-
 SMTP Server SMTP Relay
 SMTP server is an application for  SMTP relay is the process of
sending emails. It receives electronic transmitting emails between
messages from email clients (Gmail, SMTP servers hosted on
Yahoo! Apple Mail, AOL, etc.) and different domains (from
transfers them to other servers. These @gmail.com to @yahoo.com, for
can be other SMTP servers or an example).
incoming mail server.

 SMTP email server can be local or

cloud-based.

 A local SMTP server is a good option

for those who don’t want to depend on
third-party servers.

 On the other hand, a cloud-hosted SMTP

server requires less effort and can be
more secure in the majority of cases.
 SMTP Agent
(Mail Submission Agent)
MUA (Mail User Agent) is the MSA receives emails from the
email client
email client

(Mail Transfer Agent) is a (Mail Delivery Agent) is the

MTA sendmail program that final agent before your emails
processes and transfers MDA get delivered to the
emails. recipient’s SMTP server.
 Comparing SMTP, IMAP, and POP3

IMAP POP3 SMTP

(Internet Message Access Protocol) (Post Office Protocol 3)

 Message accessing  Message accessing  Message accessing

protocol protocol protocol

 Stores all the  Downloads all the  Responsible for

messages on the messages when connected sending and
server to the internet delivering emails

 Downloads messages on  Deletes all the  Doesn’t store emails

request messages from the on the servers – it
server sends thenm
 Allow users to access
emails from various  Suitable for people who
devices have unstable internet
connection
 What is Email ?
 Email stands for Electronic Mail. It is a method to send messages from one
computer to another computer through the Internet.

 It is mostly used in business, education, technical communication, and

document interactions.

 In 1971, a test email was sent Ray Tomlinson to himself containing text.

 It is the information sent electronically between two or more people over a

network. It involves a sender and receiver/s.
 History of Email

The age of email services is older than ARPANET and the

Internet.

The early emails were only sent to the same computer.

Email services were started in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson.

He first developed a system to send mail between users on

different hosts across the ARPANET, using @ sign with the
destination server, and was recognized as email.
 Plain-Text Emails
Newsletters
These types of emails
It is a type of email contain just simple
sent by an individual text similar to other
or company to the text message services.
subscriber.

Types
Of
Email
Transactional
Onboarding emails
These types of emails
It is an email a user might contain invoices
receives right after for recent transactions
the subscription. and details about
transactions.
 Advantages of Email Disadvantages of Email

 Easy and Fast :- Composing an  Malicious Use :- Anyone can send an

email is very simple and one of email just by knowing their email
the fast ways to communicate. address.

 Secure :- Email services are a  Spam :- Days email services improve

secure and reliable method to this feature. To improve this
receive and send information. feature sometimes some important
email is transferred into spam
 Mass Sending :- We can easily without any notification.
send a message to many people at
a time through email.  Time-Consuming :- Responding through
email takes more time rather than
 Multimedia Email :- Email offers other message services like
to send multimedia, documents, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.
images, audio files, videos, and
various types of files.
 Popular Email Services

Gmail Outlook

Outlook is also a popular webmail

Gmail is the world’s most used
service founded in 1996 by Sabeer
email service provided by
Bhatia and Jack Smith as Hotmail
Google. Today, more than 1.5
later in 1997 acquired by
billion active users worldwide.
Microsoft. It is older than Gmail.
 THANKS
For
Listening

Content Picked From

SMTP :- https://mailtrap.io/blog/smtp/
Email :- https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-an-email/