"Answers to Common Questions"

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What is an IP address?
An IP address is simply the numeric address of a computer connected to the internet. Every computer connected to the net has one. They look like 64.207.65.2 where each of the four numbers separated by a . can be anything up to 255. When you connect to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) your computer is assigned an IP by your ISP's DHCP server. This is done in the background and is transparent to the typical internet user.
HowStuffWorks has an in-depth article on IP addresses. Click here to read the article.

What is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name Server. A domain name (m2texas.com for example) must be resolved into an IP address before it is of any use to a computer system. DNS servers house vast lists of domain names and their correlating IP address. When you type www.m2texas.com in your web browser your computer first connects to a DNS server and asks what IP address www.m2texas.com refers to. If the DNS server doesn't know it has the ability to ask other DNS servers to find an answer for you. This would be like someone asking you "Where is Greg's house?" You would either answer with a street address, or if you didn't know the address you would ask someone else "Where is Greg's house?" and they would tell you the address; you could then tell the person who asked you where Greg's house is.
HowStuffWorks has an in-depth description of the DNS system. Click here to read the article.

What is POP?
POP stands for Post Office Protocol. This is technically the language that is used when receiving internet email. A POP server typically refers to the server that actually stores your email. You connect to a POP server every time your retrieve an email.

What is SMTP?
SMTP stands for Send Mail Transfer Protocol. This is technically the language two mail servers use to send mail between each other. A SMTP server typically refers to the server you send all of your outgoing mail to. You connect to a SMTP server every time you send an email.

How does Email work?
Email works very much like regular snail mail. When you compose a message you include a TO filed that includes an account name and domain name (account@domain.com). When you press send the message is sent to your SMTP server. The SMTP server looks at the domain name part of the TO field and asks the DNS server responsible for that domain where mail is supposed to go (much like the post office looks at the state portion of the address on an envelope first). Once the SMTP server knows where the mail is going it attempts to talk directly to that server. If it manages to talk to that server then the message is sent. If the SMTP server was unable to talk to the server it can send the message to a different SMTP server that may be more likely to successfully talk to the destination server.
HowStuffWorks has an in-depth article on how email works. Click here to read the article.