E-mail messages move in from one router to another through what
is known as a "hop" or a "routing hop".
E-mail messages move from one router to another through a series of steps. Here is a step-by-step explanation:
1. Sender's Email Server: When a user sends an email, it first goes from their email client (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) to their email server. The email server is responsible for sending and receiving emails on behalf of the user.
2. DNS Lookup: The sender's email server performs a DNS (Domain Name System) lookup to find the recipient's email server's IP address. The DNS lookup matches the recipient's domain name (e.g., example.com) with its corresponding IP address.
3. SMTP Connection: The sender's email server establishes an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) connection with the recipient's email server using the IP address obtained from the DNS lookup. SMTP is the standard protocol for sending emails.
4. Sender Verification: The sender's email server verifies the sender's credentials and performs any necessary authentication. This step ensures that the email is being sent by an authorized user.
5. Message Transmission: The sender's email server transmits the email message to the recipient's email server over the SMTP connection. It breaks the email into smaller packets for efficient transmission.
6. Recipient's Email Server: The recipient's email server receives the email message from the sender's email server. It performs various checks, such as spam filtering and virus scanning, to ensure the email's integrity and security.
7. Message Storage: If the recipient's email server determines that the email is valid and not spam, it stores the email in the recipient's mailbox. The email is now available for the recipient to retrieve using their email client.
8. Recipient's Email Client: The recipient's email client (e.g., Outlook, Thunderbird) connects to the recipient's email server and retrieves the email from the recipient's mailbox. The email client displays the email to the recipient for viewing.
These steps summarize the process of how email messages move from one router to another.