XFOR: Verifying Basic POP3 Connectivity Using Telnet

MORE INFORMATION

Perform the following steps to ensure that you have proper POP3 connectivity to a mailbox that is located on an Exchange Server or Exchange 2000 Server computer.

NOTE: Press the ENTER key after you type each line.

1. Start a telnet session by running the following command:

   Telnet IP_address_of_server 110

   If a connection is made, a banner from the server is displayed that indicates the server's version, which is similar to the following:

   +OK Microsoft Exchange 2000 POP3 server version 6.0.4408.0 (server_name.domain.com) ready.

2. Begin communication by logging on to the mailbox with the following commands:

   USER domain/Windows_NT_account/Exchange_mailbox

   The following response is displayed:

   +OK

3. Type the following command:

   PASS Windows_NT_domain_password

   The following response is displayed:

   +OK User successfully logged on

4. Type the following command to list all mail in the mailbox:

   LIST

   The following response is displayed (this information varies, depending on the number of messages in the mailbox):

   +OK
   1 373
   2 388
   3 388

   The message number is the number on left
5. Type the following command to retrieve a message:

   RETR message number

   The message that you selected by using the message number is displayed in the response, similar to the following:

   +OK
   Received: by YOMAN2.dns.microsoft.com
   id <01BC2F60.EA72A8C0@YOMAN2.dns.microsoft.com>; Thu, 13 Mar
   1997 03:44:55 -0000
   Message-ID:
   <A157B5AD9196D011A13A00AA0040DA1D07DB@YOMAN2.dns.microsoft.com>
   From: yoman2 <yoman2@Site-A.Microsoft.com>
   To: yoman2 <yoman2@Site-A.Microsoft.com>
   Subject: test2
   Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 03:44:55 -0000
   X-Priority: 3
   MIME-Version: 1.0
   Content-Type: text/plain
   
   <Body of Message>

If you are able to complete the preceding steps without error, any POP3 client that conforms to Request for Comments (RFC) 1939 should work to connect to the mailbox.