Article ID: 165186 - Last Review: February 26, 2007 - Revision: 3.3

XFOR: Verifying Basic POP3 Connectivity Using Telnet

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SUMMARY

This article describes how to telnet to port 110 on servers that are running Exchange Server versions 5.0 and 5.5 and Exchange 2000 Server. This procedure is useful for troubleshooting communication problems between a POP3 client and a mailbox located on an Exchange Server or Exchange 2000 Server computer.

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.

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.
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
Type the following command:
PASS Windows_NT_domain_password
The following response is displayed:
+OK User successfully logged on
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
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.