220-1101 Question 61
Single answer25 – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)A technician is configuring a user's email client after a workstation replacement. The user can receive email successfully but gets an error when trying to send messages from the office network. The ISP documentation states that outgoing mail must be sent through the company's mail server using SMTP on port 587 with authentication enabled. Which setting should the technician configure to resolve the issue?
- A
Set the outgoing mail server to SMTP using port 587 and enable authenticated sending
- B
Set the incoming mail server to POP3 using port 110 and disable authentication
- C
Set the outgoing mail server to IMAP using port 143 and enable SSL
- D
Set the outgoing mail server to SMTP using port 25 and disable authentication
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This question tests practical email client configuration. In a real support scenario, if a user can receive mail but cannot send it, the technician should verify the outgoing mail settings rather than the incoming protocol. SMTP is used for sending email, while POP3 and IMAP are used for receiving email. Modern best practice is to use SMTP submission on port 587 with authentication, often with STARTTLS or equivalent encryption depending on the mail provider's requirements. Port 25 is traditionally associated with SMTP transport between mail servers, but it is commonly restricted for client use. This aligns with standard mail configuration guidance from major vendors and RFC-based best practices for message submission.
- A. Correct.
Correct. SMTP is the protocol used for sending email, and port 587 is the standard submission port commonly used for authenticated client email submission. If the provider requires authentication for outgoing mail, enabling authenticated sending is necessary for the client to relay messages successfully.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. POP3 is an incoming mail protocol used to retrieve messages, not to send them. Port 110 is associated with unencrypted POP3 access and would not address a problem with outgoing mail delivery.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. IMAP is also an incoming mail protocol used for accessing and synchronizing mailbox contents, not for sending email. Port 143 is the standard IMAP port, so this setting would not fix SMTP sending failures.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. SMTP does use port 25 in some server-to-server mail transfer scenarios, but many providers block or restrict port 25 for client message submission to reduce spam. In this scenario, the ISP specifically requires port 587 with authentication, so using port 25 without authentication would not meet the documented requirement.