Search Our Database

How to Check If Users Are Logging in via POP3 or IMAP

Last updated on |
by

Introduction

Checking whether an email account is using POP3 or IMAP can be essential for troubleshooting email access issues, verifying login activity, or ensuring the correct configuration of email clients.

 

Understanding POP3 and IMAP

What is POP3?

Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3) is a standard email protocol used to retrieve emails from a mail server.

  • Emails are downloaded from the server to a local device and deleted from the server unless configured otherwise.
  • Ideal for accessing email from a single device (e.g., a personal computer).
  • Limited synchronization: Once downloaded, emails are no longer accessible from other devices.

What is IMAP?

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) allows users to access and manage their email directly on the server.

  • Emails remain on the server, with copies synchronized to the device.
  • Ideal for accessing email from multiple devices (e.g., phone, tablet, or computer).
  • Full synchronization: Changes made on one device (e.g., deleting or moving emails) are reflected across all devices.
Feature POP3 IMAP
Email stored on server? ❌ No (unless configured) ✅ Yes
Accessible from multiple devices? ❌ No ✅ Yes
Email synchronization ❌ No ✅ Yes
Best for Single-device access Multi-device access

 

SSH to Server

Step 1: SSH into Your Server

Open the terminal and connect to your server via SSH using the following command:

ssh root@your_server_ip

Replace your_server_ip   with the actual IP address of your server.

Step 2: Switch to Root Privileges

To execute administrative commands, switch to root privileges by running:

sudo su -

 

Check Email Login Activity

To check how an email account is logging in, use the following command:

cat /var/log/mail.log | grep "email@example.com"

Replace email@example.com with the actual email address you want to check.

If the user is logging in via IMAP, the log entry will appear similar to the example below:

Example of IMAP Login Entry

log : Feb 11 10:45:32 mailserver dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<username@domain.com>, method=PLAIN, rip=192.168.1.100, lip=192.168.1.1, mpid=12345, TLS, session=<abcdefgh12345678>

Example of POP3 Login Entry

log : Feb 11 10:46:15 mailserver dovecot: pop3-login: Login: user=<email@example.com>, method=PLAIN, rip=192.168.1.101, lip=192.168.1.1, mpid=54321, TLS, session=<ijklmnop87654321>

Conclusion

Following this guide helps determine whether an email account is logging in via POP3 or IMAP. Understanding the differences between these protocols assists with troubleshooting and ensures proper configuration for improved accessibility and synchronization.

If further assistance is needed, please communicate with our support team at support@ipserverone.com.

Related Article