Consider different activities related to email. m1: Send an email from a mail client to a mail server m2: Download an email from mailbox server to a mail client m3: Checking email in a web browser Which is the application level protocol used in each activity? (A) m1: HTTP m2: SMTP m3: POP (B) m1: SMTP m2: FTP m3: HTTP (C) m1: SMTP m2: POP m3: HTTP (D) m1: POP m2: SMTP m3: IMAP

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Solution

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Official answer: C) m1: SMTP m2: POP m3: HTTP

DNS and HTTP

Let's analyze the protocol used in each scenario:

m1: Send an email from a mail client to a mail server: Email transmission/pushing from a client to a server or between servers uses SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
m2: Download an email from mailbox server to a mail client: Email retrieval/pulling from a mailbox server to a mail client uses POP (Post Office Protocol) or IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol).
m3: Checking email in a web browser: Accessing webmail through a web browser uses HTTP / HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol).

Matching these gives:

Thus, the correct option is (C).

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This DNS and HTTP previous year question is Q4 of the GATE CSE 2011 paper. Find more GATE CSE PYQs on DNS and HTTP in Computer Networks, or browse all GATE CSE PYQs.

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DNS and HTTP has 18 GATE CSE PYQs across 15 papers from 2011 to 2026. 13 of them are 1-mark MCQs like this one, and GATE CSE 2011 has 2.

Independent practice explanation verified by the GateAI team. GATE is conducted by the IITs; question text follows the official paper.