I currently use openssh to open a tunnel between my laptop and my POP3 server, but the tunnel keeps locking up. (I think it's a server problem, or an intermittent line problem, because it happens with both openssh and Putty.)

What I'd like is a program that would open the tunnel only as needed, so I can get the mail, and let the tunnel close.

Can stunnel do this?

More generally, is there a quick summary somewhere on the relative benefits of stunnel's use of SSL versus an SSH approach?

Duncan Murdoch