Click any menu item in the image above for information on that item.
Read below for descriptions of the on-screen configuration items.
| SpamX checking options group
Recommended initial settings shown above. |
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|---|---|
| Item | Description |
| Friends | Use the Friends addresses/domains. An email from an address/domain in the Friends list will never be intercepted as spam regardless of any other settings. SpamX allows importing the Friends list from Address book/Contacts exports from most of the popular email clients and the address from any mail intercepted as spam can be added to the Friends list with a single click when viewing mail in CheckSpam. |
| Blocking | Use the Block addresses/domains. An email from an address/domain in the Block list will always be intercepted as spam unless it is in the Friends list. Example: Domain "test.com" in the Block list blocks ALL mail from the test.com domain, but adding the email address "testme@test.com" to the Friends list will allow email from the address testme@test.com through even though the entire test.com domain is blocked. Friends takes precedence over Blocked. |
| "To:" Limiting | Limit allowed mail to that sent to To/CC'd addresses in the "To:" Address list. All mail to any address not in the "To:" Address list will be intercepted as spam unless it has a from address in the Friends list if this option is turned On. Requires entering allowed addresses in the "To:" Address list. |
| Base Match | Convert domains to higher level domains during checking. This has the effect of rendering the checking of incoming mail less strict. |
| Class B Match | Convert internal addresses to higher level addresses during checking. This has the effect of rendering the checking of incoming mail less strict. i.e. 192.168.123.456 becomes 192.168.xxx.xxx such that any IP address beginning with 192.168 will match when Class B Match is selected [the '192' represents the highest level, the '168' the next lower and so forth]. |
| Allow Apparently-To | Many spams have long lists of "Apparently-To:" addresses. Turning this option ON allows emails with Apparently-To addresses to be checked in the normal way. They may still be rejected for other reasons, however. Leaving this option OFF causes such mails to be rejected outright. |
| Source Consistency | A more stringent level of checking. This option is recommended to be turned ON. |
| Strict Checking | A much more stringent level of checking. This option is recommended to be turned ON. |
| Logging | Logs traffic to/from SpamX and the mail server to a file for troubleshooting the
connection to the mailserver. This option has no effect on spam detection and should normally be left OFF as it slows communication when checking mail. |
| Check Reply-To | Check the Reply-To address based on certain internal rules. This option is recommended to be turned ON. |
| Reject Open Relay | The mail will be rejected outright if an open relay is detected in the send path
and this option is set to ON. Setting this option ON insures any open relay will ALWAYS cause a mail to be rejected as spam. SpamX also checks for Open Proxies in the mail send path - Open Proxies will always result in the mail being rejected as spam regardless of the setting of this option unless the From address is in the Friends List. |
| To/cc Address Limit | Limit the total number of addressees to the value entered. Enter 0 [zero] to allow an unlimited number of addressees in the mail received. |
| Saved Spam Directory
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|---|---|
| Saved Spam Directory field | A directory path may be entered into this field by experienced users. If the directory does not exist, it will be created. It is generally easier and more reliable to use the Browse feature. |
| Browse | Use Browse to select an existing directory [folder] in which spams will be saved [usually "spams" in the "SpamX" folder which is created by the install program although any folder may be used]. |
| Save | Use the Save button to save all the SpamX configurations. The Config application
stays open for additional entries following a save. Close the Config application with the Close
button or window close box when completely finished. NOTE: The Config application checks the DNS server entries for validity the first time Save is used once they are filled in and thereafter if they are changed. You MUST be connected to the Internet when saving the first time after adding or changing DNS servers. |
| Close | Closes the Config window. Close prompts to save any changes made since the last save. |
| DNS Constants
- if in doubt, use the Selection dropdowns
|
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|---|---|
| Cache expires in: | Time before which cache entries expire. Values are 36 hours, 72 hours, 5 days, 2 weeks and NoCache. NoCache disables the caches and should not be used except temporarily to reset a cached value you suspect may be wrong for a particular spam. 5 days is the default value as a balance between performance and keeping entries current - Lower values cause SpamX to check Internet servers for data more frequently. |
| Primary Name Server | It is highly recommended to use DNS Servers from the dropdown selection lists when first configuring SpamX as these servers are guaranteed to work. Later on, you can contact your ISP for your local DNS server or use the method in Finding Nameservers and enter that nameserver into this field. If you ask your ISP tech support for the server names, MAKE SURE they understand you need "Primary and Secondary DNS Name Servers " . If there is ANY doubt, use the dropdown selection lists as described below. As an added measure in v3.0 , Config will check to insure the entered server is a TRUE DNS server when Save is clicked and return an error if it is not. |
| Secondary Name Server | Same as 'Primary', above. |
| Name Server Selections (2) | Use these 2 dropdown lists to select the Primary and Secondary nameservers to
use when setting up SpamX for the first time or if you are unfamiliar with
DNS and Name Servers
. If you are in the U.S., select the region nearest you for the Primary and "Main" for the
Secondary. If you are outside the U.S., use any one of the regional servers for the Primary and
"Main" for the Secondary. Once you have verified your copy of SpamX is working using the servers in the dropdown lists, you can then follow this link for instructions on how to find the nameservers for your ISP or use other nameservers . |
| Startup Options |
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|---|---|
| Proxy at start | If your Operating System is smart enough to allow you to use a Proxy for your
email connection this is, by far, the most efective setting to insure all incoming email is checked
for spam. Proxy Mode checks for spam whenever you run a mail check with your email client however,
due to a defect in the Windows OS, Windows users cannot currently take advantage of this superior
mode of operation. Maybe the folks over at MS will get a clue and make their Internet Options
control panel do what it says it's supposed to but we're not holding our breaths. In the meantime, use Mozilla Thunderbird. |
| Scheduler at start | Recommended for systems that cannot be configured for Proxy mode but have an "always on" Internet connection. Make no mistake, this still works extremely well when set to the lowest possible run interval in the Scheduler Settings panel. It is also recommended that the email client be set to Manual checking or a VERY long automatic checking interval for best results when using this mode. [additional options and simple techniques to make this mode work with extremely high reliability are covered in the Using the Control Strip section.] This mode checks mail as soon as SpamX starts and at regular intervals thereafter as set in the Scheduler Settings panel. |
| OFF at start | Generally recommended for dialup users. SpamX checks mail on the server when the Schedule button on the Control Strip is pressed [manual mode]. ALWAYS run a check with SpamX BEFORE checking mail with the normal email client so SpamX can 'clean' the email server of the unwanted junk first. |
| Spam source | View the source of the email with all headers when selected from the list in CheckSpam . Many spams have "web bugs" in them to report back to the spammer that they were viewed. Using Spam source defeats all "web bugs" and is the safest mode for initially viewing any suspect mail. It is highly recommended to leave this option ON - Turn the option off at your own 'peril' - You have been advised. |
| Small Icons | Sets the Icon size on the Control Strip to small. |
| Lookups When Checking Mail | Turn ON or OFF abuse lookups when checking mail. Turning abuse lookups OFF speeds up mail checks, particularly if there is a large quantity of spam on the server. The 'flip side' of this is that parsing and reporting may take slightly longer. |