E-Mail - Enhanced Junk E-Mail Filtering System FAQs
What are pair Networks' junk e-mail filter features?
pair Networks has greatly enhanced its junk e-mail filtering system. These features are available for all pair Networks customers at no extra charge.
These features include such technologies such as greylisting and e-mail virus scanning.
How do I modify my junk e-mail filter settings?
You can modify your junk e-mail filter settings for greylisting, SpamAssassin, e-mail virus scanning, and other junk e-mail filter features using the Account Control Center (ACC). Follow the steps below to modify junk e-mail filter settings:
- Log into the ACC (https://my.pair.com).
- Click E-mail Management.
- Click Junk E-Mail Filter Settings (under the heading General E-Mail Settings).
- Modify or enable junk e-mail filter settings.
- Click Commit Changes.
Who can take advantage of these junk e-mail filter features?
All customers are able to take advantage of these junk e-mail filter features at no extra charge.
What are some of these enhanced junk e-mail filter features?
pair Networks junk e-mail filter system is made up of a combination of open-source software and custom-built technologies that, in testing, has shown to dramatically decrease the amount of junk e-mail people receive (up to a 90% reduction if all features are enabled).
Here are some of the features of our newly improved junk e-mail filter system:
- Separate server configuration -- e-mail is filtered before it even reaches your account server!
- SpamAssassin 3.0 -- a powerful junk e-mail filter
- Greylisting -- a new approach to decreasing the amount of junk e-mails
- E-Mail Virus Scanning -- utilizing a sophisticated e-mail virus scanner, Clam AntiVirus
- Spamhaus DNSBL -- a real-time "blacklist" to block e-mail addresses that send junk e-mails and reject junk e-mail messages from these addresses
If I make changes to my junk e-mail filter settings, will that automatically enable junk e-mail filtering for all my mailboxes and recipes?
No. You must enable junk e-mail filtering for your mailboxes and recipes. Only then will you be able to take advantage of the many junk e-mail filtering features pair Networks has to offer.
Enabling junk e-mail filtering for a mailbox or recipe means that the SpamAssassin application will be enabled at its default level. Enabling or disabling other junk e-mail filter features can be completed via the Account Control Center (https://my.pair.com).
What is "greylisting"?
Greylisting is the name of a method that is used to reduce the delivery of junk e-mail but allow legitimate e-mail messages to be delivered.
Greylisting looks at the IP address of the sender and the recipient address. If the system does not recognize this information, then it will temporarily reject the e-mail. All legitimate e-mail systems will attempt to resend the e-mail at a later time, and the e-mail will go through.
Most applications that send junk e-mail just send junk e-mail messages once and do not attempt to resend them. These junk e-mail applications use the "fire-and-forget" method, which means that if the junk e-mailer was unsuccessful at sending junk e-mail to a particular e-mail address, the application will not try to resend that e-mail message.
Greylisting does not delete legitimate e-mail messages. All legitimate e-mails will go through using greylisting. The only potential effect greylisting may have for pair Networks customers is a slight delay in the delivery of legitimate e-mail messages.
However, these delays can be avoided by adding e-mail addresses to your "Accepted Addresses" list. Any e-mail address in your "Accepted Addresses" list will not be subjected to greylisting. In addition, if you do experience a delay with a certain e-mail address, you usually will not experience that delay again over the next 30-day period.
What is a DNSBL?
DNSBL stands for Domain Name System-based Blackhole List. A DNSBL lists IP addresses, usually those that have been observed by the list operator to send junk e-mails, that are used by applications to decrease the delivery of junk e-mails.
These lists are developed by third-party entities and are not supported or maintained by pair Networks. However, we give you the option of using particular DNSBLs, which may reduce the amount of junk e-mails you receive.
pair Networks allows you to enable SpamAssassin's DNSBLs that SpamAssassin uses for junk e-mail scoring. SpamAssassin uses a scoring system to determine what e-mail is junk e-mail and which e-mail messages are legitimate.
Our junk e-mail filtering system also allows you to use the DNSBL called Spamhaus SBL-XBL (see spamhaus.org for more information) to reject junk e-mail messages and to block those addresses that send junk e-mail. If you wish to use DNSBLs, you will have to turn it on manually on the Junk E-mail Filter Advanced Settings page in the ACC (https://my.pair.com).
Do these junk e-mail filter features cost me anything?
These features do not cost you anything. Junk e-mail filtering is a free service to help protect our customers from unwanted junk e-mail and viruses.
What if I don't want to use certain junk e-mail filter features?
You do not have to take advantage of any of these new features. You can simply visit the Global Junk E-Mail Filter Settings page and the Junk E-Mail Filtering Options for Advanced Users page in the ACC (https://my.pair.com) and turn "ON" or "OFF" these junk e-mail filter features.
In regards to our junk e-mail filtering features, only greylisting is turned "ON" by default. The other features, such as e-mail virus scanning, must be turned on manually.
However, when you first enable junk e-mail filtering for a mailbox, recipe, your Main Account Mailbox, or Global E-Mail Delivery Settings, then SpamAssassin is automatically enabled at its default setting.
Now that pair Networks is scanning my e-mail for viruses, do I need to use any other anti-virus software?
Yes. We strongly recommend that you use other anti-virus software to protect you from viruses, spyware, and other potentially harmful applications. pair Networks uses the open-source software, Clam AntiVirus, to scan e-mails for viruses. You can obtain viruses in many different ways and need to use other anti-virus software to protect yourself from viruses.
pair Networks is not responsible for the harm computer viruses may do to our customers' systems. We are also not responsible for the effectiveness of any third-party anti-virus software.
What if I have e-mail addresses in my "Accepted Addresses" list or my "Addresses to Mark as 'Junk'" list?
Any e-mail address you currently have in your "Accepted Addresses" list, also called a "whitelist," exempts e-mail from certain e-mail addresses from being junk filtered. These "whitelisted" e-mail addresses will automatically bypass greylisting, SpamAssassin, and all other junk filtering features. However, even e-mail sent from whitelisted e-mail addresses will be scanned for viruses.
pair Networks' junk e-mail filter system will automatically reject any e-mail messages sent from e-mail addresses on your "Addresses to Mark as 'Junk'" list, which is also known as a "blacklist."
If you have an e-mail address on both lists, our system will treat that e-mail address as if it was not on either list, thereby ensuring e-mail sent from those addresses will be processed through our junk e-mail filtering system.
What if I keep my own Qmail delivery rules in my home directory?
Some advanced users choose to keep some or all of their e-mail delivery rules in their home directory. These users can choose to utilize junk e-mail filtering for those addresses by turning on the Junk E-mail Filter Advanced Settings page in the ACC (https://my.pair.com).
What if I have other questions about pair Networks' junk e-mail filter features?
If you have any questions regarding these junk e-mail filter features, you can contact our support specialists at support@pair.com.