Is SPAM bothering you too? I have been receiving numerous complaints from my clients, regarding SPAM mails. I tried all possible configurations on the spam software available with the control panels. But it was of no use at all. Finally I heard of ASSP. This is my lifesaver. Now all my clients are happy and content. The spams mails have been reduced by more than 90%. None of my clients have ever mentioned about spam, ever since this software was installed. Let me tell you more about my experience with ASSP

ASSP is very powerful spam filter which will work beautifully, without affecting your normal mails. And it has a very user friendly interface, using which we can easily check the spams, categorize mails as useful mails or spam mails and many many other options, that are not easily available in other spam software. It works on cPanel as well as Plesk servers. You don’t believe me? Try it out. I am sure you will be impressed.

It is easy to get it installed and also very easy to configure. The ASSP interface is well designed and self explanatory.

Let me state a few scenarios I had to face after the installation:

• After the installation of ASSP, the “No local filter” option is enabled by default, for all domains/users. This feature is to prevent email dictionary attacks. With this option enabled, only existing email addresses will receive a mails. Mails to non-existent addresses will be rejected with the message: No such user exists.In short, the “Default address” option, available in cPanel, does not work when the “No local filter” option in ASSP is enabled.So if you have several accounts using the “default address” you have 2 options:

  a. You may advice your clients that with the “No local filter” option they can receive emails only to existing pop3 accounts and forwarders, so the client can decide if it’s a case where we will have to disable the filter using ASSP deluxe cPanel frontend.

  b. You may turn the “No local filter” option off for all or some clients, using the WHM ASSP web interface (ASSP DOMAIN CONFIG) . If you want to turn it off for new hosting accounts automatically , go to ASSP WHM > ASSP Deluxe for cPanel tools > DEFAULT Settings > FILTER STATUS DEFAULT SETTINGS > and set “No Local” to OFF .

• Problems in sending via MailScannerPlease note that ASSP only filters the incoming mails. If the outgoing mails are affected, you need to check the authentication mechanism enabled in WHM -> ASSP interface.SMTP AUTH ON

  This means that all email clients should have SMTP authentication enabled, in order to send mails.

  SMTP AUTH OFF

  This means that the users should only use pop3 authentication.

• Clients cannot send mails via port 25.In such cases, where ISP blocks port 25, we normally enable port 26. When ASSP is installed, we should not enable port 26 in WHM -> Service manager. If enabled, it should be removed.The alternate port should be enabled in WHM -> ASSP Web Interface -> Network Setup > Second SMTP Listen Port.
• If you stop ASSP, the mail service will not function. So if you temporarily need to stop ASSP and have exim serve the mails, do as follows:
  • First of all, we need to ensure that ASSP will not be started automatically. Remove the status.php cronjob from crontab. Also ensure that ASSP monitor is not enabled in WHM -> Service Manager.
  • Then stop ASSP via WHM -> ASSP Web Interface. If you stop via command line, it will not be completely stopped. Hence only use WHM.
  • In WHM -> Exim Configuration Editor -> Advanced Editor, comment the following entries# local_interfaces = 127.0.0.1
# daemon_smtp_ports = 125
  • Save exim.

  Now exim will serve mails.

• In case you need to enable ASSP:
  • Add the cron job and enable monitor in Server manager.
  • Remove the comment before the above entries in Exim configuration.
  • Start via WHM -> ASSP Web interface.
  • Enable SSL supportASSP SSL support is not enabled. If you need SSL support, you will need to make use of stunnel. The details are mentioned here

I wish all of you a happy time with no spam at all…….

About the Author:

Remya Vipin has been with Bobcares for the last 6 years. She is an expert in cPanel-Linux servers and Linux server administration. She loves her work and aims to keep all her clients satisfied, but not as much as she loves spending time with her son.