SPAM Filtering and Hosting etc..

[Kevin Gal]

I am trying to use Katarion to cure our spam problem. Basically I foward our
MX to their server and the spam is filtered out and then forwarded to our
exchange server (SBS2003). I tried to do this and it seemed like all the
emails stopped as soon as I did it. this the reply that I recieved from their
help desk:

Kevin,

Per our phone conversation, here is the follow-up email regarding your
issue. When the MX records for a domain are changed away from the server,
some servers will automatically assume that they are no longer hosting mail
for that domain and stop accepting messages for it. Since you maintain your
own server, it should be as simple as finding the file on your server which
lists the accepted domains and manually adding your domain to it. The name
and location of the text file varies depending on the type of server, but
it’s usually called either ‘/etc/localdomain’ or ‘rcpthosts’.

I hope that helps! Give me a call or email if you have any questions
regarding this.

I have tried search for both of these files with no luck... would anyone
have either a better solution or an idea on what this fellow is refering too.

Thanks Kevin...

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Kevin Gal <Kevi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> I am trying to use Katarion to cure our spam problem. Basically I
> foward our MX to their server and the spam is filtered out and then
> forwarded to our exchange server (SBS2003).

How? Via an IP address? Hostname?

> I tried to do this and it
> seemed like all the emails stopped as soon as I did it. this the
> reply that I recieved from their help desk:

Wher were your MX records pointing previously?

>
> Kevin,
>
> Per our phone conversation, here is the follow-up email regarding your
> issue. When the MX records for a domain are changed away from the
> server, some servers will automatically assume that they are no
> longer hosting mail for that domain and stop accepting messages for
> it. Since you maintain your own server, it should be as simple as
> finding the file on your server which lists the accepted domains and
> manually adding your domain to it. The name and location of the text
> file varies depending on the type of server, but it's usually called
> either '/etc/localdomain' or 'rcpthosts'.
>
> I hope that helps! Give me a call or email if you have any questions
> regarding this.
>
> I have tried search for both of these files with no luck... would
> anyone have either a better solution or an idea on what this fellow
> is refering too.
>
> Thanks Kevin...

He's talking about a unix-based mail system....not Exchange. Since you're
using SBS.....did you run the CEICW to configure your server to handle mail
for mydomain.com ? Were you previously using the SBS POP connector or
something similar?

[John Oliver, Jr. [MVP]]

As Lanwench already suggested, you will need to update your MX record to
point to their filtering servers, they stated this has already been done but
I would verify at www.dnsstuff.com. In addition, you will need to configure
in your Katarion setup page an Outbound Server so you can add your Server IP
so the filtering servers no where to send the mail, they may have done this
already but I would verify. In addition, at some point you will need to
lockdown your Exchange server only to accept connections from the Katarion
Filtering servers on your Default SMTP Virtual Server-Acces-Connection Tab.
You might verify this, but with my Hosted Filtering Service they require
using the Default SMTP Virtual Server instead on the SBS SMTP Connector when
using SBS 2003.

BTW: Every service differs a little on setup but they should at least
provide phone support or whitepaper to explain the setup. If they don't,
then I would be worried about future support issues and the timely manner in
which they provide assistance. You get what you pay for and good support is
one factor I take into account.

--
John Oliver, Jr
MCSE, MCT, CCNA
Exchange MVP 2008
Microsoft Certified Partner

"Kevin Gal" <Kevi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3FFC93CF-615E-42E3...@microsoft.com...

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

John Oliver, Jr. [MVP] <jcoli...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> As Lanwench already suggested, you will need to update your MX record
> to point to their filtering servers, they stated this has already
> been done but I would verify at www.dnsstuff.com. In addition, you
> will need to configure in your Katarion setup page an Outbound Server
> so you can add your Server IP so the filtering servers no where to
> send the mail, they may have done this already but I would verify. In
> addition, at some point you will need to lockdown your Exchange
> server only to accept connections from the Katarion Filtering servers
> on your Default SMTP Virtual Server-Acces-Connection Tab. You might
> verify this, but with my Hosted Filtering Service they require using
> the Default SMTP Virtual Server instead on the SBS SMTP Connector
> when using SBS 2003.

I'd recommend making the connection restrictions in the perimeter firewall
insted of in Exchange - easier to manage.

>
> BTW: Every service differs a little on setup but they should at least
> provide phone support or whitepaper to explain the setup. If they
> don't, then I would be worried about future support issues and the
> timely manner in which they provide assistance. You get what you pay
> for and good support is one factor I take into account.

Ayuh.

[Kevin Gal]

I had the MX forward to 10 mail.xxxxxx.ca.

Then I changed it to theirs

10 xxxxxxx.ca.pri-mx.smtproutes.com.

20 xxxxxx.ca.bak-mx.smtproutes.com.

They are pointing to mail.xxxx.ca

Prior to my changing I had hosted our email sucessfully for about 5 years.