[dreamweaver]

I had to become the Network Administrator for my system at work when my "Boy Friday / Network Administrator" moved away. I own the business, do all the purchasing, train the sales staff, coordinate the delivery, oversee the service, etc. etc. etc. I REALLY don't have the time to try to learn all there is to know to run the server, but I have gotten by. Here's my problem:

We run Exchange Server on Windown Small Business 2003 (SP2) and use Outlook for our mail client. I "review" everyone's email by having a cc sent to me. There is so much spam on everyone's email accounts that I get between 300 and 400 emails a day, 95% of which I have to sort through and dump. I need some suggestions on what to do an dhow to do it. Any offerings would be appreciated,

Steve

[Steptoe]

We use a spam filter ...Surf control..this is very expensive.
Like virus scanners it also has daily update dat files.
The gui is very user friendly...u will have to still regularly check filtered mail, and add anything that is not meant to be filtered to the white list.
Adding all current addys in addy books will reduce these to 2 to 3 per week and eventually after about a month 4 or 5 a month
Surf control also has an excellent web filter, again with daily updates.
It is also able to report users use, where when, able to restict times, bandwith usage and may other very usefull functions.
This is the top of the line filtering software, we use it in schools and other sensitive enviroments.

300 and 400 emails a day

That all?
With SC each mail box will be down to about 2 or 3 spam mails a day within a week as the prog 'learns'

PS Sc has a function trial download...it is a very 'clean' nit of software.
They also have bu far the best support...email or 0800.. that I have ever come across in the last 15 yrs

[eville]

http://www.msexchange.org

This was a very useful link for me when I had and Exchange Admin dumped on me.

[JimM]

we use a setup similar to your, but...

We don't use exchange server to recieve emails, only to send them.
We recieve directly from our webhost's mail server, they have a VERY effective new spam filter, cut my junk from 400/day to 50.
We use a program called MailWasher to further filter spam. It shows the "from" the "subject" and the first 30 characters of the body, only text, no code or html. It can be programed with a friends list, which can be imported from outlook, and also a blacklist, which can be shared.

It takes me about 30 seconds to scan 50 emails, click the checkbox on the spam and hit process. The spam is deleted directly from the isp's server, nothing gets into my building beyond those first 30 text characters. Then it automatically brings up outlook anbd we hit a manual recieve. Works great, highly recommended.

While I suppose it would be nice sometimes to have oversight over mail both coming and going, I don't want any of that crap on my server. Mailwasher also detects and flags most viruses and worms, and clearly shows any files that are hex rather than text (program files).

[CFunK]

DW,

From your description, you aren't POP'ing mail off another server as Jim is. Mail is sent directly to your Exchange server. If that is the case, I would look into the Cloudmark solution for Exchange. I have several clients using the Desktop version and it is very efficent. The server version follows the same desktop model.

They have a free download and trial. Depending on the number of users it is very reasonable dollar wise.

www.cloudmark.com/server

Just wish is supported NT4. No comments from the peanut gallery Buck.

[JimM]

NT4? Wuts that?

[dreamweaver]

Originally Posted by CFunK

DW,

From your description, you aren't POP'ing mail off another server as Jim is. Mail is sent directly to your Exchange server. ...

I think that is correct, but I am not 100% sure. I have a server and 7 client machines at the store, plus I log in remotely from 2 other olcations. Here's what I can tell you and, maybe, you can figger 'er out:

I have my own domain, I think. All of the employees' email addresses are as follows:

stevem@spa-dr.com
lindag@spa-dr.com

etc..... everybody's email end in ... @spa-dr.com

So from your description am I to assume that mail is sent directly to my server, not "poping off of another server" (whatever that means ?) and that, subsequently, Cloudmark would be a good fit for me? here's one other tidbit that may give you more clues:

I tried for over a month to get my "Smartphone" (really, it's a "Dumbphone) to synch up with my work email. I tried everything I could find and, nothing! Finally I had someone come over, change some things, and then they had me "push" my work email out to a personal account. Then I would have my phone synch up with that email account and, viola. Unfortunately, since I get so many junk emails now I decided to stop synching.

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks for all your help.

[JimM]

I don't know that we can really assume anything...

My server has it's own domain name on the internet, www.c-doc."XXX"
Through that domain we can log-in to the network remotely, or use remote web workspace to remote control a machine at work, and access files on the server from any machine on the internet. Our exchange server also uses that domain to send mail.

We also own the domain www.c-doc.com This domain is our commercial website, and it is hosted by a private host completely divorced from anything on/in/ or attached to our office or server. Our (incoming) email addresses are @c-doc.com our public domain.

Our internet access at the office is provided by sbcyahoo dsl, and our exchange servers sends outgoing email thru thier smtp server.

Incoming and outgoing mail go through totally different paths.

[CFunK]

DW,

After thinking about it, it doesn't matter if you are POP'ing mail off another server to your Exchange server or if email is being delivered directly to your server. The Cloudmark product will work as it sits on the Exchange server and checks inbound mail.

I missed read your setup Jim. You are POP'ing mail off an ISP mail server directly to the desktop and not the server.

[JimM]

correct chris, our incoming mail doesn't go thru the server only outgoing.