Thread: Web & SPAM Free Email Hosting

I have had hosting accounts with a few providers in the past based locally and overseas, I am not going to name names. Typically I would have bought their basic linux hosting packages which (through their web based cpl's) allowed me to setup emails @respectivedomainnames.com. In every case I found even within a matter of hours the site owners would receive crazy amounts of SPAM in their inbox.

Some hosting companies charge quite a lot IMO for applying spam filters, while I read that the likes of Blacknight include this service for free on their shared linux hosting plans. Is this true? and if so, does it work?

I have a number of websites coming up that need hosting and spam free email hosting also @theirdomainname.com. The domain names are already registered elsewhere, but the hosting still needs to be purchased.

Where would you recommend I go. My hosting requirements would be a LAMP config (>= PHP5) , with decent space and monthly transfers.

But the spam free email is absolutely critical.

It's a problem every business faces but you'd be amazed the amount of businesses who have no filtering and sit for hours each day manually deleting spam, which you don't need to do!
It's also in the interest of webhosts to provide spam filtering , so you'll probably find most offer basic filtering for free. Basic filtering should be sufficient for most businesses - while larger enterprises will need to pay for an advanced solution.

Spam filtering always takes a bit of tuning before it'll work perfectly, and the spam you receive changes, so you may have to 're-tune' every so often!

I'd recommend you look for a hosting package with SpamAssassin, BoxTrapper (or similar packages), user-level and account-level filtering. These should be free - I wouldn't fork out extra money unless you've rigorously tried free spam filtering.

Originally Posted by CoNfOuNd

I'd recommend you look for a hosting package with SpamAssassin, BoxTrapper (or similar packages), user-level and account-level filtering.

BoxTrapper is a challenge response based system. Anyone using that runs the risk of getting blacklisted by others, as it's an incredibly badly thought out system.

True. BoxTrapper is a last resort if SpamAssassin and all else fails.

Originally Posted by CoNfOuNd

True. BoxTrapper is a last resort if SpamAssassin and all else fails.

Em no. It's simply wrong and should not be even made available to clients.
The rest of us don't want to have to deal with all the blowback junk - thanks

So eh, just to jump back in here again with my initial question. What is the blacknight (or other) SPAM filtering service like with shared Linux hosting plans?

Also is it possible to pay for extra storage space and just append it on to email accounts if needs arise?, with zero downtime?

Cheers,
Jason

If you have queries about/for specific hosting companies you should contact them directly

Originally Posted by blacknight

If you have queries about/for specific hosting companies you should contact them directly

I am more interested in what existing customers have to say (or is that not allowed here). The services that have let my clients down in the past, according to the respective service providers are...."the almighty solution".

This is why taking the fairly obvious road of contacting companies directly isn't my first port of call on this occasion

Well there's nothing to stop people from commenting on their own experiences

Originally Posted by jason

I am more interested in what existing customers have to say (or is that not allowed here). The services that have let my clients down in the past, according to the respective service providers are...."the almighty solution".

This is why taking the fairly obvious road of contacting companies directly isn't my first port of call on this occasion

Hey Jason

The solutions that let your clients down in the past , where they on low end budget hosting accounts?

Most of the Irish HSP's from what I know provide an *entry level* form of Spam and Virus filtering for FREE with their shared hosting accounts but the filters would need some user interaction as CoNfOuNd pointed out above. i.e You may need to fine tune the filters yourself before you see good results.

If you want a managed spam filtering solution then obviousley you would need to pay extra for it .

Cheers
Martin