I am a new user to Avast and I use Mailmate Antispam & Outlook 2000. Basically Mailmate collects my mail and allows the good ones to go on to Outlook 2000. Mailmate holds back spam in a folder of its own until I wish to deal with it.
Outlook is configured to collect with pop server changed to 127.0.0.1. I have also had to use this setting in Avast Home so consequently the spam is not checked unless it is done manually by checking the spam folder.
Can anyone help me with this? Even better does anyone use Mailmate Antispam and Avast Home together?
Thanks
Clive
There is no need to use mailmate to filter the spam. You can create rules in Outlook that will filter it and send the spam directly to the recycle bin (removed items).
how?..is it as reliable as spam filter?..do you mind giving us a short review…
thanks in advance… 
Actually it is very simple. With the build in rule wizzard you can set rules on what to with incomming emails. You can set them so that when a mail is received from a certain sender it goes to folderA when it is from another sender it goes to folderB. You can do the same by checking the subject and/or text of a mail.
Esample:
If mailtext has the word viagra in it, direct the mail to the removed items folder.
You can find the rule wizzard under the ‘extra’ menu (in English versions it is called tools menu)
Here are some nice sites explaing a bit more:
http://help.bnsi.net/mailrules/otmlrls.php
http://www.slipstick.com/rules/
I use Avast Pro in combination with ZoneAlarm Pro and created rules in Outlook 2002. Sure in the beginning spam would still come through the filters/rules. But after some time when I got to understand the functioning of the rules better, and adjusting the rules, no spam comes trough anymore. It takes a while to set it up correctly and I’m not saying you shouldn’t use a 3rd party spam filter, just saying it can be done without one. The choice is all yours my friends.
thanks artras…
so i guess the only difference is a manual learning process to identify spam as compared to spam filters…
Basicly, yes. A benefit of setting the rules manually imo is that you don’t need to have another prog running all the time, which can slow down a system or at least is using some cpu time.
Can’t say I agree altogether, I struggled with rules for ages and just dropped on Mailmate Antispam(Don’t confuse with Mailmate Express) I was really impressed with this so I paid up and apart from the poor support I am really pleased. It does not slow anything noticeably and I now only get real emails in Outlook Inbox.Heaven! also works fine with Outpost firewall.
Problem, yes! All the spam with virus’s etc are in the Spam Folder in Mailmate! Avast doesn’t see this unless checked manually.
Both Mailmate and Avast use 127.0.0.1 which I wonder about.
Don’t really feel like scrapping a programme I have just bought that works so well to go backwards wih Outlook Rules.
I am only a novice really and would like all the advice I can get. I like Avast and really want to keep it going.
Cheers all
Clive
Many antispam programs work as mail proxies (just like avast) These proxies generally use the same ports but can be configued to work together. I use Spampal (an antispam mail proxy) in conjunction with avast!
I am not familiar with Mailmate but I expect that if they are like most antspam proxies they will have support and documentation for setting it up with antivirus programs at their site. If not you may get some ideas on how to do it by perhaps visiting the Spampal site (www.spamplal.com) and review their documenation on setting Spampal up with various antivirus programs. The general concepts should (and do work) for most mail proxies when you want to “chain” them together.
If you want avast to filter all mail (including the spam) I think you need to chain your proxies this way:
Outlook —> Mailmate —> avast! —>pop3 server
Chained this way avast will have disinfected all the mail before Mailmate gets it.
Sean D
I have been thinking about this issue and based on a search of these forums there have been a number of threads concerning “chaining” mail proxies that have been quite informative. A search on “spampal” or “popfile” will give some good information.
While the following (based on the excellent avast! help file) does NOT address the issue with Mailmate (because in that case the “chain” needs to have avast! be the last in the chain, the following “generic” modification to the avast4.ini allows a user who already has a working antispam proxy configued in their mail client and is now installing avast! and would like to keep the benefits of the existing application while adding antvirus services from the avast! Internet Mail Provider.
Assuming the mail client is now configured and working with an antispam client (using standard port of 110 listening on local host 127.0.0.1) e.g.:
mail client ---->127.0.0.1:110 (antispam proxy)----->pop3 server
By adding the following lines to the avast4.ini and making a single change of a port number in the mail cleint avast will be inserted in the proxy “chain”
[MailScanner]
PopListen=127.0.0.1:8110
Trust=127.0.0.1
DefaultPopServer=127.0.0.1:110
Now by changing only the pop server port number in the mail client to 8110 and without changing the user id or mailserver entries in the mail client, avast! can be inserted in the “chain” and will process any mail downloaded to the mail client inbox. i.e.
mail client ---->127.0.0.1:8110(avast!)---->127.0.0.1:110(antispam proxy)—>pop3 server.
This scenario should work for multiple accounts if the antispam proxy supports that feature (the only caveat being that the antispam client does not use the “#” in its parsing of the user id to extract the destination pop3 server.)
For those who would prefer or need to have avast! as the last proxy in the chain (because for example Mailmate apparently does not pass spam back to the client but apparently puts it into its own chest and the user wants that disenfected also, if I understand correctly, then it gets a little bit more complicated and I would need to know exactly how the antispam proxy requires the user id to be set up. The mail client would need more changes then just a simple port number being modified.
Sean D
Sean
Many thanks for your input, I did have SpamPal and found it really good and only changed because of the problem that Outlook was telling me I had new mail every time spam arrived. Of course this doesn’t happen with Mailmate as it never reaches Outlooks Inbox.
I have tried altering port as you suggested and the ini file for Avast but I just get a mail delivery error as you expected I would. I’m afraid I’m no whizz kid so really I am stumped. but I am sure I need Avast to check the mail before it gets to Mailmate. I am loathe to part with Avast or Mailmate although I could go back to SpamPal if I could get rid of mail notification evey time I get spam. Be grateful to supply you with any details you might need to help.
Many thanks again
Regards
Clive
Clive,
I tried going to the Mailmate site, checked the FAQ and clicked on the link for configuring mail clients but got a 404 error so could not get what I needed. I wonder if you can post a working client config for Mailmate (without putting in your personal information) and I will give it a shot on figuring out how to set this up. Also, do you use it for multiple accounts or just one?
Sean D
Sean
Thanks for your assistance. I think you may have been to the site of Mailmate Express which is a different animal. I am quite willing to send you config but see if this helps first. http://www.brezosoft.com/config.htm
It is 1.40am here so I may not be able to view the forum till tomorrow.
I am grateful for your help as I really want to get these working together.
I am afraid I do have multiple accounts but if I can configure one I will be able to work from there.
Regards
Clive
seand, very thanks for your post…
Can you see this forum? http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=9;action=display;threadid=3413
Can you teach us how to configurate Spamihilator and avast in a chain…
I mean: I want ‘first’ getting rid of spam and then scan the other messages (the ones really downloaded) with avast. I’ll earn time and money. Other users will be happy too. Thanks. 
Clive,
I checked out the Mailmate link you posted, thanks.
Please try this:
Step 1.
Modify the avast4.ini so that avast listens on a different port than 110. In the example I have picked 8110
[MailScanner]
PopListen=127.0.0.1:8110
Trust=127.0.0.1
Setup Outlook and Mailmate to work together as they have in the past. (without avast!)
Verify that the setup is working before going to the next step. Outlook should be able to connect to and collect mail from all your pop servers. Avast is not in the chain yet.
If you can collect your mail and Mailmate is detecting spam make sure the Internet Mail Provider in avast is running (not complaining about port conflicts etc.) go to the next step:
Assuming for your Mailmate config your current pop user name in Outlook looks like jsmith@yourisp.com, modify your pop user Name to be:
jsmith#yourisp.com@127.0.0.1:8110
Do not change the pop server in Outlook (which should be 127.0.0.1)
Now try collecting your mail (assuming you have new mail already, if not send yourself some mail)
If all goes well Outlook should collect your mail and while it is being downloaded it will first be scanned by avast and them by Mailmate. The spam retained by Mailmate should be disinfected or clean and the mail in your inbox also.
This all depends on whether or not Mailmate recognises the :8110 at the end of the 127.0.0.1 as being the pop port to use.
I am operating on NY (US-EST) Time so will not be back unitll late tomorrow your time. Hope this works.
Sean D
Technical,
I will be glad to help if I can. I will check out the thread now but it is quite late here and I have to be up early in the AM for a meeting, so probably will not be back on the forum untill about 11 AM tomorrow (US EST time) -0400
Sean D
Sean
I did try quickly last night but it was late. No joy but I did try different ways. I also tried altering the ports on Outlook and Mailmate but got confused in the end. There is a facility for specifying which port to use so that is easy also one under Advanced tab in Properties.
Can’t quite be sure you meant to alter Outlook when you said
"
[i]Assuming for your Mailmate config your current pop user name in Outlook looks like jsmith@yourisp.com, modify your pop user Name to be:
jsmith#yourisp.com@127.0.0.1:8110 [/i] "
Whowever I have tried all ways and everything is OK until I make this alteration. I have probably got something wrong around this area.
Aplogies for not grasping this immediately but as I said I am no expert with computers, but need to keep trying
Working till about 6pm GMT.
Thanks again
Regards
Clive
Clive,
Sorry it is so difficult. Debugging multiple proxies gets difficult.
Best way to start is get one of them working and tested before trying to chain a second one.
So if you dont mind please start with configuring Outlook and Mailmate to work and ignore avast for now. Given that you can change the pop server port that Mailmate works on, the first step I would ask is the you pick an unused port (like 7110) for Mailmate to listen on and then config your Outlook to work with Mailmate by changing your pop server port in Outlook to 7110 and the pop user name to YourPopName@YourISP.com e.g. you@pipex.com (whatever worked for Mailmate before you tried chaining avast)
Once this is done and tested to be working we are ready to go to then next step.
I am just leaving for work now and should be able to get back on about 11 AM NY time -0400 hours. If possible send me email and let me know if you get Outlook and Mailmate working along with the port and pop user name in Outlook and when I sign back on I will figure out the config changes to insert avast in the chain so that all mail is filtered before getting to Mailmate.
Sean D
edit: Please double check the Mailmate docs and make sure it does not use the ‘#’ as part of the seperator char when you set up the pop user name in Outlook. (The online docs says it uses the ‘@’ char but it may use a secondary one.). Also when changing the port for Mailmate to listen on you may have to reboot for it to take effect (I dont know).
Sean
I tried as you suggested with 7110 but got an error mesage saying another programme was using this port. I then changed both ports to 8110 and everything seemed to go through the sequence fine with no error message.
Mailmate only appears to change pop settings to 127.0.0.1 and alters my username to my email address. This is not the same as my pipex username which is a combination of letters and numbers. I remember SpamPal as being more complicated and using two @ chars.
I suppose Maimate picks up the mail using my Pipex settings and then Outlook picks it up from MailMate using my email address and 127.0.0.1
Am I correct? All we have to do now is to link in Avast ???
Well that’s me lost!!!
Cheers
Clive
Clive,
OK, based on your post I “think” that Outlook and Mailmate are now running correctly and avast is not scanning your mail yet, is that right?
Now if you dont mind please post just what the settings are for each of the following:
Outlook: what is the pop3 port number?
Outlook: what is the pop server?
Outlook: what is the pop user name?
Mailmate: what pop port is it listening on?
With that info we should be able to put avast in the loop and handle multiple accounts (hopefully)
If you can please take a look at the avast4.ini and tell me what the PopListen and DefaultPopServer entries are right now (before we change them)
Sean D
Sean
Incoming Mail Port 8110
Incoming Pop3 Server 127.0.0.1
Pop username csturnbull@dsl.pipex.com
Avast4.ini I will email this for you
Is that OK
Cheers
Clive