UKC

How to… Block Spam, Stop Spam, Fight and Filter Spam

Spam – How to Reduce and Prevent Spam

emailWhat is SPAM?

Spam is flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Most spam is commercial advertising, often for dubious products, get-rich-quick schemes, or quasi-legal services. Spam costs the sender very little to send — most of the costs are paid for by the recipient or the carriers rather than by the sender.

What do UKC do to block SPAM?

As your web host we do all we can to prevent spam at the server level. Every incoming email is checked against no less than 5 global anti-spam filter lists (such as SpamCop). Only if the sending mail server identity passes all five spam filter tests is the email passed on to the recipient. This minimises a hugh amount of spam – but unfortunately not all spam can be blocked. There are many steps that you can take that will further block spam.

Delete your Catch-all email address

Many spammers will use dictionary attacks on your domain name. By deleting your catch-all account (listed under aliases in your hosting control panel) only email sent to valid email aliases will make it through to your inbox. This can vastly reduce the amount of spam received and is singly the most effective step in spam blocking. Go ahead,reduce spam and delete your catchall email address now.

Do not expose your email address

Do your best to not expose your email address on the internet. Putting your email address on your website or posting it into public forums is a sure way of having your email address ‘harvested’ by a spam spider. Whenever your email address is exposed in a public location it is at risk of being picked up, try not to do it with your most important email addresses.

Install local anti spam filter software

We attempt block spam before it gets to your inbox using the top DNS Spam Blacklists (such as SPAMcop) however it is not possible to block all SPAM. For spam that does make it through to your inbox you should consider a PC based spam blocker or spam filter. This is usually software based and can be configured according to the type of spam you receive.

Use multiple email addresses

Sign up to a number of free email addresses and use these email addresses for newsletter subscriptions and other non-trustworthy locations, try not to give out your main email address except to your closest associates, friends and family.

Never open attachements from unknown sources

Attachments from people you do not know are BAD. They usually contain viruses, do not open them under any circumstances. Any spam containing attachements almost certainly will contain a virus of some sort.

Never reply to a spam email

Many spammers are looking for a valid response to their email which verifies that the email address is operational. Never reply to a spam email.

Where do I start at UK-Cheapest.co.uk?

girlbooksWhere Do I Start?

It can be confusing so let’s start here.

If you’re wondering whether you need a presence on the internet, you’re not alone. Struggling to make sense of the various options?

Thousands of individuals and businesses are in the same situation. This page will help you understand and to make the right decision.

What does it mean to have a website?

Many feel they need to get their business/organisation “on the internet”. Often they aren’t sure exactly what this means, but think they should be doing it. Does this sound familiar?

Being “on the internet” can mean many different things. We use the term “Internet Presence” to describe all or any of the possibilities, but more specifically, being visible on the internet so that other people can find you. Here are some of the things your internet presence might include:

  • Website
  • E-mail address
  • Listings in directories, search engines

Do I need to put my business on the internet?

Some organisations really don’t have much use for the internet, in fact many small businesses survive without a web site at all. However, if you’re in business or if you represent an organisation of any kind, then we can almost guarantee that some sort of internet presence will benefit you. It may be a full-blown website, it may be a lower-cost alternative, it may be a simple listing in a directory. In any case it makes sense to explore the options.

What if I don’t use the Internet?

It doesn’t matter. You don’t necessarily need to use the internet to have an internet presence, just as you don’t need to read the phone book to be listed in it. Just remember that most other people do use the internet — more and more use it as their main source of information. If you’re not there, you’re slowly becoming invisible.

Do I need e-mail?

Do you need a postal address or a telephone? If not then maybe you don’t need an email address. Otherwise you certainly should be considering it. You may be surprised at how useful email can be.

Do I need a web site?

Generally speaking, you should have a web site if any of these criteria apply to you:

  • You would like to provide information about your business/organisation to the public.
  • You would like people to have a good chance of finding you on the internet.
  • You would like your business/organisation to have a professional image.
  • You would like to sell goods or services over the internet.

There are many other reasons to have a web site but these are the most common.

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Okay, I want a web presence. Where do I start?

1) With UK-Cheapest, it is possible to have a basic web site with an email address just by purchasing a domain name, we offer all the facilities to get a web presence online using the domain Homepage Builder just by making a single domain registration. So, as a minimum, you need to register a domain name.

Choose your domain name carefully, make sure it is easy to remember and easy to spell. Your domain is your website address. If you purchase more than one it is easy to point your extra domains to the original domain

2) If you are going to design your own web site or are hiring a web designer to do this for you, then you most certainly need a web hosting package. This will provide you with webspace, FTP facilities and full incoming/outgoing email for you to make your custom built web site available to the internet community.

You ideal web hosting plan really depends on what application you are using to design your website and how busy your website will be. If your site gets very busy in the future it is easy to upgrade.

3) If you want a site more professional looking than the Homepage builder can provide but you do not want the expense of hiring a Web Design then our online site builder is the answer. You can build professional looking web sites without any technical knowledge whatsoever – including ecommerce and web shops.

Unless you are comfortable with an FTP application (such as FileZilla, which you can download here) we recommend you design your site using either Microsoft FrontPage or simply use our Online Site Building Tool.

Ready? Start by finding a suitable domain name, choose “Unlimited Hosting” and then choose “Web Presence Builder” for access to 1000’s of pre-designed web site templates!

You’ve been redirected to our Spam Trap

emailYour email bounced with a message leading you here. Why?

We hate spam. To try to keep spam levels down, we’ve implemented a bunch of filters to block as much as we can.

Unfortunately, nobody’s perfect and we occassionally block email from our friends too. This page lists all of the messages our server sends when it blocks email so you can read about what the filter is and why you were blocked.

If you’re not a spammer and your email has been blocked, we’re sorry.  Please submit a whitelist request and we’ll fix our filters so you never get blocked again.

Error messages you might have come across

DENIED_RBL_MATCH

Refused. Your IP address is listed in the RBL

We are using the Real Time Blacklist mentioned above. You have to contact them in order to be unlisted. To check where your IP address is listed: MX Toolbox Blacklist Checker

DENIED_RDNS_MISSING

Refused. You have no reverse DNS entry.

Every server on the internet should have a reverse DNS entry, especially mail servers.

Our mail server checks for reverse DNS entries. Any email coming from a server without one is blocked. This stops a lot of email from servers that shouldn’t be sending email, such as virus-infected home computers, bot nets, anonymous servers all running from temporary IP addresses.

DENIED_IP_IN_CC_RDNS

Refused. Your reverse DNS entry contains your IP address and a country code.

Your server’s reverse DNS entry contains its IP address and ends in a two-character country code. For example, if your IP address is 11.22.33.44 and your reverse DNS entry is 11.22.33.44.example.com.us, our server is going to block your email. IP addresses in reverse DNS entries usually indicate servers that shouldn’t be sending email – just the kind of server a spammer would use.

Just change your reverse DNS entry to something meaningful to resolve the issue.

To look up your mail server’s reverse DNS, use this rDNS tool: Reverse DNS Lookup

DENIED_SENDER_NO_MX

Refused. The domain of your sender address has no mail exchanger (MX).

Your domain’s MX record either doesn’t exist or lists a name that doesn’t resolve AND your domain name doesn’t have an A record. This means no mail to your domain can possibly be delivered, including bounce messages.

DENIED_AUTH_REQUIRED

Refused. Authentication is required to send mail.

We do not accept any email unless the sender authenticates first. Reconfigure your mail client and try again. Ensure you are using SMTP port 587 to authenticate. Port 25 rarely works these days.

DENIED_IDENTICAL_SENDER_RECIPIENT

Refused. Identical sender and recipient addresses are not allowed.

You are attempting to send email both “to” and “from” the same address, which we don’t accept. In most cases, authenticating your connection will avoid this block.

ENVELOPE_SENDER_IN_BADMAILFROM_LIST

Refused. Your address is in our BadMailFrom list

Your email address (or domain) has violated a number of anti-spam filters and has triggered a time limited block. The block is automatically removed within 12-24 hours.

Cheap web space – with a free .UK domain name

Cheap web space – with a free .UK domain name

server-imgNot all cheap webspace packages are the same. It’s not what you get that matters, it’s what is missing that really matters most.

All our cheap webspace solutions are backed by our unconditional 30 day satisfaction money back guarantee. No quibble, no questions, no risk.

With free webspace setup, no advertising banners, and no FTP dial up or upload restrictions – there really is no catch with our web hosting solutions.

What’s the difference between webspace and hosting?

During the early days of the internet (not so long ago!) the space that you would store your website on a server was referred to as webspace. Only later, as more and more features were added that webspace began to represent the amount of file space that you get with your hosting package.

Hosting now refers to the full service, which means webspace and other services provided usually include email, webmail, ftp, pop incoming mail server, smtp outgoing mail server and more. So, as you can see, webspace now only refers to a single part of the hosting package.

Why use UK Cheapest as our webspace provider?

We keep our servers up to date. Fast response, highest security.

  • You don’t have to worry about your SMTP server being blocked by your ISP. You can use any ISP to send email even if your ISP blocks SMTP port 25 outgoing email (eg AOL, Orange, BT etc), we offer port 587 as an effective workaround.
  • Essential services such as POP, SMTP, Webmail, Password Management, Unlimited FTP upload access, web statistics, PHP, CGI, Perl and much more are included as standard in ALL cheap web hosting accounts.
  • Website visitor statistics in all manner of charts and figures are included as standard with all hosting accounts.

I would like a free .UK domain name with my cheap webspace, what do I do next?

No doubt you have already thought about your desired domain names? If not, it’s time to start thinking! Or simply experiment, type potential domain names in to the search box below and have a look what is available. All “Unlimited” plans come with a free .UK domain name.

How easy is it to upgrade my cheap web space package in the future?

Upgrading is easy and can be done at any time. Your will receive account upgrade options with your order so do not worry about ordering a package that is too small. Order what you think is necessary and upgrade as when needed.

Buying domain names, a definitive guide

Are you in the market for a domain name?

girlbooksNo doubt there are hundreds, no, thousands of domain providers out there. So, how do you choose? Can you choose a domain name provider based squarely on price? Let’s see, do you select your car on price? Or your home on price alone… I didn’t think so.

It’s not just about the domain name. What about all the gubbins that you would expect to come with your domain name? In fact, you might not even know what you might need with your domain name – so how does that work?

You need to find a domain name provider that will supply all the features you need – and more, ready for when you eventually work out what to do with your domain.

Let’s explore what features you may require with your domain name.

Make sure the domain is registered in YOUR name

As a minimum you want to reserve the domain name for immediate use or for use in the future should you find the time. Well, all domain registrars meet this requirement – or do they? Well, no they don’t. Many domain name providers will register YOUR domain name in THEIR name. How does that work? Well, they just do and so when it comes to having control over your domain name you simply find it is limited – simply because it isn’t really YOUR domain name. Only choose a domain name host that registers the YOUR domain name in YOUR name.

Ensure you have the freedom to choose any web host

Once you have your domain name you do not want to be tied to a single host as this could negate any saving you make on your domain name. Besides, you should have the choice right? Well, many domain name providers will NOT allow you to change your domain name servers to point to another host. This would tie you in to using that particular domain provider should you need a Web Hosting account in the future. You need to keep your options open. Only choose a domain provider that allows you FREE and UNLIMITED changes of your domain nameservers. This guarantees that your domain name can be used with any web host without restriction or cost.

Can your domain name point to your free web space?

Do you have free webspace provided by your ISP? You probably do, so why buy a hosting package if you already have webspace? Check with your ISP/Broadband Supplier and find out how to upload your new website to your free webspace. So now all you need to do is point your domain name to your free webspace. This usually uses a feature called “web forwarding”. Ensure that web forwarding is supplied as standard with your domain name, you’d be surprised how many domain name hosts charge extra for this feature.

Is your domain name email enabled?

While you are pondering the use of your domain name, wouldn’t it be useful to redirect any email sent to your domain name to your everyday email address? This is called email forwarding and again, is often an extra charge on your domain name after you have purchased. Read the small print before your select your domain name host.

So, to summarise….

Find a cheap domain name host that meets the above criteria and you can’t go far wrong with your domain purchase.

Should you have difficulty, let me save you some time. Here is a UK based domain name provider that meets all of the above criteria and more…Cheap Domain Names – https://www.uk-cheapest.co.uk