User Guide
Introduction

This User Guide explains the overall mailDuster experience as well as technical information for setting up your accounts, rules and notifications.

mailDuster gives you complete control as to what email is delivered to your desktop or laptop by using allow rules, deny rules and some brains as to what messages are really spam!

For users who check their mail from different places such as your office, home and even your mobile phone, you only need to set up your rules one time.

In this document, you first get an overview of how a typical mail configuration -- both inbound and outbound -- looks and behaves. We then build on that structure by explaining how mailDuster works in relation to your current services. Remember, there is no need to change your email address when using mailDuster, and you no longer need to be afraid to hand out your email on the Internet since you are about to have control of all messages delivered to your computer!


General Mail Configuration

Figure 1 displays how your email probably works today without mailDuster.
  1. Email is delivered to your ISPs inbound mail server and rests in your mailbox until you make a request to get it.

  2. When you do request to pick up your mail, all messages including all spam is delivered to your PC.

  3. In some cases, users try to filter out the spam once it is delivered. Whether this process is manual or automatic, it is still a drain on your resources since all messages have already been delivered to your computer.



Typical mailDuster Configuration

Figure 2 shows a typical mailDuster configuration in relation to your current email accounts.
  1. Email is still delivered to your current ISPs inbound mail server and rests there until you make a request to pick it up.

  2. You establish rules (more details later) on which messages you want delivered and which messages you want deleted.

  3. When you check for new messages, you now make a request to the mailDuster mail server (mail.mailduster.com) rather than your current ISP mail server.
  4. mailDuster then applies your set of rules to the messages in your mailbox.

  5. Your "good" and approved messages are then delivered to your normal email client like Outlook Express.

  6. Note that messages from new users are kept in your mailbox while we handle item 7.

  7. A message is sent to the new users asking for verification as to who they are and to make a request to be added to your allow list. You can control the message sent via the "Manage Notification" link on the main menu.



Typical Outbound mailDuster Configuration

In Figure 3, you see learn more about the mailDuster outbound message services. Usually, you send messages through your ISP's mail server. They are normally named something like smtp.myisp.com. But when you have a mailduster account, you can send through smtp.mailduster.com. Here is how it works.
  1. In your local PC account, you will send messages through the mailDuster smtp server.

  2. As mailDuster sends the message out for you, it compares the senders email address with your access rules. If an email address is not found in your allow list, it is automatically added.

    Why you ask!? Good question:

    The reason is that when your recipient sends a message back to you, they will not be held as in our original example!!

  3. The message is sent.

  4. The return message is delivered as normal. Your recipient doesn't even know you have the added level of protection on your email account.



Really Using your mailDuster account.

Figure 4 shows how the power user can really take advantage of mailDuster!

In some cases, you may have multiple sets of email accounts running rampant throughout the Internet. mailDuster allows the power user to check multiple accounts -- mailDuster also allows you to check your messages using your one set of rules on multiple devices.

[A quick comment ... For example, I am writing this document on my laptop where I usually check my email. But, when I'm on the road, I check message using a Handspring Treo. I simply point my Eudora client at mail.mailduster.com and ta'da, only my good messages are download to my Treo!]
  1. Messages still arrive as expected to your email boxes.

  2. From any of your machines, you request email. [Note that in your client software, there is usually an option to "Leave Copy on Server". You may want to check that box on all but one of your devices. In my case, I "Leave a copy on Server" when checking from my Treo, and then delete the email when it is finally delivered to my laptop.]

  3. mailDuster goes to each of your accounts and checks mailing using your access rules. You can manage your account list by picking on the "Manage Accounts" link from the Main Menu.

  4. "Approved" messages are then delivered to your laptop, PC, Mac or handheld!

  5. Remember to use mailDuster as your outbound server since it automatically adds new email addresses to your address list.



HOW TO SET UP YOUR MAIL CLIENT

Since Outlook Express is a common email client, let's use it as an example. And remember, this should be pretty straight forward since you had to set up mail when you first signed up with your ISP.
  1. On your PC or Mac, start Outlook Express.

  2. From the menu across the top, select your accounts.

  3. Change your POP3 mail server to: mail.mailduster.com

  4. Change your account to your email account. For example, my email is sykes@wildfire.net.

  5. Set the password to the password you used when creating your mailDuster account.
That's it, you are ready to check mail through mailDuster.


HOW TO SETUP YOUR SMTP SERVER
  1. While you have your account opened as in the section above, change the smtp (outbound) mail server to smtp.mailduster.com.

  2. Yes, you will need to use authentication. Just use the same account name and password as you do when you receive mail from mail.mailduster.com
Now, when you send messages, your friends email are automatically added to your allow list.


HOW TO USE YOUR MAIN MENU SETTINGS



Details for each of the Main Menu Settings are made available from the "Help With This Screen" link located in the top right hand side of the menu bar.

Here is a quick overview of each section:
Manage Access Rules:
From this section, you can add, modify and delete rules associated with your account. You can also play what if scenarios. For instance, you can see what would happen if you get a message from info@abc.com.

Manage Notifications:
This area controls what message gets sent to users who are on your Deny list or who may need to ask permission to send you email.

Manage Accounts:
Here, you can add which POP3 mail accounts you have on the Internet. Remember Figure 4 above and how mailDuster allows you to check messages at multiple locations.

Preferences:
This is where you control the behavior of your account.

IMPORTANT: When you create your account, you are in "Learn" mode. Learn mode gives you the change to still allow all emails while adding the inbound users email address to your "Allow List."

If you want to stop spam instantly, turn off "Learn Mode"!

Contact Support:
We are here to help. Just drop us a note and we will reply within 1 business day.

Request Access to Another Account:
Hey, maybe you got dusted yourself. Here is a quick way to request that your email address be added to your friends "Allow List"

QUICK STATS

The Quick Stats area lets you get a glimpse of your account as well as use your email accounts while on the road!

Your Inbox is a list of messages that will be delivered to your normal desktop. Yep, they are already filtered, so you can check your email with a browser while at the local cafe' or vacation. You can also check your home email while at work without using the POP3 protocol. Don't worry, we won't tell you boss!
Requests Awaiting Approval:
As your friends or spammers ask permission to send you messages, this count will go up. Just follow the link and approve those you like or need. Once you approve their request, held messages are delivered on the next mail check.

Emails being held:
Want to know how many spams you have in your mailbox? This is the current count.

Recently Rejected emails:
This count shows you messages which have recently been rejected from your account.

Compose a Message:
If you are on the road, but still need to compose a message, use your mailDuster account!

THANK YOU

The team at Wildfire thanks you for using our products and providing the feedback that has made it the product it is today.

George Sykes
President, Wildfire Internet