How exactly does Mailshell prevent junk email?

Mailshell provides you with a custom email domain (e.g., @your-name.com), which you can use to create disposable "shell" email addresses. By giving out these addresses instead of your "real" address, you can easily block only addresses that receive spam without affecting the rest of your email.

For instance, say you register for three online services that ask for your email address: a BuyWidgets.com membership, the TalkAboutGizmos.com chat site, and the SprocketsWeekly newsletter. If you give them all the same email address and spammers acquire that address from one of the sites, you have only a limited ability to block the unwanted email flooding your account. Many email services offer generalized spam filters and the ability to block specific senders, but spammers consistently find ways to evade these obstacles (for instance, because spammers never use the same email address twice to send spam, blocking specific email addresses is largely ineffective). Unless you take the drastic measure of closing your email account, which means you not only block the commercial email you do want but also have to inform all your friends and family of a new email address, you cannot stop them. The spammer is in control.

But if you gave the three sites three different Mailshell addresses--widgets@your-name.com, gizmos@your-name.com, and sprockets@your-name.com--and started getting spam, you are in control. You know right away which site gave away your email and can easily block that address: if you got spam at gizmos@your-name.com, you would know that your email address isn't safe at that site and can then block only the gizmos address without affecting the rest of your email. And by giving out specific email addresses for your friends and family (e.g., friends@your-name.com and family@your-name.com) that you never use for other purposes like online services, you shouldn't ever get spam at that address and should never have to inform them of another one.

Mailshell's Intelligent Email system is designed to make it easy to manage your email domain and keep control of your email. In addition to preventing junk email, we incorporate tools that let you get your email where you want (e.g., you can save some addresses on Mailshell and forward others to your home, work, cell phone, etc.); protect your computer from viruses, hidden tracking devices, and unwanted pornographic images; protect your messages with secure password- or PGP encryption; track messages so you know when they were opened by the recipients; and more.

If I'm having trouble signing in. What do I do?

First, check the caps lock on your keyboard--passwords are case-sensitive. Otherwise, the easiest way to resolve most sign-in problems is to request a new password. A new password will be generated for your account and emailed to you.

With usernames, remember that you must enter the entire email address (e.g., "joe@domain.com"), not just the name (e.g., "joe"), and check that you are using the email address you used to sign up for the service. (If you aren't sure which email address that is, you can simply try all the ones you may have used or check your accounts for the welcome email you received after signing up.) If you still can't sign in with an email address, try using your custom domain (e.g., joe.com) or Mailshell subdomain (e.g., joe.mailshell.com) instead.

If you are a Premium user, please note that if your personal domain is set to forward to Mailshell, you cannot sign in by going to your personal domain. (If you do so, Mailshell will return a cookie error.)

You may also experience problems if cookies are not fully enabled in your browser. Different browsers control cookies in different ways, but here's how to check your cookie settings in three of the most common browsers:

• In Internet Explorer 5, go to Tools > Internet Options, click the "Security" tab, and click the "Custom Level" button. Scroll down and make sure that both cookies stored on your computer and per-session cookies are enabled.



• In Netscape 6, go to Edit > Preferences, double-click on "Advanced," and click on "Cookies." Make sure that "Enable all cookies" is selected.



• In AOL 6.0, go to Settings > Preferences, click "Internet Properties," click the "Security" tab, and click the "Custom Level" button. Scroll down and make sure that both cookies stored on your computer and per-session cookies are enabled.

If you are still having trouble, contact the Mailshell Support Desk. Your question should be answered within two business days.

After I sign up, what is my email address?

Mailshell offers a very different service from most email providers. If you sign up for an email account with Yahoo, for instance, your email address would be your-name@yahoo.com--but with Mailshell, there is no your-name@mailshell.com. When you sign up for an account, you get a custom domain or subdomain (e.g., your-name.com or your-name.mailshell.com) that you use to create as many email addresses as you like, (e.g., friends@your-name.com for your friends to contact you, amazon@your-name.com for an Amazon account) which lets you prevent junk email. You can have many different email addresses for many different purposes, but you'll still get all your messages wherever you want.

To create an email address, just sign in to your account. Then, in the "Manage Domain" section of My Mailshell, enter the email address you would like to create in the field provided and click the "Go" button.

After I sign up, how do I start filtering my email?

Mailshell's main feature is the ability to create different email addresses for different purposes using your personal domain: you can make any address @your-domain.com, which gives you a great deal of control over where you receive your messages and what types of filtering are applied to them as well as preventing junk email. After you've signed up for a Mailshell account, you should give a Mailshell address whenever you need to give an address (to online services, friends, family, etc.)--You can receive email sent to these addresses at Mailshell or at a forwarding address by setting the "Deliver to" field in the Manage Domain section of My Mailshell for each email address you've created.

In addition to different addresses, Mailshell also offers other powerful filtering tools like custom filters, Virus Protection, and spam filtering. You can set these features to different levels for different addresses depending on what the address is for and how much you trust the sender. For example, for addresses given to senders you trust, you would probably want Virus Protection turned off and a low Block Spam setting; for addresses given to senders you don't trust, you would probably want Virus Protection turned on and a high Block Spam setting.

If I already own a domain, can I use Mailshell for my email?

If you own a .com, .net, or .org domain name and would like to have Mailshell protect your email, there are two ways to do so:

• Transfer the entire domain to Mailshell. To do this, click any of the "Already have a domain?" links on the front door or when selecting a domain and follow the directions related to transferring your domain.



• If you are an advanced user, you may prefer to update your DNS MX records so that you can have Mailshell protect your email without transferring the domain. To do this, click any of the "Already have a domain?" links on the front door or when selecting a domain. On the "Transfer a Domain" page, follow the directions related to DNS MX updating. (For more information about updating your DNS MX records, click here.)

Transferring a domain costs $34.95 a year; updating your MX records costs $24.95. Both fees include Mailshell's Premium Service.

What is a DNS MX record and how do I modify it to use Mailshell for my email?

DNS MX (Domain Name Service Mail eXchanger) refers to a domain name's mail server information. The MX record provides information about which servers handle the domain name's email storage, distribution, or redirection.

MX records contain the mail server name(s) and the priority setting assigned to each. For example:

MX Record: joe.com MX 10 mail.server.net

This MX record assigns mail.server.net a priority of 10 as the mail server handling email for joe.com. The priority number controls which mail servers are used first; values range from 0-99, with lower numbers corresponding to higher priority. The mail server with the highest priority is typically used for delivery of all email for the domain name, but if this primary server is unavailable, the server with the next highest priority will be used instead. (If an MX record contains two servers with the same priority number, both will have equal responsibility for email.)

If you would like Mailshell to handle email for your domain without transferring it entirely, you need to update your MX record with the following information:

Domain	Primary MX	Secondary MX
"yourdomain".com	mail1.mailshell.com	mail2.mailshell.com
*.at."yourdomain".com	mail1.mailshell.com	mail2.mailshell.com

*.at."yourdomain".com indicates a wildcard entry, so that anything.at."yourdomain".com (e.g., joe.at."yourdomain".com, jane.at."yourdomain".com) points to mail1.mailshell.com and mail2.mailshell.com.

Please do not set the priority preference for either server to zero, and do not include any additional MX servers beyond those listed above; if you do, email may be delayed or lost.

If you do not have direct control over your DNS, please contact the DNS provider that currently handles email for your domain name for assistance in updating the MX records.

Using Mailshell to handle email for your domain costs $24.95 a year and includes our Premium Service.

Please note: This is not a registrar transfer. You will still be responsible for all ongoing domain name registration and renewal fees to your current registrar.

Can I use a desktop client (such as Outlook) to check my email?

Yes, Mailshell's Premium Service lets you check your email with any POP- or IMAP-capable email client (Outlook, Eudora, Netscape Messenger, etc.). To learn more, click here.

If I upgrade to the Premium Service and get a new domain, what happens to my existing subdomain?

You will still receive mail sent to existing addresses at your subdomain (whether approved or pending), but you will not be able to create any new ones. All new addresses will need to use your new registered domain.

How do I change my sign-in name once I've registered?

Unfortunately, you cannot change your sign-in name, even if you stop forwarding email there. If you do not wish to use this address to sign in, you do have the option of using your custom domain or Mailshell subdomain name. Be sure to type the entire domain name: joe.com, bill.org, jane.mailshell.com.

How do I change my domain name once I've registered?

Unfortunately, you cannot change a domain name once you've registered it.

If you have a subdomain you wish to change you can upgrade to Mailshell's Premium Service and get your own registered custom domain (e.g., "yourname".com) along with many other features. Another option is to delete your account and create a new one with the subdomain you would like to use. By deleting your account, all of your existing addresses and emails will also be deleted. This process cannot be reversed.

How can I stop spam that was coming to my email address prior to joining Mailshell?

You can easily take advantage of Mailshell's Intelligent Email filtering for your current email. There are two ways to do this:

• Forward your current email address to a Mailshell address. For example, if you want to forward your Yahoo email you could create a yahoo@yourdomain.com email address, then set your Yahoo email to forward to yahoo@yourdomain.com. (Many ISPs and email services allow you to forward email to a different address, although some do not.) Use the Address Options for yahoo@yourdomain.com to set the Block Spam and other levels to whatever you want. You will now receive all of your Yahoo email at Mailshell and have all the benefits of Mailshell filtering.
  
  
• If you are a Premium user, you have the additional option of downloading messages directly from other email accounts to one of your Mailshell addresses in order to use Mailshell filtering.

Can I use Mailshell to stop unwanted pornographic images?

If you're a Premium user, you can use the Virus Protection setting to protects your email from viruses, tracking devices, unwanted images, and other security problems. When this feature is turned on, Mailshell will remove all images, attachments, java, and javascript from messages you receive through Mailshell. Please note that if you wish to receive attachments from friends or colleagues at a specific email address, you will need to turn off this setting for that email address. You should never download unexpected attachments, especially ones from unknown senders.

You can change the Virus Protection setting for an individual address using Address Options. You can also change the default setting for all new subscriptions and unapproved addresses by going to the Options page and clicking the "Delivery Method" link.

My email address has changed, and I want to get my messages at my new address. What do I do?

All you need to do is change your forwarding address. If you have the basic service, here's what to do:

• Click the "Forwarding Addresses" link on the gray navigation bar in the Address Book section of My Mailshell.



• Enter your new email address in the field at the bottom of the page and click the "Add" button.



• Verify the address.



• Once it is verified, use the buttons on the left side of your forwarding addresses list to select the address you wish to forward messages to.



• Click the "Select" button.

All forwarded messages, including password changes and new message alerts, will now be sent to the selected address. If you have the Premium Service, you can select a different forwarding address for each disposable Mailshell address. Here's what to do:

• Follow the steps above to add and verify your new address.



• Once it is verified, it will appear in the "Delivery To" drop-down menu for each Mailshell address.



• To change the forwarding address for a specific Mailshell address, simply go to the "Manage Domain" section of My Mailshell and use the drop-down menu for that address to select the forwarding address you would like to use. Click the "Save Settings" button when you are done.

If I reply to a message I have received at a forwarding address, will my address still be protected?

Yes, unless you are a Premium user and have turned off the Email Address Redirection feature. As long as that feature is turned on, Mailshell automatically formats the sender's address so that when they receive your reply, it appears to come from the appropriate Mailshell address. For example, if you receive an email at your Yahoo account that has been forwarded through amazon@yourdomain.com and you then reply to that email, the recipient will see the message as coming from amazon@yourdomain.com rather than the Yahoo address.

Please note that your email address may not be protected if you include it in the body of your email and in certain other cases, such as Outlook read receipts--the best policy is not to include your real email address within the message body and be aware of whether you have any automatic signatures or features that include the address in the header in places other than the "From" field.

How do I unsubscribe from a newsletter, service, or other offer?

If you wish to unsubscribe from an offer, you can do so by changing the delivery setting. From the "Manage Domain" section of My Mailshell, use the drop-down menu in the "Deliver To" column to select "[DELETE]," then click the "Save Settings" button. The address used for that offer will be deleted and you will no longer receive messages.

Another way to unsubscribe is by using the appended Mailshell link in any email you receive from that offer. This link will take you to the corresponding address in My Mailshell, where you can use the radio buttons on the right side to unsubscribe.

How do I delete my Mailshell account?

If you do not wish to continue using the Mailshell service, we recommend that you simply delete all of the addresses in your account and set your default delivery method for pending addresses to "Delete". This way, you can keep your account active in case you decide to resume using Mailshell in the future.

If you are sure you want to cancel your account, you can do so by clicking here. Your account, along with all email addresses and messages there, will be deleted. If you had a Mailshell subdomain, you will permanently lose access to it and it will never be usable again, even if you choose to create another account in the future. If you have a registered domain it will continue to be registered for the current term (one year after the registration or last renewal) but will not be renewed; no refunds will be given. This process cannot be reversed.

What if I have a question that isn't answered here?

First, check the rest of the help guide. If you cannot find the answer to your question there, contact the Mailshell Support Desk. Your question should be answered within two business days.