Instructions: Setting up an outgoing user

In order to prevent abuse of our server cloud, we have decided to deactivate the outgoing filter by default. Please inform our support team if you would like to send your messages via our servers. We will gladly activate the outgoing filter for you.

Types of authentication for EuropeanMX

For using the outgoing filter it is necessary to create an outgoing user in EuropeanMX. There are 3 possibilities to authenticate yourself in our network:

IP-Authentication

A typical example of this is setting up a smart host or a specific IP address via which all SMTP connections are released. Each IP or IP range that is authorized in this context ensures that all messages forwarded to the EuropeanMX filter via this source are uniquely assigned to the corresponding domain.

The messages sent can then be viewed either in the log search at the domain where the IP address or IP address range was created or at the sending domain. For helpful information on how to view the messages under the respective sending domain, please refer to our FAQ article "How can I activate outgoing user authentication if multiple domains send from the same IP?".

An IP address can only be assigned to a single account.

User authentication

Another option for securing mail transmission is to use a user name and password via SMTP AUTH. This involves creating a special user account - in the form of an e-mail address - together with an individual password to uniquely authenticate outgoing e-mails against the EuropeanMX filter. This user can be used as an outgoing mail server in an e-mail program, for example. Please use the following data for this purpose:

Hostname: smtp.europeanmx.eu
User: Your_mail address
Password: Your_Password
Port: 587
Authentication method: Password, unsecured

This function has no influence on the management of mailboxes, the administration of individual e-mail users, sender verification or other associated settings.

Domain authentication

A user name with password (SMTP AUTH) can also be used for authentication. In this case, the domain name is transmitted to the EuropeanMX filter as a user name together with a password in order to uniquely verify the dispatch. The user name is permanently linked to the respective domain and limited to exactly one authentication user per domain.

The password should always be unique and is not linked to the access data for the EuropeanMX interface.

We recommend using the "Authenticating Domain" option. Here you enter the domain name as the user name and the password set up on your sending mail server. All emails that use this sending method are then automatically transmitted via the connector and assigned to the corresponding domain with the authentication method activated - regardless of the IP address used.

Adding an outgoing user

1

Log in to the admin panel. You can find instructions in our FAQ article "How can I log in to the Admin-Panel (web interface of the filter)?".

2

Click on Outgoing and choose Manage users.

3

You can now create one or more users which are authorized to send messages via EuropeanMX. There are 3 different types of users:

Authenticating IP or range (e.g. a smarthost): Here you can enter the IP address or IP address range of your mail server.
Authenticating User: Here you can specify the user name and password for SMTP authentication.
Authenticating Domain: Here you can set the password for SMTP authentication.

4

Click on Add and configure.

5

Edit the necessary outgoing user settings, such as connection limits, identification method, DKIM selector and various other settings. You can find a describtion of each option below.

6

Click Save to apply the settings of the outgoing user.

Settings for the outgoing user

Password

Here you can change the password for the outgoing user. (not available with IP-Authentication!)

Identification Method

Choose between the following methods

Authentication users: Use this method if each user authenticates himself with his username in the form of his e-mail address and password.
Envelope Sender: Use this method if you use a smart host and authenticate via an IP address or a range.
Header: If you use this option, you can add any number of identification lines for the header that we should search for in the message header. For example, you might have a system that adds an "X Client ID" header that uniquely identifies each of your end users. This is especially interesting if you use domain authentication, as it allows spammers to be found faster. For more information on using identification lines, please see our FAQ article "How can I use the identification method "message header"?".

Automatically lock

If you enable this feature and EuropeanMX detects more than 5 spam messages within 10 minutes for an outgoing user, the user will be automatically blocked and will not be able to send any more messages until the administrator activates this feature. The user can be unlocked via Outgoing > Manage Users.

You should not activate this function if you have set up your mail server as a smart host and send outgoing messages for different domains via an outgoing user!

Lock identities automatically

This function is used to prevent spam. If you enable it and EuropeanMX detects more than 5 spam messages within 10 minutes for a sending identity, the identity will be blocked and will not be able to send any more messages until an administrator activates it. The identity can be unlocked via Outgoing > Manage identities.

User and identity lock timeout

The maximum number of minutes that an outgoing user or identity is locked and cannot send any messages. The setting can only be made if the function Automatic lock or Automatically lock identities is used.

Maximum unlocks per timeout

The maximum number of times a user can be unlocked by the system after an automatic lock. The user must then be unlocked manually by the domain administrator. The setting can only be made if the function Automatic lock or Automatically lock identities is used.

Lock template

Select a template to be sent to the sender whose user is locked at EuropeanMX.

Enable outgoing connection limits

Use outgoing connection limits to prevent mass sending of spam or non-spam messages.

Limit per month

Amount of outgoing connections that can be opened per month.

Limit per week

Amount of outgoing connections that can be opened per week.

Limit per day

Amount of outgoing connections that can be opened per day.

Limit per hour

Amount of outgoing connections that can be opened per hour.

Limit per minute

Amount of outgoing connections that can be opened per minute.

DKIM selector

Enter the DKIM selector you want to use for your domain here. Once you have entered a selector, please make sure that DKIM is also stored in the DNS settings of your domain. You can find more information about DKIM in our FAQ article "What is DKIM and why should I use it? How does the setup work?".

Maximum number of recipients per day

The maximum number of recipients that a sender can write to per day. (The value 0 means that no limit is set).

Quarantine response

Here you can define how EuropeanMX should react to the sender if a message is detected as spam and moved to quarantine.

If you use the option Rejected , EuropeanMX will send an error message to the legitimate sender once an outgoing message has been blocked and quarantined
If you use the option Accepted, the message will still be blocked and quarantined, but the sender will not receive an error message. It will look to him as if the message has been sent. This will help the administrator to check the ARF report before requesting a release of the meassage.

In order to protect the reputation of our servers, outgoing messages can only be released from quarantine by our support team.

Message archiving for senders

If you enable this option, all outgoing messages of this user will be archived. If you leave this option unchecked, no outgoing messages from this user will be archived.

Block attachments with macros for senders

If you enable this option, then all messages that contain a document with macros attached will be blocked.

Block potentially unwanted attachments

By activating this function, messages containing, for example, compressed executable files (e.g. UPX packers), password tools, network tools, peer-to-peer clients, remote access applications, system tools, espionage tools and documents containing scripts are blocked.

Reject messages from newly registered domains

If you enable this option, then all messages sent from newly registered domains (less than one day) will be blocked. This is especially useful if you use a smarthost solution for sending.

Re-authentication allowed

You can use this option if multiple domains are sending from one IP address. You can find more information about this in our FAQ article "I send messages for several domains via one IP address. Is this possible with EuropeanMX?"

How do I set up an outgoing user?