XWALL for Microsoft Exchange
 
 
XWALL
The
Mail Filter
 
 
 

Installation

Decide if XWall should be installed on the Exchange server or on a different machine:

  • Single Exchange server

    If you have only one Exchange server and you have less than 10.000 messages each day,
    then run XWall on the Exchange server.
     
  • More than one Exchange server in the organization

    If you have more than one Exchange server in your organization then you should run XWall on a different machine or at least at a different ip address, because  the Exchange servers communicate internal states using Microsoft propriety SMTP verbs on port 25  and third party gateways like XWALL should not be inserted between internal Exchange servers traffic flow.
     
  • Cluster

    If you have a cluster then you must run XWall on a different machine, because XWall doesn't support a cluster.
     

Once you decided on which machine you are installing XWall, perform the following steps:

  • Run Setup.exe or create a directory on your machine and copy all the files into this directory
  • Start XWall Admin (MBAdmin.exe) to configure XWall
  • The first time you run XWall you will be prompted for the following information:
     

    Postmaster's address
    The address of the person who is responsible for maintaining XWall. XWall will send all error messages to this address.

    The name or IP address of the Exchange server.
    If XWall is running on the same machine as the Exchange server than you can ( and should ) use localhost as the name.

    The port Exchange listens
    If XWall is running on the same machine as the Exchange server than use port 24, else use port 25.

    Screenshot: XWall on the same machine as Exchange , XWall on a different machine

    The e-mail domain that your Exchange is responsible
    XWall needs to know for which e-mail domain your Exchange is responsible, so that if can forward messages for this domain to your Exchange.

    Screenshot: e-mail domain that your Exchange is responsible

  • Running XWall on the same machine as Exchange server

    Incoming Messages

    If you run XWall on the same machine as the Exchange, then you must tell Exchange to listen on a separate port; i.e. not port 25, because only one application can listen to a specific port at one time and XWall needs to be the first application that gets SMTP messages.

    • Exchange 5.x

      To do this open the file services, usually located in C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc\SERVICES
      with Notepad or any other text editor. Locate the line smtp 25/tcp mail and change 25 to the port
      of your choice (use 24 if you are not sure which one you should use) and save the file.

      Restart the IMS (Internet Mail Service) of the Exchange server to bring the new settings into affect.

      Screenshot: Notepad with SERVICES
       

    • Exchange 2000/2003

      Start System Manager (Exchange Admin) and select 
      Servers->Your Server->Protocol->SMTP->Default SMTP Virtual Server->Properties.
      In this dialog select the tab labeled General and then Advanced and here you can set
      the port on which this virtual server listens.

      Screenshot: Exchange port

      Also make sure Anonymous access is allowed or else XWall is not able to connect to Exchange.

      In System Manager ( Exchange Admin) select
      Servers->Your Server->Protocol->SMTP->Default SMTP Virtual Server->Properties.

      In this dialog select the tab labeled Access and then Authentication and enable Anonymous access.

      Screenshot: Exchange access

      Restart the SMTP service of Exchange to bring the new setting into effect.
       
    • Exchange 2007 / SBS 2008

      Start Exchange Management Console and select 
      Server Configuration->Hub Transport->Receive Connectors

      Exchange 2007 has two receive connectors,
      Client SRV and Default SRV.

      S 2008 has three receive connectors, Client SRV and Default SRV and Windows SBS Fax SharePoint Receive SRV.

      Default SRV and Windows SBS Fax SharePoint Receive SRV are the connectors that are bound to port 25 and you either need to change them to  port 24 or disable them and create a new connector.

      In the first case select the properties of the Default SRV connector and in this dialog select the tab labeled Network and set the port to 24.

      In the second case create a new receive connector, type Internet and bind it to port 24.

      Screenshot: Exchange inbound connector list, Exchange port

      Also make sure Anonymous access is allowed or else XWall is not able to connect to Exchange. In the properties of the connector select  the tab labeled Permission Groups and make sure Anonymous users is enabled.

      Or you tell XWall an user and password so that it can perform a SMTP authentication. Start MBAdmin, select Options->General->Exchange->Exchange needs authentication and type in the user and password.

      Note: The user that you use for authentication MUST NOT have a mailbox and MUST be an administrator. DO NOT use Administrator, because there is a mailbox associated with that account and therefore it can't be uses for SMTP authentication.

      Note: On Windows 2008 and SBS 2008 you need to open port 25 on the firewall. The firewall has only exceptions for Exchange, but not for XWall. So unless you open port 25, no mail will come in.
       

    Then start MBAdmin, select Options->General->Exchange->Exchange listens on port and type in the same port that you used in Exchange ( e.g. 24 ) .


    Outgoing Messages
    (this step is optional and is not needed for inbound spam blocking)
     

    • Exchange 5.x

    • Start Exchange Administrator, select the IMS (Internet Mail Service) and click on the tab labeled Connections.

      Enable Forward all messages to host and type in localhost. 

      Close the dialog and restart the IMS.

      From then on the Exchange server will forward all messages to the localhost,
      which basically means it sends them to XWall.
       

    • Exchange 2000/2003

    • If you have no SMTP connector then start System Manager (Exchange Admin) and select 
      Servers->Your Server->Protocol->SMTP->Default SMTP Virtual Server->Properties. 

      In this dialog select the tab labeled Delivery and then Advanced and in Smart host type in localhost. 

      Screenshot: Exchange forward

      Close the dialog and restart the SMTP service of Exchange. From then on the Exchange server will forward all messages to the localhost, which basically means it sends them to XWall.

      If you have a SMTP connector then start System Manager (Exchange Admin) and select Routing Groups->Exchange->Connectors->Your SMTP Connector->Properties->Forward all mail through this connector to the following smart host and type in the name or IP address of the machine where XWall is running.

      Close the dialog and restart Exchange. From then on the Exchange server will forward all messages to the name or IP address , which basically means it sends them to XWall.
       

    • Exchange 2007 / SBS 2008

      Start Exchange Management Console and select
      Organization Configuration->Hub Transport->Send Connectors

      If there is no connector in the list, then create one, else select the properties of the correct outbound connector.

      In this dialog select  the labeled Network and then select Route all mail though the following smart host. Press the Add button and add localhost as the smart host.

      Screenshot: Exchange outbound connector list, Exchange smart host

      Close the dialog and restart Exchange. From then on the Exchange server will forward all messages to the name or IP address , which basically means it sends them to XWall.
       
  • Running XWall on a different machine than the Exchange server

    Incoming Messages

    Start MBAdmin, select Options->General->Exchange->Name or IP address of the Exchange server
    and type in the name or IP address of the Exchange server.

    Screenshot: XWall on a different machine

    Depending on your DNS configuration you will need to change the MX record so that it points to the machine where XWall is running or else XWall will not get the messages before Exchange. 

    Note: On Windows 2003/2008 you need to open port 25 on the firewall. So unless you open port 25, no mail will come in.

    Outgoing Messages
    (this step is optional and is not needed for inbound spam blocking)
     

    • Exchange 5.x

      Start Exchange Administrator, select the IMS (Internet Mail Service) and click on the tab labeled Connections
      Enable Forward all messages to host and type in the name or IP address of the machine where XWall is running. Close the dialog and restart the IMS. From then on the Exchange server will forward all messages to XWall.
       
    • Exchange 2000/2003

      If you have no SMTP connector start System Manager ( Exchange Admin) and select Servers->Your Server->Protocol->SMTP->Default SMTP Virtual Server->Properties. In this dialog select the tab labeled Delivery and then Advanced.

      In Smart host type in the name or IP address of the machine where XWall is running.
       
      Close the dialog and restart Exchange. From then on the Exchange server will forward all messages to XWall.

      If you have a SMTP connector then start System Manager (Exchange Admin) and select Connectors->Your SMTP Connector->Properties->Forward all mail through this connector to the following smart host and type in the name or IP address of the machine where XWall is running. 

      Close the dialog and restart Exchange. From then on the Exchange server will forward all messages to the name or IP address , which basically means it sends them to XWall.
       

    • Exchange 2007 / SBS 2008

      Start Exchange Management Console and select
      Organization Configuration->Hub Transport->Send Connectors

      If there is no connector in the list, then create one, else select the properties of the correct outbound connector.

      In this dialog select  the labeled Network and then select Route all mail though the following smart host. Press the Add button and add type in the name or IP address of the machine where XWall is running as the smart host.

      Screenshot: Exchange outbound connector list, Exchange smart host

      Close the dialog and restart Exchange. From then on the Exchange server will forward all messages to the name or IP address , which basically means it sends them to XWall.
       

Once you have done this you can start MBServer and check if all messages are properly routed.