It appears pretty
simple, but read through this documentation, as this controls much
more that you'd expect. As mentioned in the previous chapter, your
"default email address" is the one, which can be used as a "catch
all", or in other words, to "catch all mail", which is addressed to
anything@yourdomain.com.
Using a catch all can be a blessing and sometimes a curse.
The "catch all" is
excellent if you have a high frequency of people whom mistype your
email address, as these addresses (even though mistyped), will
simply be bounced to your "catch all" or "default" email account.
That is, providing they at least managed to spell your domain name
properly. :)
If you're not planning
on using multiple "private email boxes", then you can keep life very
simple - just configure the default email address in your mail
reader and leave it at that. This way, you'll receive everything
sent to your domain. There are indeed pro's and con's to this
method, which will be discussed in this tutorial.
Setting your default/catch all email account:
Note: By default, or until you change it, the
default email address will be the same as your "login name."
1. Login to your
control panel (http://www.your-domain.com/cpanel/)
2. Select "Default Address" or "Setup Catch All Address"
3. Select "Set Default Email Address"
4. Enter a desired default email address
Just enter a name, (the @yourdomain part is added automatically)
Select "Change" and
you'll see a confirmation box, which displays your new default email
address. That's it..done!
Remember:
In order to receive mail, which finds its way into your
"Default Mailbox", you must configure the default address in your
mail reader. If you don't, then all mail, which bounces to this
address will sit on the server unread. This is easy to do in
Outlook Express, as it allows you to configure and monitor multiple
email accounts. Email readers such as Netscape on the other hand,
are limited to "one" email account. Actually, you could re-configure
your mail reader to check your default email box every few days, but
who wants to be bothered with that trouble? We suggest using an
email reader, which allows you to configure multiple email
accounts.
The Webmail
Alternative: You can also check your default email account,
or another other mail account by logging into it through the "WebMail"
interface. Simply select the "WebMail" link in your control panel,
and log in to it using your "Main Account" Username
and Password. This will allow to to check your default email box,
as well as other mailboxes without having to configure them in your
mail reader. In fact, using any pop accounts "Username and
Password" will log you into that particular account through the "WebMail"
interface.
The downside of enabling "Catch All":
Problems can sometimes arise when Spammers or junk mailers use this
feature as a means to pump their trash into your mailbox. As long as
the "catch all" is enabled, then all they must do is send to
whatever@yourdomain.com
and it will reach you.
On the other hand, if
you're using "specific pop email accounts", you could opt to disable
the "catch all", which would mean that "only visitors or associates
who you've given a specific address to" can send mail to a
particular email account on your domain.
In this case,
everything else, (that you have not configured as a pop mail
account) is bounced back to the sender. In our opinion, we suggest
leaving your "catch all" enabled for the time being. If Spammers
begin sending random junk messages using
anything@yourdomain.com,
then you can disable your "catch all" feature.
Disabling your
"Catch All Feature"
Instead of entering a (syntax legal name), use illegal syntax, which
will effectively disable your email "catch all." For example, using
characters, which are known as 'illegal' to the email system such as
(>>>????) will work just fine. These are
characters, which cannot be used in an email address, which in
effect, will render the "Catch All" feature useless. Go to your
"Change Default Email Address/Setup Catch All Address" and add
something like the above as default name.
What happens
now?
When Spammy or Jimmy junk mailer attempts to use a random email
address to Spam you, it will be bounced back to them. That is,
unless they happen to get a hold of one of your "legitimate pop
email account names", in which case, you'd have a different problem
on your hands. Yes, you could either deal with it, or change the
address.
Here is what now happens to a sender using anything@yourdomain.com
:
This is what the sender would receive. Please note that a classic,
but annoying junk mail example is being used here: