Version 1.1 User's Guide
MailBox: WebDoubler Event Notification Via E-Mail	Previous | Next Contents

The WebDoubler MailBox plug-in allows other WebDoubler plug-ins to send you mail when certain events occur. The primary use for automated e-mail messages coming from WebDoubler is to notify you that either the PICS or HostBlock filters have blocked a Web page from loading. While MailBox provides automated e-mail services for any WebDoubler function, these two plug-ins are the only standard plug-ins that will send e-mail event notifications.

Receiving immediate notfication when WebDoubler has blocked a page is important for a number of reasons. First, it allows you to proactively identify and correct cases where WebDoubler may have incorrectly blocked access to a page that should be allowed. When you receive the e-mailed notice, you can then review the page (by connecting to the Web site directly or by using a non-filtered user account) and make any corrections as necessary.

In addition, having the network administrator immediately notified of inappropriate use of your organization's network can serve as an additional deterent. In school settings, for example, students will be deterred from even attempting to use classroom computers to download adult content if they know that an administrator will be notified of such activity within seconds.

Setting The MailBox To Send Mail

To enable WebDoubler to e-mail you notices, open a Web browser and access the WebDoubler Administration home page as described in the "Plug-In Administration" section of this guide. Click the "WebDoubler MailBox Administration" link to open the Host Blocker Administration page. The MailBox can only be configured using the Web administration interface.

Figure 47: The MailBox Administration Page

First, set the "Sending Mail" option to "Enabled". As with many of the other WebDoubler features, automatic e-mail notices can be turned off by setting this option to "Disabled".

The remaining e-mail settings allow WebDoubler to build the e-mail messages and communicate with your local e-mail server. All of these fields must be completed correctly, with the exception of the "CC" field, which is optional.

Enter the domain name or IP address of your local e-mail server into the "Mail Server" field. If you are unsure of the address of your mail server, check with the network administrator that supports your mail server, or check this setting in your standard mail client software.

The "To", "From", and "CC" fields are fairly self-explanatory. They define to whom automated messages should be sent to, any "CC" recipients who should also receive copies of each message, and an e-mail address from which the messages will appear from. Note that many mail servers will reject e-mail to or from unknown addresses. When possible, you should have WebDoubler send mail using the same e-mail server used by the person receiving the mail. You may also want to set the "From" field to the same e-mail address as the "To" field, assuring that the e-mail server will recognize the "From" address and process the e-mail.

Finally, you can set the "Subject" to anything you wish. In general, you should choose a few words here that you will be able to recognize easily. This is the text you will see in your mail client as the subject of any notices sent from WebDoubler.

When you have completed the form, click "Save Changes" to send your updates.

Troubleshooting Undeliverable E-Mail

There are a number of reasons WebDoubler may not be able to successfully send e-mail messages. We recommend that you test the system by configuring the MailBox and then attempting to access a blocked Web page. Mail from WebDoubler should be sent within a minute of the page being blocked, and your mail server should route the message quickly, so it should be available very soon after WebDoubler blocks the page access.

If you do not receive mail from WebDoubler, first check the settings for the "EMail Settings" on the MailBox Administration page. Also be sure that MailBox is enabled.

If a problem can not be found, open the "MailBox" folder on the WebDoubler Macintosh. There are two subfolders in this folder, "Mail Queue" and "Failed Mail". When a message is first sent from WebDoubler, a file will be created in the "Mail Queue". (This allows WebDoubler to send mail messages even when networking or other errors force a system restart, as the message will be saved to the local hard disk and sent when the network is available.) Message files will remain in the "Mail Queue" folder while WebDoubler retries sending the e-mail. After a few minutes, WebDoubler will then move the file to the "Failed Mail" folder.

These message files can be opened with any text editor, and include an error message that should allow you to pinpoint the cause of the problem. If it does not, send the message file to Maxum technical support ("support@maxum.com") and our support staff will help you resolve the problem.

Copyright © 1999 Maxum Development Corporation http://www.maxum.com/	Previous | Next Contents