Take control of ISP spam filtering.

Byline: Mark Wilson

Take control of

ISP spam filtering

Check for legitimate emails that your internet service provider may have marked as spam

If you've used email for any length of time you don't need telling that spam -- or junk messages -- is a huge problem. To moderate this, some internet service providers (ISPs) have installed spam filters on their own service: these prevent spam from appearing in the user's email inbox. In theory this is a good idea but it can mean that anything flagged as spam by the ISP may not be downloaded when you synchronise your email with a program such as Outlook. This means that some important emails, like those containing software registration codes (like the ones sent out if you register for the Computeractive forums -- see the Workshop on page 32), may be missed. If you don't like the sound of this, then read on to find out how to regain control of your inbox.

all ISPs vary slightly but the way in which they handle email is broadly similar. In this Workshop we are going to be working with a Waitrose account, but the process should be similar for the likes of Tesco, Sky and a range of other ISPs. The first thing to do is to access the webmail account associated with the ISP service by logging in. A link labelled Options, Settings or something similar should be visible -- click it to start configuring how spam email is handled. e

Now head to the section of the Options screen that relates to spam settings -- it will most likely be labelled 'Spam filter', 'Email filtering', 'Junk mail' or something similar. If the web-based email account is going to be read online, it is a good idea to ensure that all of the spam and virus protection settings are enabled to prevent unwanted emails and possible infection. However, be sure to regularly check the junk or spam folder in case anything is incorrectly detected as spam. e