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Categories: SpamAssassin in a Box | Show all categories

In case the required ports are not open, SpamAssassin scans will take much more time - which may cause a timeout.

The integrated SpamAssassin uses DNS (target port 53, TCP and UDP) for blacklist (RBL) requests. You also need to allow requests to target port 2703 (TCP) for Razor2. Otherwise spam scans may last longer than a minute. Alternatively, you may disable Razor2:

  • Create a CF file like "XMySettings.cf" (text files) and put "score RAZOR2_CHECK 0" in it.
  • Put this file in "C:\ProgramData\JAM Software\spamdService\sa-config\"

SpamAssassin in a Box configures the SpamAssassin daemon to accept only local requests per default (listening port 783). If you want to make it accept requests over the network, you need to change the startup parameters of SpamD using the SpamAssassinServiceController.config under "C:\ProgramData\JAM Software\spamdService\".

To allow a remote host connections to SpamD, please add the address of the host under AllowedIPs, e.g. "192.168.0.1". To allow conncetions from all clients of the subnet 192.168.0.*, please specify "192.168.0.". In addition to the AllowedIPs options, please ensure that the ListenIP is set to "0.0.0.0." so that connections on any network interface of the the machine that is running the SpamAssassin service are allowed. For further information on the parameters please see chapter Configuration or refer to the official SpamAssassin documentation.

When you have applied the changes, please restart the 'SpamAssassin Daemon Control' service over the Service Control Manager (run -> services.msc) so the daemon can use the new configuration settings. Please also ensure that port 783 (default port of the SpamAssassin daemon) is opened in the Windows firewall or any other similar program. During the installation of "SpamAssassin in a Box"  the port is automatically opened in the Windows firewall, if this option hasn't been explicitly disabled in the setup dialogue.


You can now check the network availability of the SpamAssassin daemon by connecting to it from a remote host in your network. You need a program like telnet, putty or the SpamAssassin client 'spamc.exe' that is located in your SpamAssassin in a Box  installation directory to establish a connection. If you use the spamc.exe please proceed as follows:

  •  On the remote host open a DOS prompt and locate the directory you have copied the spamc.exe to.
  • Create a text file with an arbitrary content which we will used to be checked by SpamAssassin.
  • Use spamc.exe to send the request to the SpamAssassin daemon. You need to know the IP address or hostname of the machine on which you have installed SpamAssassin in a Box , for example:
    spamc.exe -d 192.168.0.1 < textfile.txt
  • If the request was successful it should contain an according spam report (X-Spam-Status headers, ...), see "How can I check if SpamAssassin in a Box is working?"

"SpamAssassin in a Box" uses its own log in the Windows Event Viewer ("Application and Service Logs"->"SpamAssassin in a Box" or "SA in a Box").

In case of an error, the error message is also logged there.

When it is started "SpamAssassin in a Box" creates an instance of the SpamAssassin daemon 'SpamD'. To check if SpamD is accessible please proceed as follows:
- Open task manager and make sure there is a process called 'spamd.exe'. You may need to click 'Show processes from all users' to achieve this.
- Open a dos prompt (run -> cmd.exe) and locate your "SpamAssassin in a Box"  installation directory (e.g. 'C:\Program Files (x86)\JAM Software\SpamAssassin in a Box').
- Connect to the SpamAssassin daemon via the client program ('spamc.exe') via the following command:
 spamc.exe < sample-spam.txt
- If the test was successful you should see the so called 'X-Spam-Headers' at the top of the console output. They contain information about the likeliness of the scanned mail being spam. Since the 'sample-spam.txt' is a spam test mail, SpamAssassin should have clearly identified it as a spam mail, see the 'X-Spam-Status' information: X-Spam-Status: Yes, hits=1000.0, required=5.0

SpamAssassin in a Box can be configured via its config file: "C:\ProgramData\JAM Software\spamdService\SpamAssassinServiceController.config".

Pleasse see the manual for further informations.

SpamAssassin in a Box is not a mail router. This means, the included spam filter just scores mails that have been passed to it and reports the result back to the invoker. Therefore the mail server you are using has to support an interface to SpamAssassin in order to make use of it's spam filter functionality. If you use Microsoft Exchange Server, you should have a look at the Exchange Server Toolbox which is a completely pre-configured server add-on for Microsoft Exchange that already contains SpamAssassin, besides several other powerful features.

We do not work with activation codes because you can find them very easily on the internet. Typically software manufacturers protect against this problem using online activation, but this would make customer dependent on the availability of our activation servers and an internet connection.
We are working with separate trial and full versions instead, where the full version is not freely available for download and must be installed over the trial version. After purchasing our software, customers get an account for our customer area where they can download the full version for at least 12 months. Our customers will also receive a personalized license key, with which they can install the full version. Login data and key should be stored in a safe place. Installing the full version over the trial version will preserve your existing data and settings.

Most trial/demo versions of our products support the activation with a valid license key and then unlock all the features of the full version.

Alternatively, you can always install the full version over the existing trial version, your settings from the trial version will be taken over unchanged.


Log in to the Customer Area, using your login name and password. You can then click on the avatar on the top right to log in.

Please follow the link Downloads in the same menu.
There you can download your software immediately after finishing your order and also find the license key.

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