Advanced Direct Remailer
by Elcomsoft

Advanced Direct Remailer (ADR) is a program that can send email directly to the recipient's server.

This program serves two great functions: Sending mail from outside your normal ISP and making sure your messages make it to the recipient's mail server.

An example of the first function is having a broadband account at home yet needing to send email while travelling. Most mail servers refuse to accept outgoing mail from unrecognized IP addresses. This prevents
spammers from using these mail servers to send out their messages. Unfortunately, this also makes it difficult for ligitimate users to send email on the road. To get around this problem, many users have web-based
email accounts from hotmail, yahoo, excite, or subdimension. Some travellers even use AOL accounts. While these work fine they make you learn a new interface and their mail is seperate from your normal mail.

Features

ADR contains its own SMTP (simple mail transport protocol; the way mail servers talk to each other) server. Set up your email program to point to "localhost" and as soon as you enter a message and press SEND the message will be grabbed by ADR and delivered to the mail server of your recipient. If ADR can't get through after a defined number of attempts it can forward the message on to your ISP's mail server and let it take over the delivery.

A major feature of ADR is sending customized messages to a large list of recipients. The names and personalization information can come from almost any database or even a comma-delimited text file.

Performance

ADR is fast. For most users the program will send as fast as it gets the other mail servers to respond.

Documentation

This is one area that could use some work. We figured out how to set-up and use ADR after playing with the program's settings but we really would have liked some examples and fuller explanation of the various options.

Ease of Learning and Use

Once ADR is configured you can just forget about it and let it do its thing.

Support

The web site contains a support forum and a few tutorials. You can also send questions via email.

Wish List

The program already has all the features we could want in a portable mail server.

Gotchas

ADR works as advertised.

Program Requirements

A computer with tcp/ip installed (either permanent such as DSL and cable modems or dial-up).

Value

Compared to the price of a full-function mail server we think ADR is a bargain.

Summary

We love it. Having used it for a few months now we can't think about life without it. Even when on our "home" network we still let ADR send all of our mail. If you send email you should seriously consider buying this program.

Company Information:
Elcomsoft
http://www.mailutilities.com/adr

Email: info@mailutilities.com

Version tested: 2.1
Shareware Registration Price: $40