A New Year with a New Server
Happy New Year from everyone at Spiderweb! We hope 2026 brings you health, happiness, and fast internet connections.
While most people were unwrapping presents on Christmas Day, we were busy deploying a brand-new server to enhance security and performance for all our hosting customers. Yes, we really are that dedicated (or perhaps just a little obsessed with uptime).
The migration has been a journey of technical achievements mixed with the inevitable trials and tribulations that come with any major infrastructure upgrade. But we’re pleased to report that the dust has settled, and the new system is humming along nicely.
What You Might Need to Do
We’ve retired the old unencrypted email ports (143 for IMAP, 110 for POP3). If your email client hasn’t updated automatically, here are the settings you’ll need:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Incoming Mail Server | mail.spiderweb.com.au |
| IMAP Port | 993 (SSL/TLS) |
| POP3 Port | 995 (SSL/TLS) |
| Outgoing Mail Server | mail.spiderweb.com.au |
| SMTP Port | 465 (SSL/TLS) |
Most modern email clients handle this automatically, but if you need a hand, just give us a call.
Locked Out? Don’t Panic
Our new security system, CrowdSec, will temporarily block your IP address for 4 hours if you enter the wrong password multiple times. This isn’t a fault — it’s protecting your account from unauthorised access attempts.
If you find yourself locked out, call us on 0419 530 037 and we’ll sort it out promptly.
What’s New Under the Hood
Postscreen now screens incoming email connections before they reach the main mail server, checking against spam blacklists and detecting common bot behaviours. Legitimate mail servers pass through seamlessly; spambots get blocked before they waste server resources.
CrowdSec is a collaborative security system that protects against brute-force attacks and malicious bots. Think of it as a neighbourhood watch for the internet — when one server in the network detects an attacker, that information is shared to protect everyone.
Rspamd analyses every email using dozens of checks: sender reputation, message content, embedded links, attachments, and technical headers. Each check contributes to a spam score, and messages above the threshold are marked accordingly.
But here’s where it gets clever. Rspamd works alongside our long-standing Spamprobe system, which has been learning your personal email preferences for years. While Rspamd applies broad, server-wide intelligence, Spamprobe adds a personalised layer — it knows the difference between a legitimate email from your supplier and a scam pretending to be one. Fewer false positives, cleaner inbox.
Our Newest Team Member
Finally, we’d like to introduce our newest staff member: Claude Code. No, not a person with an unusual name — Claude is an AI assistant that has become an invaluable part of our technical team. From debugging server configurations at 2am to helping craft customer communications (including this very post!), Claude has quickly become one of our favourite colleagues.
Here’s to a secure, fast, and prosperous 2026!
— The Spiderweb Team