Is there a checklist I should run through before installation?
Please check the installation guide: Windows, Linux, or Solaris. Also look in the program help guide.
What are the optimal settings to block the most spam?
We recommend the following:
FirstAlert! Community Spam Filter - buy from $149 for 10 users.
Spamhaus RBL zen.spamhaus.org (free)
Using these two tools together will block around 95% of spam.
Additionally, the trait based learning filters (bayesian filters) are very accurate and after a small amount of training (100 emails) your catch rate will be close to 100%. Additionally, the filters will continue to be trained by FirstAlert! and your legitimate email.
We don't recommend training filters where the user base email content will be diverse, such as Universities.