Last year around this time we released our first annual Top Ten Email Related Tools. We thought we would update the list a bit this year but of course some of our favorites are going to stay on the list.

If you have a favorite tool we missed, let us know! Keep in mind that this list is not in any particular order but is just a sampling of our favorites.

1. IP Chicken – Last year we recommend Whatismyip.com…this year we decided to spice it up a bit as some of our consultants prefer ipchicken.com. They find that their clients are more likely to remember this because it is more catchy! This tool is helpful for local PC IP addresses or if you need to determine the IP of your mail server.
2. Telnet Test – This tool deserves to stay on our all time favorites list, our techs use it hundreds of times a day! Oftentimes it is very helpful to remove your mail server from the equation to see if there is an underlying network / reputation problem blocking mail flow. Telnet enables helps you manually send a test message using the telnet command built into every operating system.
3. Aweber – There are plenty of 3rd party mail filtering services out there, but we personally feel that Aweber is where its at. Their blog post about ‘Email Marketing Tips From Mom’ gives you an idea how original this company is! We highly advocate using any 3rd party if you are doing bulk mailing or Newsletters. We understand how important it is to get your email into your reader’s hands, read this blog post for recommended tips.
4. Web Security – This year we wanted to add Webroot Web Security to the list. With the proliferation of email defense products in use, many sources of online threats have shifted their attention from launching attacks through email systems and have targeted web browsers as an often unguarded entryway into a network. In order to be able to offer protection against these threats, we have partnered with Webroot and are now offering Webroot Web Security to defend this largely overlooked gateway to your network.
5. Wireshark – Last year we recommended the tool Net Stat for help in  determining if a local PC or mail server is blasting out spam. This year we want to add Wireshark to the list. This tool is designed to find wireless traffic and return it in a form that a human can read. Keep in mind that these tools will only show you activity if the trojan/virus is currently blasting spam.
6. Traceroute – Recommended in 2009 and we will keep it on the list! Traceroute tracks the path that a packet takes from your computer to a destination address. A traceroute also shows how many times your packets are being rebroadcast by other servers until it gets to the final destination. For windows users, the command is tracert. For Macintosh OS X users, its traceroute.
7. Google Docs – This one stands the test of time as well and we are recommending it again this year. We know that Google Docs aren’t really related to email but the way we are evolving to use this product does mean that email is included when sharing documents. Google’s new feedback systemseems to be a huge accomplishment for end users as our feature requests are being included.Last but not least, we would like to include three of our own tools which help make troubleshooting, diagnosing, and monitoring your email easier. We have been providing our free tools since 2003 and we are proud to continue giving back to the email community.
8. Server Monitoring – Server Monitoring Takes the guessing out of server management.  If something is wrong with your email server, you need to know right away. MX Toolbox’s Free Email Server Monitoring lets you rest easy by sending you alerts when there is a problem with server performance, availability or reputation.
9. MxToolBox Super Tool – This all-in-one tool includes a critical tool package for all system administrators: MX Lookup, Blacklists, SMTP Diagnostics, Header Analyzer, SPF Records, DNS Lookup, Reverse Lookup, Port Scan, Whois Lookup, ARIN Lookup and CNAME Lookup.
10. Blacklist Checker – The MxToolBox Blacklist Tool checks your IP against a list of over 150 Real Time Blacklists. If your mail server has been blacklisted, some email you send may not be delivered.

We hope you enjoyed our list and we will continue to build it in the future so we can bring the best email tools to you! We hope you have Happy Holidays and we will see you in 2011!