Avast Firewall causing audio to stutter/crackle/click while using utorrent

[navneetkhare]

Hi,

I am using Avast Internet Security 7.0.1474 on Windows 8 Build 9200. Whenever I use utorrent and the download speeds reach ~400 Kilobits per second, the audio (music from Winamp or any other media player) become distorted. The distortion can be described as crackling/clicking and sometimes mini-stuttering. First I thought something else was wrong, like my NIC, but with hit and trial I managed to isolate the firewall as the culprit. As soon as I deactivate the firewall, the distortion goes away and it comes back as soon as I turn it on again. Disabling P2P shield does nothing and hence, is not the issue.

For now I have disabled the Firewall and using the rest of the suite.

The problem only occurs when I am downloading something at speeds greater than 400 kilobits per second.

  

[RejZoR]

Please run DCP Latency Checker:
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

And tell us the results. I can safely say that the graph will not be within normal values and this is usually something that makes such audio artifacts...

[Para-Noid]

This could be the result of a P2P service. There are inherent dangers in using P2P clients/services.
Which is why I don't use P2P services. I fact I don't even have the P2P shield installed. 

[navneetkhare]

Please run DCP Latency Checker:
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

And tell us the results. I can safely say that the graph will not be within normal values and this is usually something that makes such audio artifacts...

This is what it says on the website :

Windows 8 Compatibility: The DPC latency utility runs on Windows 8 but does not show correct values. The output suggests that the Windows 8 kernel performs badly and introduces a constant latency of one millisecond which is not the case in practice. DPCs in the Windows 8 kernel behave identical to Windows 7. The utility produces incorrect results because the implementation of kernel timers has changed in Windows 8 which causes a side effect with the measuring algorithm used by the utility. Thesycon is working on a new version of the DPC latency utility and will make it available on this site as soon as it is finished.

You can find many pages on the internet with lengthy discussions about how Windows 8 performs "poorly" but as it turned out, the software doesn't give the correct values for the same.

Any other software that you know of which provides the same information and is known to work with Windows 8 for sure? What can be done to cure the issue if, suppose, the software were to show me unacceptable values, if it could run on Windows 8?

[jefferson sant]

update your version of windows RTM build 9200 for the final version

Windows 8 RTM Build 9200: Final Version Cai On the Web
The 9200 build of Windows 8 fell on the Internet on Thursday and is illegally available for download on websites. Just one day after Microsoft confirmed that he had sent the software to computer makers.

The edition that fell in torrents sites is the Enterprise version "N", 2.83 GB of 64-bit, which does not include a copy of Windows Media Player.

From the Oct. 26, Windows users can upgrade from Windows 8 for $ 39.99, and if a consumer purchases a PC with Windows 7, you can upgrade it with Windows 8 Pro for $ 14 99.
Currently, there is a test version of Windows 8 available to any user on the Microsoft website http://windows.microsoft.com/pt-BR/windows-8/release-preview

[jefferson sant]

I bring a tutorial that might be able to solve your problem with utorrent.

http://translate.google.com.br/translate?sl=pt&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=pt-BR&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.superdownloads.com.br%2Fmaterias%2Fdicas-evitar-que-download-de-torrents-destrua-hd.html

[Para-Noid]

update your version of windows RTM build 9200 for the final version

Windows 8 RTM Build 9200: Final Version Cai On the Web
The 9200 build of Windows 8 fell on the Internet on Thursday and is illegally available for download on websites. Just one day after Microsoft confirmed that he had sent the software to computer makers.

The edition that fell in torrents sites is the Enterprise version "N", 2.83 GB of 64-bit, which does not include a copy of Windows Media Player.

From the Oct. 26, Windows users can upgrade from Windows 8 for $ 39.99, and if a consumer purchases a PC with Windows 7, you can upgrade it with Windows 8 Pro for $ 14 99.
Currently, there is a test version of Windows 8 available to any user on the Microsoft website http://windows.microsoft.com/pt-BR/windows-8/release-preview

The OP pointed out the culprit is thought to be the firewall in AIS. Therefore upgrading Windows will do no good.

@ the OP  Have you tried changing packet rules in the firewall? 

edit:  see https://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=1395 

[navneetkhare]

@jefferson

There is no difference between the "final version" that you speak of and the Windows 8 RTM Build 9200. THAT IS what was released to the public on 26th October.

The final build number of Windows 8 is 9200.16384.win8_rtm.120725-1247

That is what I have on my machine.


@Para- Noid

I was goofing around with that option lol but I have no idea how and what am I supposed to do with it. Can you please guide?

Thanks.

[navneetkhare]

But I already have an application rule for utorrent allowing all the connections. The article that you mentioned doesn't say anything about low-level packet rules if that's what you meant? 

[jefferson sant]

try reinstalling utorrent

http://www.utorrent.com/utorrent-free

[navneetkhare]

try reinstalling utorrent

http://www.utorrent.com/utorrent-free

Really? ?