Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: glnz on June 15, 2016, 01:35:43 PM
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My outgoing email on verizon.net is checked by Avast. The recipient sees the "Virus-free" logo at the bottom.
But it seems my outgoing email on a different email domain hosted on Network Solutions is NOT checked by Avast - there is no "Virus-free" logo at the bottom.
The good verizon.net email requires an SSL connection for the incoming (POP3) and outgoing (SMTP) and uses incoming port 995 and outgoing port 465.
The bad Network Solutions email does NOT require an SSL connection, it is also POP3 and SMTP, and it uses incoming port 110 and outgoing port 2525.
Attached is a jpg showing my Avast Redirect settings. It shows secure ports 995 for POP and 465 for SMTP, so the verizon.net email is good.
Avast Redirect shows (unsecure) ports 110 for POP and 25,587 for SMTP, so I am missing 2525 for the Network Solutions outgoing.
HOWEVER, when I added ,2525 to SMTP a month ago, my email stopped working correctly - I was not connecting correctly to email servers.
My email app is Outlook Express 6 on Win XP SP3 (still getting updates through the POS hack).
What do you think? Why does adding ,2525 cause problems? And if I could add it, would it cause Avast to start checking outgoing emails on the Network Solutions-hosted domain?
Thanks.
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But it seems my outgoing email on a different email domain hosted on Network Solutions is NOT checked by Avast - there is no "Virus-free" logo at the bottom.
It could be that avast check but dont add the message?
This may work to find out:
Right click avast tray icon and pause avast shields, then download a Eicar test file http://www.eicar.org/85-0-Download.html
create a mail and add the file as attachment, turn on avast shields ... wait a minute to be sure all is started .... now send mail, any detection?
you may try this with both mail accounts
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Pondus - thanks for suggestion. I ran your test a few times, and it PROVES that Avast does NOT scan my outgoing email via my second email account through Network Solutions. (It DOES scan outgoing through my verizon.net email account and stopped the outgoing email.)
So the problem persists. HOW DO I GET AVAST TO SCAN MY NON-SSL OUTGOING EMAIL THROUGH MY NETWORK SOLUTIONS EMAIL ACCOUNT?
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even if avast dont scan your mail accounts are most likely protected as most mail providers have spam/virus filter on the mail server
The mail you where able to send out, did it arrive at the reciveing end with attachment or was it stopped on the way?
you can test mail security here:
http://www.aleph-tec.com/eicar/
http://www.emailsecuritycheck.net/
Maybe somone form avast will reply here with info about your issue
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Pondus - again you are right. My tests per your suggestion also show that the two email providers did NOT on send the "infected" email to their destinations (me).
However, Avast needs to fix or explain. Avast is promising to scan outgoing email and is failing. And my UNscanned outgoing emails are the easier of the email accounts two because it is NOT connected with SSL.
AVAST - please read my first post and advise.
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First finding any help setup info on Network Solutions is terrible, finding a needle in a haystack could well be easier. I found this - http://www.networksolutions.com/support/pop-imap-settings/
The standard port for SMTP is 25, not 2525 (not sure if that has an impact), but it also mentions that you can use port 587 instead of port 2525 for the Outgoing Server Port = 2525 or 587. I would give 587 a try and see if that works.
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DavidR - Agree with you re Network Solutions.
However, we switched outgoing to 2525 some time ago at Network Solutions' own request.
The issue remains - why won't Avast permit me to add ,2525 and then scan?
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If Network Solutions support port 25, give that a try and see if it makes a difference.
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DavidR and Eddy - in my OE6, in the Account settings for the Network Solutions email, I just switched the SMTP port from 2525 to 587, and Avast now scanned my first outgoing email correctly.
But I have reason to believe this will cause a problem after a while -- Network Solutions asked us to move to 2525 some time ago. The issue remains why Avast won't accept ,2525 as noted in my first post above.
Thanks.
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Port 25 >> The Spam Superhighway >> http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2008/07/the_spam_superhighway.html
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Time for avast to explain if port 2525 is scanned or not.
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In Network Solutions guide here they say 2525 or 587 so i would try 587
http://www.networksolutions.com/support/step-by-step-pop-setup-instructions/
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In Network Solutions guide here they say 2525 or 587 so i would try 587
http://www.networksolutions.com/support/step-by-step-pop-setup-instructions/
Yes, same information, but a different location to the one I found.
Network Solutions, make it sort of clear that if your ISP needs to use 587 then OK.
@ glnz
Given what Network Solutions say about changing to 587 if required and 587 is an email port that avast definitely monitors/redirects I don't believe it should be an issue in the medium term. I would have thought if there would be an issue it really should have failed right off.
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587 - 2525
One works the other doesn't. Seems like a simple choice to me. :)
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DavidR and Bob - As I wrote a little earlier today, I have now switched my Network Solutions NON-SSL outgoing SMTP from 2525 to 587.
But, once again, Avast promises certain features and doesn't deliver (although it certainly delivers endless popups and installations we don't want). Avast is unable to scan 2525, which port was previously directed by Network Solutions. Why not?
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Sorry, I don't follow your point ??? 587 works so what's the problem with using it?
Why are you insisting on using something that's not working ???
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Port 2525 and others may be used by some individual providers, but have never been officially supported.
this may be why ;) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Mail_Transfer_Protocol
Port is sometimes unofficially used as an alternate to port 25 SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). This is useful as a dedicated port for VPN clients or for those who cannot directly send mail to a mail server outside of their ISP's network because of an ISP blocking port 25.
http://www.speedguide.net/port.php?port=2525
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Bob, Pondus and Snake - I don't get your willingness to excuse Avast here.
The two links you provide indicate that (a) 2525 is actually used by email companies and (b) it could be used by trojans. Sorry, but this is exactly why Avast should scan my outgoing emails on port 2525 if I add ,2525 to the SMTP field in the redirect list (pictured in my first post above). But that does not work.
Why are you so fast to let Avast off the hook? Avast should be working exactly as I say.
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Port 2525 which by the way mirrors Port 587 is sometimes recommended by Email Clients as an alternative to Port 25 in the event Port 25 is blocked (which is not that uncommon due to inherent vulnerabilities). Fact is Port 2525 is not endorsed by either the IETF or IANA so I would personally recommend using Port 587 which does get scanned by Avast as we know. Ports 25 and the alternate Port 2525 are generally only recommended when either 587 and/or 465 cannot be used for SMTP protocol depending upon the encryption protocol used. Why Port 2525 is recommended by your Email Client and/or why Avast does not scan Port 2525 I have no idea, but Port 587 is widely recommended for SMTP protocol so I'd simply go with this SMTP protocol Port that works.
A little background; back around 1981 Port 25 was established as the default transmission channel for Internet email as a proposal by USC to the IETF and is still used today as a means of transmitting between mail servers. Around 1999 the RFC proposed a concept that involved a split message transmission relay that was determined by the RFC to occur over Port 587 to ensure a higher level of security that in turn would not interfere with relay message traffic over Port 25. Later the IANA registered Port 465 for SMTPS traffic in order to provide a Port for the SMTP protocol using SSL and later the increasingly secure TLS encryption. Currently SSL/TLS is generally recommended for Port 465 on the other hand Port 587 is recommended for the more recent protocol command STARTTLS. The STARTTLS command protocol allows SMTP servers to determine whether or not destination Servers support TLS encryption and if they do then the sending Server will upgrade the connection to the STARTTLS SMTP command protocol.
Bottom line: Port 25 and the more recent alternative 2525 Port does continue to primarily be used for SMTP relaying (FYI; SMTP is the transmittal relaying of Email between Servers). However that said, currently in most cases SMTP clients should not use these Ports in my opinion and the fact is Port 25 is very often blocked by ISP and cloud hosting providers (which is why we have the alternate Port 2525) in order to try and curb SPAM that can occur between compromised Servers. So unless you happen to be managing a Mail Server it is generally highly recommend to avoid using Port 25 (or in my view 2525 as well). Port 587 is the default mail submission port and should always be the Port used to route Email by a proper Mail Server when possible, that is unless you're explicitly blocked by your upstream network or hosting provider. Port 587, coupled with TLS encryption, will ensure that email is submitted securely and follows IETF guidelines. Port 465 is generally used for legacy systems that are only capable of using this connection method therefore Port 465 is typically used in the event your application demands it. In regards to Port 2525 discussed here in this topic, which as I said mirrors Port 587, yes it does support TLS encryption and is generally not blocked to the extent that Port 25 tends to be but as I said before is not currently endorsed by either the IETF or IANA. Because 2525 happens to be a non-traditionally high port number it is generally not blocked by ISPs and Cloud Hosting providers but nevertheless in my opinion should only be used in the event the other Ports previously mentioned happen to have connectivity issues.
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Bob, Pondus and Snake - I don't get your willingness to excuse Avast here.
The two links you provide indicate that (a) 2525 is actually used by email companies and (b) it could be used by trojans. Sorry, but this is exactly why Avast should scan my outgoing emails on port 2525 if I add ,2525 to the SMTP field in the redirect list (pictured in my first post above). But that does not work.
Why are you so fast to let Avast off the hook? Avast should be working exactly as I say.
Why are you so insistent on using a port that is dangerous (2525) when a safe alternative (587 is available and works ???
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Bob, Pondus and Snake - I don't get your willingness to excuse Avast here.
We are not, we just give you the info found online, and try to explain why avast dont scan
As the info found say port 2525 is not "never been officially supported" this may be the reson why avast dont scan outgoing mail sendt true that port, maybe it will be supported in a later version
If we are correct or not only somone from avast team can tell ... i will see if i can get somone to comment
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Hi, does entering 2525 only works for the mail client/account running on port 2525?
Thanks. Lukas.
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Lukas - If I add
,2525
to my redirect listings for SMTP (not SSL), all my email connections stop. Email does not work any more. Outlook Express gives me error messages.
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glnz, Since Port 2525 does support TLS encryption, have you tried using the Port with TLS protocol enabled to see if this makes a difference?
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laksrool - that email ISP does NOT use SSL with our account. But they DID ask us to use 2525.
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You can look to the log file 'C:\ProgramData\AVAST Software\Avast\log\Mail.log' for errors when the port is added and sending fails.
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vojtech - lots of work. Also, mail.log is in Application Data, not where you said. Also, I cannot open it because it is in use.
Maybe next weekend - not now.
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Also, I cannot open it because it is in use.
Close mail client and try again
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Pondus - no, does not work. Still locked. And I rebooted and tried again - still locked - before turning OE back on.
This weekend maybe.
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<snip>
Also, mail.log is in Application Data, not where you said.
Also, I cannot open it because it is in use.
<snip>
Yes it is in winXP, the location given is for Vista, Win7 and later.
How are you trying to open the mail.log file (notepad or other text editor) ?
Pondus - no, does not work. Still locked. And I rebooted and tried again - still locked - before turning OE back on.
<snip>
You could or rather should disable the Mail Shield that would be the only thing accessing the mail.log, not your email client.