Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Happy-Dude on September 02, 2006, 08:41:40 PM
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Guys, after installing Comodo firewall and letting the system restart, Avast! Notified me that the mail scanner was off (inbound and outbound). I assume since the pop-ups were temporary, that the scanner turned itself back on. I checked the resident scanner setting, and everything seemed to be at the Standard Area (all normal scanning options). Is there a way to make sure that Avast! scanning is all turned on for sure ?
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Avast! Notified me that the mail scanner was off (inbound and outbound).
How did it do this ?
Is the Internet Mail provider running in the on-access scanners window ?
You can also check Task Manager for ashMaiSv.exe, it should be listed.
It is more likely that comodo is blocking ashMaiSv.exe or you answered a question to deny access without knowing what ashMaiSv.exe was.
Does the comodo firewall have an email scanning function ?
If so that could cause avast to disable its email scanner to avoid conflict.
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Thanks DavidR, I checked Task Manager and its was listed. So my Avast! scanner status is still working. I think its just one of those out-of-the-bat things where a new program hits and just causes temporary problems. Its all fixed now. Comodo firewall is running really well with me :) !!
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EDIT: See post further down..
When I installed Comodo, all avast modules failed to start without any Comodo popups. I wasn't even online so Comodo seems to know that a program is able to connect to the internet before it even wants to. So I think initially Comodo blocked and interrupted Avast from starting correctly.
I stopped and restarted avast on-access protection, then Comodo gave popups as expected. All is ok now.
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Thanks for the feed back Steve.
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Good post steve. I installed Comodo 2.3.4.45 as a try yesterday to see what it is like.
I got error popups from avast like the pic below.
Was wondering what is wrong, I could not get even webshield working. The only way I could connect to internet was by "direct connection".
Never had such troubles with Sygate or kerio 2.1.5 or even Kerio 4.
But thanks to you steve, avast seems to work again.
Will see if I like this firewall or not.
Jarmo
PS
First impressions are not very promising.
Cannot understand why Firefox needs to 'act as a server' to have internet access ? And why Internet Explorer seems to need no rule to get to internet. So it seems leaky to say the least, unlike has been told how it is super leaktest passer?
But I go now and check the forums, maybe I can make my settings more secure than the default ones.
???
Well, that fix of stopping and starting avast providers worked a while. Then suddenly I was notified that my network card had a not working valid connection IP. Did a reboot and got a normal IP back, but webshield protection was gone.
Stopping and starting providers did not restore it. Only way was to use direct connection again. I have no idea if running PG free has anything to do, or the imcompatibility is between Avast and Comodo only.
But this is a gonner soon, especially when installing kerio 2.1.5 back takes only install, reboot and applying my ruleset file and then it is just the same with password, GUI and everything as before.
EDIT:
It is now gone and I am back to kerio 2.1.5. I have a phone program that replced my cord phone, using same phone number but no monthly fees. I allowed it everything in Comodo, but did not work, a total mystery. Skype worked though.
Every once in a while I also lost my internet connection. Tried to add some DHCP and DNS rules, but did not help, another mystery. But while doing that I noticed that the rules could not be named or ticked/unticked.
It might be a good firewall, no idea why I had all those problems, but I am kind of liking kerio 2.1.5.
Avast worked after uninstalling Comodo again just fine. No long term ill effects it seems.
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I think I know whats going on.
Comodo blocks loopback TCP connections 127.0.0.1 by default. It creates a popup when an application requires this. Initially, Avast started before Comodo and so Comodo could not provide any popups, although Comodo still blocks from boot. Hence Avast mail and webshield failed trying to initiate loopback (talking within the PC). Once Comodo is started, restarting Avast shields creates Comodo popups and all is ok.
Comodo creates "Act as Server" popups even for loopback connections and listening apps. Its network rules block ALL incoming IP connections, so your always stealth even if you have "Act as Server" connections allowed.
If you are using a router, that needs to be setup as a trusted IP in Network rules as Comodo sees that as another PC and blocks it.
Avast doesnt require any Network rules and works fine on my PC.
Comodo also has an option in advanced>misc> "do not show alerts for apps certified by Comodo", which means it will allow safe apps to connect without asking you, hence why IE didn't ask.
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I was also thinking on the same lines. Was also just reading on Comodo forum about network rules. The default ones from fresh install as you sayed block all inbound connections. That explains my netphone program from not working. It would have needed it's own network rule as well as all other such apps needing inbound server access.
As to needing 'act as server' for firefox, it is I guess cause the loopback is not allowed by default install.
Kerio 2.1.5 has that, and of course one has to go to great lengths to allow normal loopback for all apps, but same time denying the local proxy made hole.
Something might have been also with the PG free, and it is now too late to wonder too much what went wrong.
Compared to kerio or Sygate, Comodo's rulemaking is a bit crazy, but I guess it works :P
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I use Comodo for its leak protetcion, stealth and anti-dll injection etc. I havent made any specific port rules, I just leave applications as "Allow TCP out,in etc.".
Theres to many rules to make otherwise. If you allow loopback thats reduces them. I tried making IExplorer set for TCP 80 and 443 out only, but then Comodo wants loads of other ports for loopback and its just not worth getting that specific, you end up with a list a mile long.
Comodo are looking at rule creation, so hopefully they can make it more like kerio, where you can specify the ports that are really needed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and not a load of spurious ports that no one has ever heard of. ::)
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I think Comodo handles rules as an intersection of application rules, that component control and network rules. Application rules usually more for ports/protocol specific while network rules could allow more and be more general.
An then there is zone concept. Since I don't have it anymore this all is purely speculation if it is possible to make a zone for server access kind of programs. And use it quite flexibly.
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Network rules can control IP,DESTINATION,SOURCE,PROTOCOL,DIRECTION but not limited to an application.
If you were to use real "Act as Server" programs (file sharing etc) then I assume you would need to create tight rules in Network rules and tighten up any incoming rules in Applications rules. Although my MSN messenger works fine without any new rules, I assume as I am connected already to the recipient and dont need to be open to every one.
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Network rules can control IP,DESTINATION,SOURCE,PROTOCOL,DIRECTION but not limited to an application.
If you were to use real "Act as Server" programs (file sharing etc) then I assume you would need to create tight rules in Network rules and tighten up any incoming rules in Applications rules.
I have now installed Comodo again without PG installed and it seems to work.
That netphone needs UDP In/Out for a certain IP range for all the ports. More specific instructions are not given. In kerio 2.1.5 it was easy to limit to only that program.
I have tried to find how to specify that to only that netphone, but really bad if I same time open my system for all the other running programs that might accept incoming connections from that range of local ports. ???
I should just trust that those apps like firefox, ie, ashwebsv, etc. cannot be connected if I have a whole wide port range open globally?
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you could register and ask at the comodo forums. ;)
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you could register and ask at the comodo forums. ;)
Something should get better in their forum... you ask there and the asnswer takes a long time to arrive (when it arrives...) ::) :-\
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If you are using a router, that needs to be setup as a trusted IP in Network rules as Comodo sees that as another PC and blocks it.
Hi, I'm curious as to why you state this. I use a router and cpf with no network rule for the router with no issues.My ethernet adapter is listed as a network zone though.
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Have you specified that Zone in all your application rules then? According to the Help, a Zone is used to specify in rules, either Application or Network.
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Have you specified that Zone in all your application rules then? According to the Help, a Zone is used to specify in rules, either Application or Network.
Hi, thanks for the reply.No, this zone is by default when installing cpf.I believe that you would also have to manually edit an app rule to limit it to a zone.
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Comodo creates "Act as Server" popups even for loopback connections and listening apps. Its network rules block ALL incoming IP connections, so your always stealth even if you have "Act as Server" connections allowed.
If you are using a router, that needs to be setup as a trusted IP in Network rules as Comodo sees that as another PC and blocks it.
Hey stevejrc, thanks for the post. I just installed Comodo and Avast after reading that Avast is a very high quality antivirus.
Could you elaborate and let me know how exactly to create the loopback access rule to Comodo? It would be so helpful. I know ZoneAlarm automatically configures the computer for loopback but I don't know how to do it with Comodo.
Once I configure the loopback, will I get the failed mail protection message anymore from Avast??
Thanks for the help!! 8)
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..When Avast trys to access the net, one of the Comodo popups will be something like "do you want to allow 127.0.0.1 TCP out etc etc". Click allow and then Avast is granted loopback. Comodo allows loopback per application, not globally and it will always ask if its needed.
..Zonealarm just allows/trusts loopback globally for anything which isn't very secure.
Originally Avast started before Comodo, so Comodo could not give you this popup. So loopback was not allowed for Avast. So Avast crashed.
To get this popup. Just right click Avast icon, click Stop On Access Protection, wait a few seconds, then restart On Access Protection. Comodo will then popup an alert as Avast starts and/or when your online, just allow anything to do with avast and click remember.
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:) Thanks! Everything seems to be working fine now, I love Avast and Comodo, they're great products.