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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 03:17:17 AM

Title: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 03:17:17 AM
I'm using Avast Home 4.8.1169. The Network Shield seems to not be working. It shows the following:

Last scanned:
Last infected:
Scanned count: 0
Infected count: 0
Task Name: Resident protection
Run time: 2:53:24

I hear others saying that its OK, its working as it should and will pop up when it detects an attack. I'm not satisfied with that statement, because I had the Web Shield doing this same thing until I found, by luck, instructions on how to set up a proxy in Firefox.

So before I actually entered the required settings for Web Shield, it too was showing the same stats as Network Shield is now, and at the time, I thought Web Shield too was working as it should, but it obviously it wasn't.

Can you guys see my reason for concern?
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 03:22:39 AM
Please tell us the operating system you are using.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: Lisandro on April 18, 2008, 03:27:36 AM
Which firewall do you use?
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 03:29:46 AM
ioyuioynx,

you have posted the same thing in four different threads.  Please stay in this one now.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 03:38:43 AM
Please tell us the operating system you are using.

Windows XP Pro SP3.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 03:39:40 AM
Which firewall do you use?

Online Armour 2.1.0.130
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: Lisandro on April 18, 2008, 03:41:20 AM
Online Armour 2.1.0.130
Network Shield is a protection against known Internet worms/attacks. It analyses all network traffic and scans it for malicious contents. It can be also taken as a lightweight firewall (or more precisely, an IDS (Intrusion Detection System).

Basically, it covers all Internet worms. Such as Win32.CodeRed, Win32.SQLSlammer, Win32.Blaster, in32.Welchia (Nachi) and Win32.Sasser.

Messages like:
If you use a firewall and, most important, if your operational system is updated you won't probably receive warnings from NetShield.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 03:42:12 AM
ioyuioynx,

you have posted the same thing in four different threads.  Please stay in this one now.

My apologies. I just wanted to be sure that the right people would get my post.

I'll redirect all other discussion to here.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: Lisandro on April 18, 2008, 03:43:43 AM
My apologies. I just wanted to be sure that the right people would get my post.
Your post is never lost here in avast forums.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 03:44:02 AM
Quote
Windows XP Pro SP3.

Then you should not need any kind of proxy to be set up for the Webshield.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 03:46:17 AM
Quote
Windows XP Pro SP3.

Then you should not need any kind of proxy to be set up for the Webshield.

Not so. The Web Shield was not working until i set up the localhost 12080 proxy.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 03:47:30 AM
Online Armour 2.1.0.130
Network Shield is a protection against known Internet worms/attacks. It analyses all network traffic and scans it for malicious contents. It can be also taken as a lightweight firewall (or more precisely, an IDS (Intrusion Detection System).

Basically, it covers all Internet worms. Such as Win32.CodeRed, Win32.SQLSlammer, Win32.Blaster, in32.Welchia (Nachi) and Win32.Sasser.

Messages like:
If you use a firewall and, most important, if your operational system is updated you won't probably receive warnings from NetShield.

I get that, but why this:

Last scanned:
Last infected:
Scanned count: 0
Infected count: 0

Why are these always blank or 0?
It certainly doesn't instill confidence.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 03:49:14 AM
Then it implies that something else in your system is blocking the intercept that avast sets for port 80.

Are you using any other proxy for Web browsing?

Perhaps VPN software or any kind of browsing "accelerator"?
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 03:50:41 AM
Then it implies that something else in your system is blocking the intercept that avast sets for port 80.

Are you using any other proxy for Web browsing?

Perhaps VPN software or any kind of browsing "accelerator"?

Ad Muncher is all I'm using.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 03:51:12 AM
You need to worry when the counts are not zero and something has been scanned.  avast cannot scan anything that does not get through your firewall (and/or router). 

 
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 03:53:49 AM
You need to worry when the counts are not zero and something has been scanned.  avast cannot scan anything that does not get through your firewall (and/or router). 


Well, is there any way to test whether the Network Shield is working?

Unless you can test it, or it gives status updates like what was last checked, etc, to people, its as good as not working.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 04:00:49 AM
If you have a good firewall and/or a router it is pretty much as good as useless.

I never have it on.

If you want to really test it then try running connected directly to the internet without a firewall.   I do not recommend this.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 04:10:41 AM
If you have a good firewall and/or a router it is pretty much as good as useless.

I never have it on.

If you want to really test it then try running connected directly to the internet without a firewall.   I do not recommend this.

I'll test it on my wifes Vista Home Premium laptop. Currently, she has the Windows Firewall on, so I'll turn that off and see if Network Shield picks anything up. How long do you think it will take without a firewall for it to start getting attacked?

PS: I have a Netcomm NB6Plus4 ADSL Modem/Router. Would I have to do anything to its settings also? I hope not. I don't really wanna mess with it.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 04:41:16 AM
The router you have will almost certainly prevent anything getting through to be detected by avast.  Your router will probably allow you to turn off the hardware firewall functionality. But ...

Were you one of the users I support I would advise you not to mess with it.  Leave your router alone, your firewall on and forget about the Network Shield.  Yours and your wife's systems will be much safer that way.   
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 04:47:36 AM
By the way ... what is the version of Ad Muncher you are using? 

Given it's description it has to work as avast does too so it is a proxy.  I would like to take a look at it's interaction with avast.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 04:53:06 AM
You may want to take a look at this thread (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=33506.msg279820#msg279820). It looks like a way of getting AdMuncher to work without the need to set up a proxy for avast.

Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: hines232 on April 18, 2008, 05:39:41 AM
What are we talking about, "Network shield" or "Web shield".------I don't have "Network shield", and I am using the same version he is using. ???
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 06:10:17 AM
We are talking about Network Shield.

It is not available to users of Windows 9x systems (including your Windows Me).

Just by the way ... the box at the top the forum called "Search" is pretty good for finding out the answer to questions like this for yourself.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 07:45:14 AM
By the way ... what is the version of Ad Muncher you are using? 

Given it's description it has to work as avast does too so it is a proxy.  I would like to take a look at it's interaction with avast.

The latest version of Ad Muncher, which is Ad Muncher 4.72.30321 Beta.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 07:55:25 AM
You may want to take a look at this thread (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=33506.msg279820#msg279820). It looks like a way of getting AdMuncher to work without the need to set up a proxy for avast.



Thanks a lot man. I appreciate it.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 08:13:27 AM
I need a way to test the Web Shield.

Can someone please suggest some sites that does something Web Shield would notice and scream about?

I don't like an idea of relying on something without testing it to see that its working. I'm the tinkering curious type.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 08:18:09 AM
See this site for the perfectly harmless eicar test virus.

http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 08:22:03 AM
See this site for the perfectly harmless eicar test virus.

http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm

Thanks, but I was hoping for something a bit stronger...
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 08:26:08 AM
Just an aftertought. 

If you did make the change to the avast4.ini file for AdMuncher please remember it.  Just in case .....

When you make your next update to the avast program if you run into any problems with the Webshield then remove that change and see if it solves them.   

I am certainly not saying a problem will occur - I just have some concerns about the way Ad Muncher and avast can tread on each other's toes.

We will still be here to help.   
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: igor on April 18, 2008, 08:26:55 AM
See this site for the perfectly harmless eicar test virus.

http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm

Thanks, but I was hoping for something a bit stronger...

Why? (and what is "stronger" anyway?)
avast! will behave the same, no matter if towards Eicar or a real malicious file.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 08:27:44 AM
Quote
Thanks, but I was hoping for something a bit stronger...

That test is a good as any - they all go through the same code.

If I knew any stronger I would not be posting the link here for anyone to stumble on.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 08:32:21 AM
See this site for the perfectly harmless eicar test virus.

http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm

Thanks, but I was hoping for something a bit stronger...

Why? (and what is "stronger" anyway?)
avast! will behave the same, no matter if towards Eicar or a real malicious file.


That may be true, but I'd rather a real malicious file. It just makes me feel better. Its more a real world test.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 08:35:29 AM
As you see Igor and I are telling you it works in the same way.  avast does with eicar precisely what it would do with a virus that would completely destroy your system.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 08:45:13 AM
Does Avast also deal with Adware/Fake Antispyware software?

If so, downloading one of such products should in theory test Web Shield right?
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on April 18, 2008, 08:47:37 AM
Would Avast be able to deal with something like this: http://securitylabs.websense.com/content/Alerts/3061.aspx
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: alanrf on April 18, 2008, 08:53:01 AM
I would have checked it out for you (I have multiple layers of recovery running and available) ... but the links have been made unreadable and the ad is no longer on the USA Today site.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: hines232 on April 18, 2008, 08:16:11 PM
And how would YOU have wordered such a search ???
What are we talking about, "Network shield" or "Web shield".------I don't have "Network shield", and I am using the same version he is using. ???
:o
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: ioyuioynx on February 16, 2010, 12:11:33 AM
Just an aftertought. 

If you did make the change to the avast4.ini file for AdMuncher please remember it.  Just in case .....

When you make your next update to the avast program if you run into any problems with the Webshield then remove that change and see if it solves them.   

I am certainly not saying a problem will occur - I just have some concerns about the way Ad Muncher and avast can tread on each other's toes.

We will still be here to help.   

What are your concerns man?
Please share exactly what concerns you have about AdMuncher and Avast and I will get in touch with their developers to let them know. I sorta know the AdMuncher developers....a little bit.
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: DavidR on February 16, 2010, 01:54:38 AM
Did you not notice the topic you responded to is almost 2 years old ???
Title: Re: Network Shield Not Working
Post by: yaslaw on February 16, 2010, 08:43:51 AM
+1 :DDDD