Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: dubhdara on September 17, 2010, 10:43:46 AM
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I have been having an issue with my Internet connectivity. The router would connect but no web site would display and no email could be sent or received. In order to resolve it I needed to press into th ehole at the back of the router to set it back to default. After connecting I always noticed that Avast did an automatic virus update. So, thought I, perhaps when the PC had been off for a while (and Avast thus had another update imminent) the automatic Avast update feature was causing a problem. So I switched it off and no more connectivity problems! (Avast still gives a blue-coloured notice of the need to update, so you just do it manually).
I state this for those who may be having the same problem, or for developers who may need to track down this problem with the updater.
Windows XP SP3
Tiscali broadband
Speedtouch router
Avast 5.0.677
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Which product of Avast do you have (Free, Pro, AIS)?
Curious - Did your ISP give you a new IP address when you reset your router? Thanks.
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Free version.
No idea about the new IP.
p.s. still have had no more connectivity problems now Avast is on manual update :)
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Do you know if your IP address is static or dynamic? Does it stay the same or change?
Is it connected through an ethernet cable or WiFi?
When did this problem develop? After an Avast version change or after an update or after installing the router or something else?
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WELL - i have a similar problem, i have to deactivate avast just to use the internet - i called the ISP and they even sent out a technician to test the internet connection and its all good, we realized it all came down to this anti virus program and NO-ONE can TELL me WHY or HOW to solve it ??? - i GOT to DEACTIVATE IT to use the internet "it is insane" i am using the avast Pro Anti virus 5 - i know someone out there can help...i really wish there was instant support every other company out there has a local phone number or instant support. . .
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First this really should be in a new topic of its own.
You shouldn't have to deactivate avast completely, just try stopping the web shield.
If that resolves it then I would say that you are likely to have a conflict with your firewall or possibly another AV or remnants.
What is your firewall ?
Does it allow avastSvc.exe internet access ?
- If it does delete the entry for it and reconnect to the internet, this should force the firewall to ask permission again.
If that doesn't resolve it the next logical step is the AV check below. If this is the case it really should go to its own topic or we are likely to hijack and confuse this topic.
Have (or did) you another Anti-Virus installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?
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Thanks for your quick response
I have the standard windows firewall – i uninstalled all antivirus programs prior to installing avast, I have gone into control panel and disabled the firewall – but I cannot connect to the net –
BUT, I disabled the web shield and I can connect! :)
I guess the next question is “doesn’t this reduce my systems security?”
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OOOOPs
I forgot to ad that outlook express is also affected; it wont send / receive - should i disable the mail antivirus shield for that as well?
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This really needs to go in its own thread as it is hijacking this unrelated topic and we can try and help there. The web shield provides a great deal of the protection by keeping malware outside of the system but there is a fall back of the file system shield, so you aren't completely at risk.
Switch your firewall back on as the XP firewall has zero outbound protection and shouldn't block anything.
When you create your own topic let us know what these other AVs were as many leave remnants behind and these can impact on other security software. You can check out these sites for specific uninstall tools in the meantime Also see http://www.askvg.com/ultimate-collection-of-uninstallers-removal-tools-for-all-popular-anti-virus-software/ (http://www.askvg.com/ultimate-collection-of-uninstallers-removal-tools-for-all-popular-anti-virus-software/) for others not listed above.
and http://uninstallers.blogspot.com/ (http://uninstallers.blogspot.com/)
It is 4:10am here and I'm calling it a night
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okay sorry - i thought my issue was related?
so i started a new thread specific to my problem under the heading - CANT ACCESS INTERNET using avast Pro 5
thanks for your help,
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Free version.
No idea about the new IP.
p.s. still have had no more connectivity problems now Avast is on manual update :)
So is your problem resolved to your satisfaction or not?
I left a post for you if your problem is not resolved, but unfortunately another user tried to post in your thread -- please scroll back to see my post.
Let me know if you need additional help or have questions. Thank you.
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@ Skowy,
Thank you for creating your own thread for your issues: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=64078.0 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=64078.0).
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Do you know if your IP address is static or dynamic? Does it stay the same or change?
Is it connected through an ethernet cable or WiFi?
When did this problem develop? After an Avast version change or after an update or after installing the router or something else?
Sorry for taking so long to get back - I have been having issues with a HDD but now have a new one working.
However, guess what? Same problem with Avast! I can confirm that having automatic updates switched on in Avast blocks Internet connectivity. I switched them off and am able to connect. When the automatic updates are on at PC boot-up then the hosts will not resolve on any web site (I think this happens when an update is found rather than if none is found at pc-startup).
I have an ethernet cable. I cannot remember when it started, but I had not been using Avast for very long when it began, so more or less straight away.
Are other people having this issue? I use Tiscali as an ISP. I've no idea about whether my ip is static or not...how do I find out?
It's not a huge problem to leave updates on manual, but I would like to know why my system is doing this. It's pretty average - XP SP3, Windows standard firewall, major ISP...
Thanks.
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You have XP SP3, using Avast Free 5.0.677, Windows FW (I would suggest getting a third-party FW for something stronger and 2-way protection).
To confirm, you now can get manual updates but cannot get automatic updates? Otherwise, you can surf normally? Avast made some changes so that there will not always be an update as frequently as there used to be.
Can you tell me what you have your settings for the following:
1. Open the Avast GUI > Settings > Updates > Engine and Virus Update (what is checked off?)
2. Open the Avast GUI > Settings > Updates > Update Parameters (is any box checked off?)
3. Open the Avast GUI > Settings > Updates > Proxy Settings (what bubble is checked off - 1st - Direct Connection/No Proxy, 2nd - Auto Detect Using IE Settings, or 3rd - Proxy?)
4. Open the Avast GUI > Settings > Troubleshooting > is the last box checked or not (Load Avast Services only after loading other other system services)?
What other security software do you have on this machine currently or in the past (including antivirus, firewall, and other security software)? If you removed the software, how did you removed it -- vendor's uninstaller tool or some other way? Sometime other security software can cause conflicts (current or remnants from the past). Thank you.
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Well, I have only changed automatic update to manual update so all the other settings should be the default...
ENGINE AND VIRUS DEFS: Manual update
PROGRAM: Manual update
UPDATE PARAMs: Null
Update Options: All 3 selected
Auto-update: 240 mins
Proxy settings: Auto detect (use IE settings)
Troubleshooting: Enable rootkit, Enable raw disk & Enable Avast! self defense are all checked (3 out of 5) - so last box is NOT checked.
As I say, new HDD so no old security software on the system.
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To confirm, you now can get manual updates but cannot get automatic updates? Otherwise, you can surf normally?
Could you answer the above questions. Thank you.
The settings you described in your above post should be fine.
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Yes, manual updates work fine. If I switch to automatic updates it works fine as well I believe - the problem is if I leave the setting on automatic updates and then, when I turn the PC on next time and an update tries to come through as the PC is booting up, the connectivity (though technically connected) does not all surfing or anything else. I *think* it happens when there is an update ready to come through, but I may be wrong and it actually be the setting itself (alone). Perhaps it is something to do with the order in which theses events happen at boot-up - perhaps if Avast was to have a default wait of at least 5 mins before checking for updates...?
I say that the problem occurs when there is an update ready simply because that is the way it appeared, and sometimes there would be no problem (which I assume must be when there was no update ready)...
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You could try and delay the update check:
- In avast5 you need to edit (using notepad) avast5.ini the [InetWD] section of the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Alwil Software\Avast5\avast5.ini (XP file location). Location for Vista, win7, C:\ProgramData\Alwil Software\Avast5\avast5.ini.
- Broadband connections, add this line:
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=120 and
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1 if not present (or edit AssumeAlwaysConnected=0 to AssumeAlwaysConnected=1)
[InetWD]
AssumeAlwaysConnected=1
AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=120
When complete save the changes, avast's self-defence module will ask for confirmation, etc. answer Yes.
The figure is seconds and the above equates to two minutes, you could try that and adjust upwards if required, 180, 240, etc. which in your case it may be better to start on 300 (5 minutes).