GMail, Outlook Express and WinXP | Avast 4.5 Home

[EmDzei]

Hi!

I use gmail from Outlook Express. I tryed to configure avast4.ini:

[MailScanner]
DefaultSmtpServer=smtp.gmail.com:465
DefaultPopServer=pop.gmail.com:995

And change accounts to 127.0.0.1 & #'s etc. Didn't work.

It is possible to configure gmail for Avast?


-EmDzei

[S.Z.Craftec]

First of all, it's not possible because Gmail uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) connections... avast! doesn't support and never will SSL connections. At least, that's what Vlk said...

Second - what Windows version you have ? All information is important. Rules are not the same for every version of Windows.
If you have Windows XP (Home or Pro) or any other NT based, you don't have to set anything in your e-mail client. Mail handling is automatic/transparent, no action from users are required. Set your e-mail accounts as if avast! doesn't exist.

If you have earlier versions of Windows, 95/98/98SE/ME, then just run Mail Protection Wizard and let it does it's job. Take a look at my signature for some info...

Cheers !

[Lisandro]

Sasha, isn't there any workaround for the pop3 server?
How GMail Notifier works? If a notifier could 'check' the mail, why not avast?
Ok, the outbound mail (smtp) will be more difficult?

Any avast user found a workaround for it?

[S.Z.Craftec]

Workaround ? I don't think so. My Pop Peeper e-mail notifier, needs SSL plug-in to be able to read gmail account. See attachment. Same way Gmail notifier does it's job... avast! doesn't do like that...

[lukor]

How GMail Notifier works? If a notifier could 'check' the mail, why not avast?

Technical, as you probably know, SSL is designed to encrypt the connection in such a way that no one on the line, spying for the data, could decrypt the payload and make it readable. What makes a SSL pop dificult is not the process of obtaining the message via POP3 + SSL, as e.g. GMail Notifier does, but to trick the email program to think that it speaks to Gmail when in fact it speaks to a avast! Mail Scanner. This type of hijacking is known as "man in the middle" attack. I am not saying it is not feasible but goes agains the SSL encryption. Anyway, maybe avast! WILL support SSL connections in some future versions, it just doesn't support them know - I doubt Vlk would ever say never 

Lukas.

[S.Z.Craftec]

I admit I made mistake... Little correction (slaps my cheeks)... Vlk said: "...SSL connections are simply not supported (in both avast Home and Pro) - they have never been..."
See here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=8829.msg73083#msg73083

I thought he said they will never be... (slaps my cheeks again)... once again, nothing is impossible when it comes to Alwil, so I believe we can expect some changes regarding SSL handling in the future...

[Lisandro]

Technical, as you probably know

No, I did not know this... I'm not an expert on web communications and protocols...
Thanks for the explanation.

I doubt Vlk would ever say never 

Me too... I think he referred to the past and not to the future: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=8829.msg73083#msg73083

Edit: Sasha was faster