Author Topic: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express  (Read 8112 times)

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gmjohnson99

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Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« on: February 25, 2005, 03:57:55 AM »
I am using the latest version of Avast (4.6.603).  My ISP is Access4free which provides POP3 email.  I read this email via Outlook express, and up till now Avast's Internet Mail provider has always scanned incoming mail messages properly.  However, recently I upgraded to my ISP's accelerated version of their Dialup called Access4free Express (similiar to Netzero plus, simply runs faster by blocking popups and reducing graphics, etc).  Now Avast no longer scans my incoming email (outgoing mail via smtp stilll works).   I have verified that the problem is with my ISP's accelerator, since my email scans properly as long as I disable the accelerator.  I see no obvious settings within Avast or my ISP's accelerator that can solve this problem.  Does anyone have an idea or any experience with this?  Thankyou in advance.

Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2005, 06:45:49 AM »
POP3 mail scanning differs somewhat depending on which operating system you are using.  It will probably help the folks here to know which you are using.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2005, 01:42:38 PM »
Your accelerator I would say uses some form of proxy (does it, if so what address), since web shield also uses a localhost proxy, the two have to be co-ordinated.

There has been much discussion on this proxy issue, so a forum search would probably return some information.

But as alanrf said we are going to need a lot more info to be able to help fully.
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gmjohnson99

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2005, 01:54:31 PM »
Thanks for the input so far.  I am using Windows XP Pro with SP2 with all of the latest security patches installed.  As far as my accelerator using some form of proxy, the setup of it was pretty basic.  The only number I could find that I think has to do with the proxy port is the port number 8080 within the Accelerator's options tab.  Thanks again for any assistance and please let me know if I need to provide more details.

Offline vojtech

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2005, 02:30:19 PM »
It depends on how exactly it works. Maybe unchecking 'ignore local communication' in Internet Mail->Redirect tab would do the trick.

gmjohnson99

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2005, 01:41:02 AM »
Thanks for the suggestion but even after I unchecked the "ignore local communication" tab it still fails.

Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2005, 05:45:53 AM »
Can you tell us:

in Outlook Express for the account is your mail server set up as something like "pop3.myisp.com" or is is set to "localhost" or "127.0.0.1"? 

Is the port set to 110?

gmjohnson99

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2005, 08:11:55 PM »
In Outlook Express my mail server is set up as "mail.access-4-free.com" and the POP3 port is set to "110".  It always works as long as I shutdown or at least disable my Acclerator software, but I can't find any settings in their that seem to make a difference.  I contacted Access4free's technical support but they of course said it was a problem with Avast, which I don't really believe to be the case.

Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2005, 01:20:23 AM »
At first I was a little puzzled by your description of the problem wondering why an accelerator would want to intercept email.  I think most of them just concentrate on HTTP traffic.

It seems it is an accelerator program that is used by more than one ISP and rebranded to suit the ISP (another ISP that uses it is JoiExpress). Apparently it is designed to intercept and speed up your e-mail by degrading (and thus compressing) any picture attachments in your email.  It appears to give you no option to turn off this feature.     

Anyway, I just took a look at Access4free Express.

On the HTTP front it sets up a proxy configuration in Internet Explorer using port 8080.

On the email side it seems that it probably works in a way very similar to the Avast Internet mail shield by setting up a redirection of port 110.  It redirects the POP3 traffic to localhost port 8880 and so into the proxy.  It then demands the login information for your ISP (and saves it so it doesn't need to ask next time) and I suspect must have a "partner" program running in the ISP that will retrieve your mail, compress it according to your compression level and return it back to the proxy which finally relays it back to your email client.  In this process Avast never gets a look in.

For any Avast team or other knowlegable folks - is there a way that the mail client could use another port, have it intercepted by Avast and then have the Internet Mail provider still direct the POP3 requests to port 110?

Alternatively, it may be worth a test of tricking the accelerator. It may work if, in the Internet mail provider Redirect tab, you set the POP3 port to 8880.  Leave the port in the mail client set to 110.  You will need the "Ignore local communication"  box unchecked.

Then it should go mail client > 110 > localhost:8880 > Avast > Access4free Express and back through the same route. 

Try it out. 

     



« Last Edit: February 27, 2005, 01:33:10 AM by alanrf »

gmjohnson99

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2005, 04:00:14 AM »
Thanks for the detailed explanation and suggestion, unfortunately I tried your suggestion but Avast still doesn't scan the incoming email.  I'll keep trying, and thankyou again for all of your help.

Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2005, 05:52:02 AM »
Sorry that it did not work. 

Unfortunately I cannot thoroughly test my suggestions without paying your ISP for an account - something I have no great interest in doing - I hope you understand. 

I have one more suggestion if you are willing to give it a try.  If it fails I will leave it up to the brighter minds at Avast. 

Let's choose a new port for POP3 and tell Avast about it so that it can intercept that port unhindered by your accelerator. We'll see if we can then get Avast to send on the POP3 requests in a way that your accelerator can grab and send to your ISP.

To do this:

In the Redirect tab of the Avast Internet Mail provider change the POP3 port to 11110.  Probably best to stop and restart the provider.

In Outlook Express for this account change the Account name to:

youruserid#mail.access-4-free.com:110

of course, replacing youruserid with your real username.

In the "Advanced" tab for your account change the POP3 port to be 11110 (the same as we set for Avast).  Click on "OK".

The intent here is:

Outlook Express > port 11110 > Avast > port 110 > accelerator > ISP.

I hope this is more successful.

gmjohnson99

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2005, 02:23:17 PM »
Thanks again for the suggestions.  I tried what you said but was unable to download my email, evidently because of the POP 3 port change for my email account within OE.  I went back to all of my online documentation for Access4free Accelerator and unfortunately their are no suggestions on what to do from them.  It looks like I'll need to wait for Avast to come up with something as you suggested.  Thanks again!

Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #12 on: February 28, 2005, 01:24:26 AM »
Sorry about that.

Changing the POP3 port in OE does get control to Avast (and away from your accelerator) but I cannot persuade the Mail Scanner to then contact your mail server on port 110.  So - I hope the Avast folks will have an alternative. 

For Avast team information: Acccess-4-Free's accelerator  is the Propel Accelerator  (propelac.exe).

Pcchris

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2006, 05:23:48 AM »
Has anyone ever been able to figure this problem out? I have been using Avast for several years, and I think it is the best anti-virus program on the market. I would like it to work with Propel, because us poor saps on dial up need all the help we can get.. :)
I have written Propel tech support to see if they can help, and if so, I will post the findings.

Thanks

Chris

Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot scan incoming emails using Access4free Express
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2006, 10:02:50 AM »
Well, it is a year later.  I confess that in the past year (despite trying) I have tried to get the avast team to discuss port intercepts and have had very little success (they must be shy).

I rather suspect that Propel support will tell you it is all avast's fault and to uninstall it.

Nevertheless let's give it another try. 

I doubt that propelac.exe has changed much in the interim, it is still probably bringing in money for the ISPs that sell it. 

Dear avast! team ...

this purported accelerator seems to perform an intercept on port 110 for email that does not work well with the intercept used by avast! 

What seems to be needed is:

email client > a port that can be intercepted by avast > avast > port 110 of mail server > propelac.exe (via port 110 intercept) > ISP partner program and then back

Is there any way this can be accommodated by avast?

 
« Last Edit: January 27, 2006, 10:06:26 AM by alanrf »