Avast startup (win98, dialup, Mozilla, ZoneAlarm, ics client)

[dmshiff]

I just installed the free version, build 4.6.739, with database updated to 0550-4.  It is installed on two machines, both running win98SE and Mozilla browser and Email client.  The ICS machine operates correctly, once I did the manual configuration properly.  The database logo is the first item in the system tray, and the Avast! symbol is third.  Dialup starts as soon as either the ICS machine or the client starts up Mozilla, and the ICS machine Emails are all inspected.

CLIENT MACHINE

I had a lot of trouble setting up the client machine, which is a laptop connected through a wireless network.  Of course I had to configure it manually.  SMTP was straightforward, but I have two separate POP3 accounts - and because my ISP has been absorbed, my main Email userid contains a "domain", as in "name@isp.net" which then requires an ADDITIONAL "@isp.net" for logon. 

For this account I needed to have:
Server name:  "127.0.0.1"
User name:     "name@isp.net#mail.isp.net"
Port:                "1043"

My attempt to use the default configuration replaced the first "@" with "#" and added "#127.0.0.1" to the user name.

The second userid was more straightforward, but I had to remove the extra "#127.0.0.1"


But I have a new problem - the AVAST logos failed to appear in the tray, and AVAST failed to start checking Emails, although both AshMaisv and Ashwebsv are in the task list.  I could start my Email and download messages without any checking at all.  It worked, when I started it manually,   

Next, I added Ashserv (.exe) to my startup folder.  Great - it started, both logos appeared in the system tray - although LAST, instead of early - and it started checking Emails immediately. 

And then a second set of logos appeared in the system tray.  When I removed the Ashserv from the startup folder, it went back to not starting either the Email or on-access protection, and no logos - so I put it back again, and it seems to work correctly, except for the extra logos.  Is it broken, or just somewhat out of kilter? 

[Lisandro]

Next, I added Ashserv (.exe) to my startup folder.

I'm not used to Windows 98 anymore...
But shouldn't this be at the Windows Registry to load before, I mean, anything like:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

[dmshiff]

ashmaisv.exe and ashwebsv.exe are both listed in that part of the registry.  But they were both in the task list - but did not perform their tasks - before I tried to do anything to make them work.   

In addition, I found "ashserv.exe"a few folders down, in the "RunServices" folder.  This MIGHT have come from my entry in the startup folder....

[alanrf]

Tech,

I try to stay away from discussion about email scanning in the Windows 9x environment (because I do not use it on the old machine I have that still runs WinME).

However, if this user has to use port 1043 for POP3 (I can only assume because instructed to do so by the ISP) then I believe it will be necessary to customize the Mail Scanner and in the Redirect tab change the POP3 box to:

110, 1043

to include that port for scanning email.

[dmshiff]

My expertise from several years ago is mainframes, so I don't pretend to know details about how it works.  But I thought that all the port 110 traffic would be routed to AVAST at localhost, and relayed from there to my Email client through the designated port (1043).  And I seem to be receiving the usual few hundred junk mails, in addition to the dozen or so desired messages.  Wouldn't I receive unscanned messages through port 110? 

[alanrf]

Then why have you set up port 1043 in your email client?

[dmshiff]

Because, as I understand it, the message path is from the internet to the ICS machine.  ICS translates the address assigned by my dialup ISP to the LAN client IP address and passes it to the LAN ICS client, port 110, which goes to localhost and AVAST on the client.  AVAST (on the client) then checks the message and re-sends it on port 1043 to my Email client. 

[alanrf]

On your client machine avast's total world is that machine. 

It knows nothing about how or what is running on your ICS machine.  your ICS machine should just be a passthru (effectively just a NAT router) to your internet connection.

If you set your mail client to make a call to a POP3 server at port 1043 then that is what it will do.  It will not be intercepted by avast on the client machine because avast is only set up to intercept calls to servers at port 110 on your client machine.   

If you want avast to intercept and scan POP3 mail on your client machine then you must tell avast what port your client will use to connect to the POP3 mail server (if the port is not 110).  If you specify port 1043 to avast then avast will insert a low level intercept on port 1043 on the client machine.  When your mail client makes a call to the mail server at port 1043 then the intercept will pass the call to avast listening at localhost port 12110.  avast will then place the real call to the server on port 1043 (to take control of the connection away from the mail client).  If that is switched to port 110 by your ICS machine - so be it - but avast on the client machine knows nothing of that. 
 

By the way - nothing is ever sent to your client on port 1043 - if you want a detailed explanation of how this works happy to send it to you outside the thread.

[dmshiff]

I understand your explanation.  The confusion is that I referred to both the client machine and the Mozilla Email POP server as "client"  Mozilla POP3 must be set to listen on port 1043;  AVAST listens on port 110.  The localhost at 127.0.0.1 is purely internal to the client machine - its actual network address is the 192.168,0.4 assigned by DHCP on the ICS machine.   

I checked the ICS machine - on which AVAST functions exactly as I believe it should - and the registry entries in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run (and RunService) are the same as this machine, which displays the "a" and "i" icon pair in the system tray immediately AFTER it comes up and connects locally to the ICS machine, but BEFORE any connection to the internet.  When I start Mozilla, AVAST immediately starts scanning like it should, but after a few seconds, a SECOND set of AVAST icons appears next to the first ones.  This behavior began after I added "Ashserv.exe" to my startup folder.  Before that, even though both AshMaisv and AshWebsv were in the task list after startup, AVAST DID NOT scan anything until I started it manually, even after I started Mozilla. 

As it is now, it seems to work ALMOST correctly - except for:

1) the fact that the first icons appear as the LAST items in the system tray, instead of the first ones, and

2)the duplicate icons. 

[dmshiff]

I don't know why, but when I started my laptop this morning, the "i" and "a" icons were in their proper locations, first and third from the left.  The only thing that MIGHT have changed is that I left the MS network signon screen sit for several minutes before entering the password.  When I came back to the machine, the database update (551-0) was applied and the small blue pop-up was displayed along with the network login screen.  I do not recall for certain whether the second set of icons was displayed before login or not (I think not, because I think that the system tray was not displayed)  but the second set of icons are now present. 

Should I remove Ashserv.exe from my startup folder? 

[Lisandro]

I don't know why, but when I started my laptop this morning, the "i" and "a" icons were in their proper locations,

Windows does not load services and programs in a deterministic order. You should use a 3rd party (Startup Delayer) to ordem the programs.
I never found a program that manage Windows Services startup order.

Should I remove Ashserv.exe from my startup folder? 

Why? Do you want to be unprotected?

[dmshiff]

No, but I feel a little paranoid about those two pairs of eyeballs staring at me!

[Lisandro]

No, but I feel a little paranoid about those two pairs of eyeballs staring at me!

Merge than into one.
Or hide them all, keeping protection and feeling free of the icons 

[dmshiff]

No, thanks.  Without the (tardy) icons, I would not have thought to check the messages for being scanned.  I suppose I'll just try it for a while as is, and see if it protects my (and my wife's) computers as it should. 

Thanks for the comments, and if you DO figure out how to remove the extra icons without compromising protection, please let me know. 

[CharleyO]

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You should find that Avast protects your computers very well.   

I have been using Avast for 2 years on 2 different computers and no infections!   


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