Avast blocking connection to university network

[dale.malinzak]

I'm posting as I need technical support for an issue I'm having with Avast.  I have downloaded and installed the free version.  After the last update, and the subsequent restart of my computer, my computer is no longer able to connect to my university's public network, or their secure network.  Technical support for the university came by my office to try and troubleshoot the issue.  The informed me that their system is working normally, however, the only way that they were able to get my computer to connect to either network was to disable Avast entirely.  I'm posting as they have advised that I reach out to someone more familiar with Avast in order to find out what needs to be done in order for me to be able to actually use the product and still connect to the networks that I need to use for work. 

As for the details, the only ones I have are that when I would try to connect to the secure network, I would get the message "Can't connect to network".  When I would connect to the open network, I would get the message that it was connected, but that there was no internet. 

[jonatbackup]

Get in touch with Avast Support or make a false positive appeal.

[dale.malinzak]

I'm using the Free version so the only "tech support" being offered to me through Avast is to use these forums or find the answer in their FAQ file.

What is a false positive appeal? 

I should also add that the Tech Support at the university had no idea exactly what in Avast was causing the issue, but disabling Avast was the only thing that allowed the computer to connect to their network. 

[DavidR]

That isn't entirely correct. 
You could also try reporting it as a bug in the Avast UI (though probably not technically a bug), right click the avast tray icon and select About Avast.

What exactly is the issue, a screenshot of any alert window or error message/s displayed to the screen might help.

Are you using a VPN ?

What avast components do you have installed ?

The most likely shield would be the Web Shield and or possibly the WiFi Inspector.

You could try setting an exclusion in the web shield for the URL you are trying to connect to.
There are also some settings that you could try disabling in the Web Shield (try only one at a time) and see if you can find the conflict.

[rocksteady]

@dale.malinzak
If was working before update, have you tried simple Repair of Avast?
Open the UI then:
Menu>Settings>Troubleshooting> [Repair App]

A screenshot would help. Add it using "Attachments and other options" link below text box.

[dale.malinzak]

I appreciate the help so far.  I can try to get you a screenshot, but there is no error coming from Avast or windows.  The only thing that I can see on the screen about it is the text when I try to connect to networks or the little globe that appears in windows 10 instead of the signal semi-circles.  The only thing I am getting is in the network connections that says "can't connect to network".  That's the entire text below the "UNIVERSITY_SECURE" network.  If I connect to the "UNIVERSITY_GUEST" (which is their open network) it says "Connected. No Internet" below that network. 

That's the extent of the issue.  While Avast is running on the computer, it will not allow it to connect to the university network at all in terms of the internet.  So unless I disable Avast, my computer can see a network and connect, but can't receive or send information.  The tech was in my office for half an hour trying to set exceptions (he used yahoo.com as a test site) and it still wouldn't connect to that one.  He tried to forget the networks and rediscover them, but that had the same outcome when trying to connect to them.  The way he described it to me was that it won't even attempt to talk to the secure network to even have to login to it, and it will connect to the open network, but it just won't do anything once it does.

Honestly, I'm horrible with technology, so I'm not sure how to explain it a lot better than that. 

I don't have a VPN, nor does my university, so I don't think that's an issue. 

The only components I have installed are what come with the free version of Avast.

Which settings could it be in the web shield or the wifi inspector? 

[DavidR]

I appreciate the help so far. 
<snip>
The only components I have installed are what come with the free version of Avast.

Which settings could it be in the web shield or the wifi inspector? 

If you did a default installation as opposed to a custom one, then you would have all components.

It is hard to say which individual setting it would be in.

Don't try to do everything at once as that wouldn't indicate what the conflict is.  That's like disabling avast and it works, but doesn't pinpoint the true cause/conflict.

Since the WiFi Inspector only has two, I would uncheck both.  See my previous attached image of the WiFi settings, the only one there that is checked, could possibly be a cause. 
If it is scanning 'New Networks Automatically', your connection to the University Network, is likely to be considered New.  Whilst this connection is being scanned I don't know if that delay in connecting would be enough to time out and break the connection.

Try that first and report back.

I just wonder if adding an exception to the University URL that you connect to would make any difference (see attached), something we could check later.