Author Topic: high bandwidth usage  (Read 9956 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

zaknbou

  • Guest
high bandwidth usage
« on: December 12, 2007, 04:00:03 PM »
hi guys, i am a new user of avast, i have the home addition and it work like a charm...
today i was checking my limiter that let me see all the internet bandwidth transferred up and down and i found that avast is using a lot of bandwidth so i said to myself  maybe he is updating his virus list but i wont' stop using my bandwidth up and down with high speed and i have a adsl limited download and its very expensive so if it will continue like that i will be bankrupts  :-* so is that normal or maybe there is a trojan using avast or hiding in the exe ...donna know really i am very confused   


this is the file that is using all this bandwidth 
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashwebsv.exe

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2007, 04:33:55 PM »
The web shield is the http scanner, so all traffic comes through the filter so I would say that this is normal.

If you disabled the web shield provider then your browser would see the bandwidth use. If you also see a similar bandwidth for both your browser and web shield (when enabled) then your bandwidth is double dipping and counting twice, first into the avast locahhost proxy of the web shield and again (local communication) into your browser.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

zaknbou

  • Guest
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2007, 05:06:33 PM »
ok got it ...thanks a lot mate

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2007, 05:11:01 PM »
No problem, welcome to the forums.

Though you should confirm this, how your bandwidth counter works and if it is flawed and double counting, is this what your ISP uses to bill your or is this just what you have to monitor your traffic.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

johneb80

  • Guest
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2010, 06:29:23 AM »
Hi guy's,
             I too have been monitoring the bandwidth used by AvastSvc.exe and because it monitors web pages whenever i try to view a streaming video it has to buffer every 3secs because avast is using up to 3x the amount of bandwidth checking the stream than what the stream is actually providing... My bandwidth monitor is built into TaskManager and is not dependant on any other third party monitoring tools - it simply monitors every byte sent/recieved. (it's called Prio - check it out) Now i agree that it is a good thing that Avast monitors this but as previous forum guy mentioned i too am on a restricted adsl capped bandwidth and if this carrys on i will be over my 3Gb cap in no time.
What can be done to prevent this from occuring ? I downloaded the same video = 7Mb Avast monitoring used 24Mb monitoring the stream.

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2010, 04:39:58 PM »
That simply can't be the case, it can only be downloaded once, whether that is into a buffer or into your browser directly. Internet > your PC > buffer > browser, removing any buffer would make no difference to bandwidth as it is in the PC side.

The monitoring doesn't add to that bandwidth as it is done on your system in a localhost proxy (filter scanning), so in much the same way as above, Internet > your PC > localhost proxy > buffer (if required) > browser. As I hope you can see all this activity is PC side and does not increase bandwidth.

What you won't notice is the vary large bandwidth that would normally be consumed by your browser as avast intercepts the calls and filters HTTP port 80 traffic through its localhost proxy. So whilst one apparently increases the other decreases, see image of my firewall traffic.

So monitoring local bandwidth is double counting.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

CTFlyer

  • Guest
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2011, 09:33:11 PM »
Hi all

Sorry to bring this up again but having read through a few threads on the subject I'm still not convinced.

I'm using avast! for the first time and love the product but can't keep using it while it has a serious impact on my internet speed, unlike anything other anti-virus software caused.

Outpost firewall shows avastsvc.exe using exactly the same bandwidth as everything else added together.

I know everyone has been saying it's just scanning internet activity and my situation is impossible etc, but the facts are as follows:

Test file download:
40KB/sec with webshield disabled
20KB/sec with webshield enabled

Even in mid-download, enabling the webshield suddenly drops the download speed to half. As soon as I disable it, it goes back to full speed. Same thing with any kind of internet activity. With webshield enabled, videos don't stream smoothly etc. Disable it and everything is immediately double speed.


I'll be happy to post screenshots of this is required.

What is the solution? It is halving my bandwidth, no question. I really like the product otherwise, but this current situation obviously makes it unusable.

Offline MikeBCda

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Super Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 2247
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2011, 10:08:55 PM »
Without using a download manager, I typically can get around 25KB/sec downloads (on DSL, PPPoE), which I suspect is my provider's limit. If I'm downloading something large enough to make a dlm useful (I like Free Download Manager) and I've got 12 sections running, I can get 300+ KB/sec if the server at the other end is reasonably good.

I've only seen avast slow internet activity under two fairly specific sets of circumstances.  If it's doing a check for updates, and traffic is heavy, it might take a while to work its way through the list of avast servers to find one it can connect to and download from.

And the other possibility, which I only saw explained in a fairly recent thread here:  any kind of right-click context-menu activity, especially if a number of installed apps use the context menu, means avast has to check each such application before you can make a choice, typically several seconds.

My local independent ISP has a generous 50 GB/mo. cap, of which I'm typically using 3-5 gigs (I'm not into video streaming or similar heavy usage).  A couple of days ago I switched to a wireless router so my wife
could also have internet access, plus my son hooks into that with his laptop, but I can't see using more than double what I am now.

Sorry for the rambling, but hopefully you can pick some useful info out of it.
Intel Atom D2700, 2 gig RAM, Win 7 x64 SP1 & IE-11, Firefox 51.0
(default). 320 gig HD, 15Mb DSL, Win firewall, Avast 12.3.2280 free, SpywareBlaster, MBAM Prem., Crypto-Prevent

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2011, 10:19:56 PM »
Well that actually has nothing to do with bandwidth 'usage,' but lowered bandwith.

I honestly don't see how the two correlate as disabling the web shield doesn't disable the routing through the web shield proxy, it just doesn't scan the http content. So disabled or enabled it still goes through the proxy.

I have never seen an appreciable difference with the web shield enabled or disabled and on occasion the connection speed appeared to be faster. This whilst I was on dial-up and when I got broadband, my current broadband is quite fast and that doesn't suffer. It has been acknowledged that those with very fast broadband (in excess of 50Mbps) are likely to see a slow down in connection/download speed. See image examples of my two speed checks at the start of this years, the last time I checked (with the web shield enabled) and these are the fastest I have managed with or without the web shield enabled. I have theoretical maximum of 40Mbps and this will be unlikely ever to be attained.

So there is likely to be something else in the mix, what other security applications do you have installed ?

What is your firewall ?

Have (or did) you another Anti-Virus installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?

Edit: just did another test with the web shield enabled (top) and with it stopped (bottom) and in this case there is a difference but it is marginally faster in favour of the web shield when enabled.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2011, 10:30:54 PM by DavidR »
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

CTFlyer

  • Guest
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2011, 10:36:57 PM »
Sorry for the rambling, but hopefully you can pick some useful info out of it.

Not at all! I'm all ears to any suggestions, it's driving me nuts! Thanks for the input, but even with nothing running except firefox, after a reboot, the problem persists. I also uninstalled Outpost, just to see, but the speed problem remains the same.

I'm just watching a youtube video now, with webshield you have to really buffer it for a long time. Without webshield it starts playing immediately and runs smoothly to the end.

CTFlyer

  • Guest
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2011, 10:43:52 PM »
So there is likely to be something else in the mix, what other security applications do you have installed ?

What is your firewall ?

Have (or did) you another Anti-Virus installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?

Thanks for your reply. The only security apps I have installed are avast! and outpost firewall. This is on a fresh install of XP (thought I'd try avast this time). The only thing that was there before that I disabled is the windows firewall.

Tonight all I did was get rid of outpost temporarily to test. No change.

I'm going to do some tests on speedtest.net and will post my findings shortly. Thanks again.

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #11 on: August 07, 2011, 11:14:27 PM »
As you can see from my signature I have XP Pro SP3, Outpost Firewall Pro and generally they are of no problem.

I don't know if by "get rid of outpost temporarily to test" means uninstalling it or disabling it, which doesn't completely stop its filtering.

You missed this question and possibly one of the most crucial:
Have (or did) you another Anti-Virus installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline Cast

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 302
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #12 on: August 07, 2011, 11:37:03 PM »
Have (or did) you another Anti-Virus installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?

Already answered that question with:
"This is on a fresh install of XP (thought I'd try avast this time). The only thing that was there before that I disabled is the windows firewall"

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: high bandwidth usage
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2011, 12:33:52 AM »
OK, not reading between the lines too well tonight ;D

When you installed the outpost firewall did you install it in compatibility mode ?
As during the install it should detect avast and seek confirmation that you did install it. This should stop it having the Web Control and Anti-spyware modules enabled.

During the installation process, Outpost would have you exclude its folder from avast scans, I don't feel that is required, if outpost is running in its compatibility mode with no anti-spyware and no web control modules running.

Personally other than a single file exclusion I don't believe you need exclude the Outpost folder, I haven't in all of the time that I have been using avast and outpost together and that is many years.

This is the file and path that I have in the File System Shield, Expert Settings, Exclusions section, C:\Program Files\Agnitum\Outpost Firewall Pro\wl_hook.dll (easiest it to copy and paste this full path). This file is as its name implies a hooking tool that outpost uses to monitor activity also and is the only file where I ever had any issue with avast.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security