need help with bandwidth problems

[user8336]

Hello, I could really use some help. I installed avast! Home Edition v4.7.1098 (free version) yesterday and noticed my bandwidth significantly reduced after it was up and running. I looked at the forums for some info and tried all the web shield tricks, first turning it off and then disabling it completely, but the problem continued. After some reboots and renewing my IP address with no improvement, I decided to uninstall avast! to see if that would fix it. Unfortunately it didn't. But now when I renew my address I get my bandwidth back for maybe about an hour and then it suddenly goes back down to an average 10KB to 20/sec. again. Sometimes it creeps up around 40KB after a while but then drops back down again. Downloads also seem to pause every now and then, but the connection is not broken (this is what happens when downloading with my browser, not running any other programs). Web pages take a while to load and sometimes hang and never finish loading. Sometimes they load and say done but some smaller images are missing.

For bittorrent connections the speed is a little faster, but also seems a lot slower then usual. I have not been running bt and my browser/net at the same time.

I found the online uninstaller to remove everything but unfortunately I had already manually deleted the default install path folder so I couldn't use it.

I'm pretty sure the behavior was caused by the avast! install but at this point I don't know what else to do to get my bandwidth back. Any input and ideas to help solve this problem would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

normal bandwidth: dsl 310KB/sec down 35KB/sec up
now: average 10KB to 20/sec sometimes up to 40+ down (up?? I don't know)
Running Windows XP home (all patches, up to date) using Firefox browser (latest version)
Outpost firewall v4.0.971.7030
No other av installed

[DavidR]

avast 'doesn't' change your connection settings and as you say having uninstalled it you are still experiencing the problem I can only think that it was coincidental.

However, have (or did) you another AV installed in this system, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?

What other security based software do you have that might have an effect ?

Whilst I don't think it will be an issue, but your copy of Outpost Firewall Pro is dated, my copy is Outpost Firewall Pro ver. 4.0.1025.7828 (700). I am however, holding back on Outpost Firewall 2008 (even though I have a lifetime upgrade license), it is just too new and fome on the outpostfirewall.com forum are experiencing some issues.

What of the outpost plug-ins are you using (I only use Attack Detection and DNS Cache) ?

[user8336]

Hi and thank you for your fast response. It looks like your right about it just being a coincidence. I think soon after I installed avast! someone at my ISP fell asleep at the wheel and there was some problem there. My bandwidth soon returned to normal (in fact it’s even a little bit higher now!). I installed avast! again and there’s no slowdown at all. After tweaking some settings everything it working great together.

Your right about the old Outpost version. My updates subscription expired and I’m too poor to renew them. I’ll probably stick with Outpost, I like it, but I’m also always open to new ideas.

I use the attack detection, anti-spyware, ads and active content plug-in. The ad blocking is off though (but not disabled) because I find Firefox’s ad-block plus plug-in works a little better. The antispyware hasn’t been updated for a long time, but still monitors and alerts me of some system changes I may be interested in knowing about, and I use the 'block private data transfer' option within it too.

Thanks again for your help and sorry about the mix-up.

[DavidR]

No problem, glad I could help.

Welcome to the forums.