Has anyone heard yet??

[Chim]

I told you it wouldn't take long

A friend downloaded Windows XP SP3 (service pack) 316MB it took a little over an hour her broadband isn't fast but compared to dial-up would have taken about 21 hours on mine, assuming I could remain connected for 21 hours.

Until tomorrow.

I knew I wouldn't be able to wait until Friday.  So, I dove into the avast! Uninstall / Reinstall project.  avast! 4.8.1229 is now Cleanly installed in my computer from scratch.  The WikiWeb Test has been run.  Yep, a Test more Powerful ... more DREADED by Browsers and Web Shields than the Acid 2 Test.  That's right --- the Wikipedia / Wiktionary / Webster Online Dictionary Test.

I had hoped that the 3rd Time was gonna be the Charm.
But -------------- It wasn't meant to be.
3rd verse ... Same as the 1st.
The Web Shield is still NOT functioning properly with my Opera.

Is it possible that with a 733 MHz Celeron Processor, my computer is just plain ole Too Slow and Underpowered to be able to deal with the scenic route detour of the Net Traffic going over to the avast! Servers before eventually making it to my computer?

[rdmaloyjr]

I took your "WikiWeb Test" on my XP SP3 system with Opera 9.51.  It passed easily.  I guess you need to get a modern OS & computer.

[alanrf]

Is it possible that with a 733 MHz Celeron Processor, my computer is just plain ole Too Slow and Underpowered to be able to deal with the scenic route detour of the Net Traffic going over to the avast! Servers before eventually making it to my computer?

The net traffic goes nowhere near any avast servers - it is scanned (if you have set the proxy up to do so) by avast all inside your machine as it arrives from your ISP.

[Chim]

Is it possible that with a 733 MHz Celeron Processor, my computer is just plain ole Too Slow and Underpowered to be able to deal with the scenic route detour of the Net Traffic going over to the avast! Servers before eventually making it to my computer?

The net traffic goes nowhere near any avast servers - it is scanned (if you have set the proxy up to do so) by avast all inside your machine as it arrives from your ISP.

Are you sure about that?  I always thought / understood that the difference between the Standard Shield and the Web Shield was that the Web Shield checked all the Net Traffic and intercepted any Malware way before it made it remotely near your computer.  This while the Standard Shield was checking for Malware already THERE in your computer's doorstep.  I don't know.  Even when I read the explanation below, it's still a bit eye-glazingly cloudy and confusing-esque.     Depending on how I read the material below, I still interpret that the Net Traffic goes elsewhere other than your computer.  I mean, they do mention Web Servers.

http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=19

You want to take an in a Nutshell, can't miss, foolproof shot at explaining the difference between the Web Shield and the Standard Shield?

[Chim]

I took your "WikiWeb Test" on my XP SP3 system with Opera 9.51.  It passed easily.  I guess you need to get a modern OS & computer.

Either that or another Hampster to replace the tired one that's running in that Hampster Wheel inside my Tower that powers my system.  Actually, I still contend that there's also a high probability that it could be my Super SLOW AOL Dial Up connection that's the culprit.  Where I used to live before, my AOL consistently connected at 44.4 KB/Sec.  Where I live now, my AOL connects at between 26.4 to 28.8 KB/Sec.  And it's NOT really a Bad Noisy Line.  Some friends' AOL miles away also connects at that same pathetic rate.  So, it's unfortunately the Norm AOL Connection rate around here.  So, conceivably when the Web Shield is enabled and put in the picture, the pathetic slow connection rate is just NOT high enough to overcome an added factor in the equation.

Or I could be way off.  Either way, I give up.  avast! is welcome to look into this.  But, since I'm the only one in the entire universe for whom the FIX Update didn't work, the Bug is probably officially considered Fixed.

Ehhh, the way I see it, today's experiment wasn't a total loss.  I HAD wanted to download the Newest version and get it Burned on my CD.  And now that's DUN.  And I did it without having to waste 2½ hours.

[alanrf]

The information I gave you is 100% correct.

To quote from your link:

It’s implemented as a HTTP proxy running on your PC.

The only time you ever have any contact with an avast server is to get VPS updates, program updates or access this forum.

None of your traffic be it email, web traffic or network traffic is ever routed via an avast server. 

Standard shield: scans files accesses on your computers file system
Webshield: scans the returned stream from http (of approved browser - list of approved browsers determined by avast) accesses you make to web servers out in the net 

[DavidR]

<snip>

The net traffic goes nowhere near any avast servers - it is scanned (if you have set the proxy up to do so) by avast all inside your machine as it arrives from your ISP.

<snip>
You want to take an in a Nutshell, can't miss, foolproof shot at explaining the difference between the Web Shield and the Standard Shield?

Any activity on the internet is outside your system and as such wouldn't have any effect on your system as it isn't using your resources but those on the internet servers.

Only traffic that is entering your system using the http port 80 is scanned by the web shield, before being saved in your browser cache (or HDD if it is a download) so you can view it in your browser. This and only this puts a load on your system resources, ram, hdd and cpu.

You have don a lot of searching on the support.avast.com site, when you could have started with the avast help file (Resident Protection section) for a description of what the web shield does and how that compares with the standard shield.

[nightshade]

Chim,

Have you ever thought of ditching Opera and use Firefox?

I even received an update to Firefox version 15 the other day, and now have version 2.16, the update was for security reasons.

It works fine on Windows 98, the reason why I mention it to you.

You may even find that your web problems are fixed when using Firefox, by all means give it a try.

If you are interested in Firefox then download version 2 only as version 3, well guess what, doesn't work on 98.

Later tonight I will test these sites you have problems with, can you post the links to them here, so I will have access to the exact pages you yourself have a problem with, and I will let you know how I get on, being that I use Firefox.

[Chim]

Chim,

Have you ever thought of ditching Opera and use Firefox?

I even received an update to Firefox version 15 the other day, and now have version 2.16, the update was for security reasons.

It works fine on Windows 98, the reason why I mention it to you.

You may even find that your web problems are fixed when using Firefox, by all means give it a try.

If you are interested in Firefox then download version 2 only as version 3, well guess what, doesn't work on 98.

Later tonight I will test these sites you have problems with, can you post the links to them here, so I will have access to the exact pages you yourself have a problem with, and I will let you know how I get on, being that I use Firefox.

   Heh Heh Heh!  I actually tried Firefox 2.0.0.14 for about 2 weeks BEFORE I ever tried Opera.  It had potential for a while.  I really thought I WAS gonna have a use for it, that it WOULD have its niche.  But, real quickly, it fell out of favor with me and wound up in my Browser Doghouse.     It had 2 extremely annoying habits.  It had a HUGE problem of NOT opening up Links / Pages on the 1st Shot.  It would start loading and after 3 seconds or slightly more, it would declare the task done when it was obviously BS and there was nothing there.  Then I'd try clicking again and it just wouldn't take.  It kept indicating - DONE!  I'd have to try multiple attempts at opening the Links / Pages on New Tab after New Tab ... New Window after New Window.  I'd Close and Reopen Firefox.  And / or I'd get nuclearly Peeved      and rapidly click about 10 to 15 times on the Link by the time Firefox would decide to get out of Browser Couch Potato mode and open up the page finally.
     The other Bad Habit was that after it already had me FUMING from the stunt above ... it then had the unmitigated gall to NOT display the pages in their entirety.  Sometimes it would take multiple Reloads before the pages were finally complete.

So, I remembered vaguely having seen Opera mentioned here and there in my Net Browsing sessions of Reviews of Software, Anti-Malware and such.  I Googled it and liked what I read.  I downloaded it and tried it.  My first 20 minutes with Opera were NOT very auspicious and I was probably seconds away from aborting that experiment.  But, luckily I took a break and afterwards things started to click.  Opera 9.27 was virtually perfect.  It easily neutralized all the aforementioned Firefox inadequacies.  Needless to say --- I Ditched / Kicked Firefox to the Curb.  I still have it on my Desktop.  It's just benched ... 2nd String Quarterback with the Clipboard.    It is really Opera 9.50 and 9.51 with which I am having to exercise some patience and tolerance ... hopefully temporarily.  But, even with those 2 versions' Bugs, they're still better than Firefox ever was on MY Quirky system.  Nah!  I would never think about ditching Opera just because the avast! Web Shield doesn't work properly with it on MY computer.  I've never had Web Shield functionality, so I can't miss it.

As for the brutal WikiWeb Test that instills FEAR into Browsers?  Here are the URLs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Main_Page

http://www.merriam-webster.com/

On the Wikipedia and Wiktionary, pay close attention at the bottom where it has these "Wikipedia's sister projects" and "Other Wikimedia Projects" Icons.  With the Web Shield enabled, those are real easily the clincher.  They're always missing then.  But, other content can also be messed up or missing.

On the Webster site, that one is just basically usually some obvious, can't miss it - MESS.

But, it's really NOT just those sites that fail with the Web Shield enabled.  It's downright virtually almost ALL sites.  Those in my WikiWeb Test just happen to be the first 3 that I try as they're the first 3 on my Opera Personal Bar.  The WikiWeb Test is no doubt going to PASS on YOUR computer as it no doubt will PASS on everyone else's computers.  It's probably just a syndrome isolated to MY OLD Slow computer and AOSnaiL Dial Up connection.

[nightshade]

Chim,

I tried all 3 links you gave, and all 3 opened with no problems at all, that was using Firefox 2.0.0.16

Can't say anything about Opera as I don't use that browser, sorry.

nightshade

[Chim]

The net traffic goes nowhere near any avast servers - it is scanned (if you have set the proxy up to do so) by avast all inside your machine as it arrives from your ISP.

You want to take an in a Nutshell, can't miss, foolproof shot at explaining the difference between the Web Shield and the Standard Shield?

Any activity on the internet is outside your system and as such wouldn't have any effect on your system as it isn't using your resources but those on the internet servers.

Only traffic that is entering your system using the http port 80 is scanned by the web shield, before being saved in your browser cache (or HDD if it is a download) so you can view it in your browser. This and only this puts a load on your system resources, ram, hdd and cpu.

You have don a lot of searching on the support.avast.com site, when you could have started with the avast help file (Resident Protection section) for a description of what the web shield does and how that compares with the standard shield.

So where is this avast! Help File?
BTW, what in the wide world of perplexing paradoxes is a Proxy?  And what is a Transparent Proxy? Not having a clue as to what those are certainly doesn't help in me understanding a little bit better how these different avast! modules function.  My eyes glaze over like a couple of Glazed Doughnuts when I read "Proxy" somewhere.   

[Chim]

Chim,

I tried all 3 links you gave, and all 3 opened with no problems at all, that was using Firefox 2.0.0.16

Can't say anything about Opera as I don't use that browser, sorry.

nightshade

No Biggie.  I'm moving on.  I'm not going to worry about this.

[DavidR]

<snip>
So where is this avast! Help File?
<snip>

From the right click or menu or the F1 key in the simple user interface or Windows Programs, avast Antivirus, Help or directly C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ENGLISH\HELP\help.chm.

[rdmaloyjr]

  Actually, I still contend that there's also a high probability that it could be my Super SLOW AOL Dial Up connection that's the culprit.  Where I used to live before, my AOL consistently connected at 44.4 KB/Sec.  Where I live now, my AOL connects at between 26.4 to 28.8 KB/Sec.  And it's NOT really a Bad Noisy Line.  Some friends' AOL miles away also connects at that same pathetic rate.  So, it's unfortunately the Norm AOL Connection rate around here.  So, conceivably when the Web Shield is enabled and put in the picture, the pathetic slow connection rate is just NOT high enough to overcome an added factor in the equation.

If you're going to use dial-up, at least save some money with http://vtisp.com/

I've never used vtisp, but it's cheap.

$3.95 per month for 150 hours of access per month, if paying monthly
$39.95 (a $3.33/month rate) for 1 year of 150-hour-per-month access

[Chim]

<snip>
So where is this avast! Help File?
<snip>

From the right click or menu or the F1 key in the simple user interface or Windows Programs, avast Antivirus, Help or directly C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ENGLISH\HELP\help.chm.

Found it.  Thanks, David!