Avast 5 WebShield slowing down your web surfing?

[Correlor]

My experience with Avast 4.8 and 5.0 have learned me that the slowdown of web surfing only occurs with Flash based speed tests in combination with processor capacity (a faster computer suffers less from the slowdown). Java based tests (www.numion.com) seem  not be affected (or less). Normal downloading of files does not suffer a slowdown on my computers. Anyway, unchecking Intelligent Stream Scanning almost always speed up the Flash based speed tests.

Cor

[Spulci]

I'm experiencing slow web surfing (Firefox 3.6) and bandwidth problems (most of them with Skype 4.2.0.155) with AIS 5.0.462 on Amd Phenom II X4 3ghz system; lan Adapter is an onboard Marvell Yukon Chipset 88E8056 usign Marvel driver 11.23.3.3; OS is Vista X64 Ultimate edition.

About the Skype problem, you may know that Skype can show call parameters during a phone call (skype-to-skype phone call). With Webshield activated, I observe an high percentage of outgoing packet loss (variable to 5 from 15%). Deactivating Web Shield, packet loss is quite normal (from 0 to 2%).

I made this test several times on my 4mbit ADSL connection; I suspect that this packet loosing is due to the Web Shield, in particular I think that Web Shield introduces an higher latency time that is too high for udp connections.

About the slow web navigation, I can experience in Firefox some strange slowdown randomly with different target pages. Flow is normal deactivating web shields.

I've got Windows Firewall service deactivated by default on my system and I'm mostly using my PC in power save mode (Phenom II clocked at 800mhz instead of 3ghz). Dpc Latency checker states 120 nu-sec latency time during idle.

Please let me know if you need more detailed information or tests.

Simon

[CoBfan1987]

I don't seem to notice too much of a difference with anything from webshield logically slowing down my internet.

I ran 5 test in this order.

Web Shield Fully Running



Web Shield Completely Off



Web Shield Fully Running



Scan Web (HTTP) Traffic unchecked



Web Shield Fully Running



It could mean something or maybe not. I'm not sure. The results are inconsistent and I know Comcast can be a junk service sometimes.

I'm running an Intel Cor2 Duo T8300 @ 2.4GHz, 4.00GB RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium

[Vock]

There is a thread in the German Avast Forum as well about this. There one user stated (and it was confirmed by another one), that switching off the "Intelligent Stream Scans" (under the advanced options of the webshield) had solved their problem - speed back to normal.
It is nevertheless strange to see the apparently different results on the various systems. On my system I can not measure any speed differences besides normal tolerances, neither any significant CPU load. Avast works absolutely fine here for me - hardy recognizable that there is something in the background monitoring all my traffic, files etc.

[bobobo]

Hi. I upgraded from v4.8 to 5.0 yesterday and was virtually unable to connect to the internet afterwards. I disabled the Web Shield this morning and browsing is back to normal. Unchecking the "Scan web (HTTP) traffic" box did NOT fix the problem.

Most likely, a firewall is blocking AvastSvc.exe process from accessing the Internet then...

I don't think so. I'm using Online Armor firewall and I have Alwil software excluded.

[YoKenny]

@ bobobo

Ask yourself why am I having a problem and many others are not. 

Could be your ISP connection type as in DSL vs cable.

Maybe your system specifications would help as well.

[bobobo]

@ bobobo

Ask yourself why am I having a problem and many others are not.  

Could be your ISP connection type as in DSL vs cable.

Maybe your system specifications would help as well.

I thought the idea of a forum was to share problems and seek advice from others. I've never had a problem with Avast until upgrading yesterday, and if it was obvious what the problem was I wouldn't be asking for help here. Stupid me for thinking others were having similar problems in a thread entitled "Avast 5 WebShield slowing down your web surfing?"

In answer to your question above - Ii's probably because you are an arrogant, supercilious prick.


Sorry - I think I mis-understood the tone of your message & over-reacted. Please accept my apologies.

[sded]

How did you do the upgrade from 4.8 to 5.0?  There have been some reports in the past of needing to do it in two phases, in spite of it usually working with just the 5.0 installer.  Suggest you try the following:

Uninstall current avast! version with add/remove programs
reboot
run the avast! uninstaller in the sticky on this forum
reboot
reinstall 5.0.462

BTW, I also use OA along with Avast! 5, with Avast! excluded in OA, and that seems to work fine.  Did you exclude the whole avast! 5 folder and subfolders?

[bobobo]

How did you do the upgrade from 4.8 to 5.0?  There have been some reports in the past of needing to do it in two phases, in spite of it usually working with just the 5.0 installer.  Suggest you try the following:

Uninstall current avast! version with add/remove programs
reboot
run the avast! uninstaller in the sticky on this forum
reboot
reinstall 5.0.462

BTW, I also use OA along with Avast! 5, with Avast! excluded in OA, and that seems to work fine.  Did you exclude the whole avast! 5 folder and subfolders?

Thank you for the suggestion. I will try that tomorrow (it's nearly midnight here) and let you know how I get on. Appreciated!

[Arup]

In my case, if I have an issue while others don't, introspection is must. Many times it would be firewalls who are biggest culprits of blocking services and web. Someone told me that Avast doesn't work under XPx64 and it gives error on boot up, I went out and installed XPx64 and Avast 5 on three different machines, one a dual XEON, one a AMD Phenom-II and one an ancient AMD dual core and none gave me any errors whatsoever so that means, its something wrong with his Windows install or some other layer of software thats in the system.

[mkis]

Hi. I upgraded from v4.8 to 5.0 yesterday and was virtually unable to connect to the internet afterwards. I disabled the Web Shield this morning and browsing is back to normal. Unchecking the "Scan web (HTTP) traffic" box did NOT fix the problem.

Most likely, a firewall is blocking AvastSvc.exe process from accessing the Internet then...

I don't think so. I'm using Online Armor firewall and I have Alwil software excluded.

you dont need to exclude avast in OA firewall - you need to have avast set as Trusted

You can exclude OA in avast program settings if you want, as a good sense policy - I dont see the purpose, cos i wear pants with a belt, so I dont need braces as well - but serious, exclude OA in avast if you want because that should help to re-inforce yr program settings and might seat better yr layered defence.

As a rule I dont use exclusions, except in the case that I might want to make use of some weirdo program that no-one else would want to run.

Edit - or use exclusions when running tests of various sorts is often recommended procedure 

[bobobo]

@ bobobo

Ask yourself why am I having a problem and many others are not. 

Could be your ISP connection type as in DSL vs cable.

Maybe your system specifications would help as well.

Sorry - I think I mis-understood the tone of your message & over-reacted. Please accept my apologies.

[YoKenny]

@ bobobo

Ask yourself why am I having a problem and many others are not. 

Could be your ISP connection type as in DSL vs cable.

Maybe your system specifications would help as well.

Sorry - I think I mis-understood the tone of your message & over-reacted. Please accept my apologies.

Apologies accepted.

[gdiloren]

I don't need to exclude anything with Avira paid version. Why should we with Avast 5? So complicated to make it run on a pc, no kidding!!! Most people can't spend too much time on an AV. I'm sad for Avast for this.

[DavidR]

Well I don't have to exclude anything either as I would suggest the case for the very greatest majority of avast users.