4.5.523 timeout problems

[phydeux]

I've been noticing over the last 24 hours that I'm occassionally seeing internet connection timeout errors when I'm running P2P software.  I'll see anywhere from 6 to 20 messages and then it just stops having problems.

I never had this trouble with 4.1, any idea what's causing this?

[Eddy]

What version of Avast? (home/pro)
What os?
Do you have the p2p provider enabled?

[phydeux]

Home 4.5.523

XP Pro

P2P Provider doesn't matter, happens on or off.

Also running ProtoWall to filter out govt. agencies, problem sites, and spyware.

[Vlk]

Are you sure it's a message from a P2P app? Isn't the message coming the avast mail scanner? Can you post a screenshot?

Thx
Vlk

[phydeux]

No need, Wanchan already posted screenshot of the same prompt.

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=8833

Besides, I'd KNOW if it was a message from my P2P app (eDonkey2000), it would show up within the program.  It wouldn't show up as a message from Avast.  

I've also been able to determine that its neither ProtoWall or eDonkey2000.  Its actually Valve's Steam client!

I just had reboot for an unrelated issue and started each program I was running prior to the reboot one at a time.  When I started Steam the connection failures in Avast started.  I'm wondering what ports/protocols Avast uses.

Steam uses 1200, and a few in the 27000-27039 range.

[Vlk]

This is definitely coming from the avast mail scanner. So it must be a pop3/smtp/imap4 communication (ports 110/25/143).

Besides, you should see a new tray icon with a tiny police icon in it. That's the avast mail scanner. If you move your mouse over it, it should show the IP address it's connected to.

Cheers
Vlk

[phydeux]

I disable all tray icons but the "A" icon.  I want as little stuff there as possible.  But this is happening even when Outlook isn't running or even in memory.

[edit]  Oh, and I've noticed that it is still happening with Steam closed.     So I'm back to thinking its eDonkey/ProtoWall associated.  But I never run one without the other.

[Vlk]

Sure, this has nothing to do with Outlook. Any program can send/receive emails (or more specifically, connect to ports 25/110/143).

You can use e.g. TcpView from www.sysinternals.com to find out which process is connecting (I recommend shutting down the avast Internet Mail provider as otherwise, it will be redirecting the traffic).

[phydeux]

Tried your tip, but I'm not seeing any activity on ports below 1000 with the Avast mail plugins disabled.   And most of the eD2k activity is on the ports assigned to them in the program itself.

When I enabled the Internet Mail plugin I see it using the pop3 protocol, but it doesn't trigger any connection problems.

When I enabled the Outlook/Exchange plugin I see activity from Ashmail on 2985 that goes away if I respond "no" to the timeout message.  So I believe that's the root of my issue.  But I don't see why Avast would be using 2985, as its not an open port in my firewall, and not a port I would anticipate needing to open.

Opening that port seems to have resolved the problem.  [edit]  That only helped temporarily, the port it has conflicts on seems to change.

Also, I'm seeing a connection from Ashmail to a dial-up user on shawcable.net.  Any idea why this would occur?

ashMaiSv.exe:3376   TCP   phydeux:3194   s01060004e2504e41.du.shawcable.net:pop3   ESTABLISHED   

[phydeux]

Anymore thoughts on this anyone?  Still getting this problem when eDonkey and ProtoWall are active.  Any thoughts as to how to stop it?