avast! backround bandwidth usage

[Johny1616]

Over the past several days, I've been noticing that my downloads, and general internet speed, has been slower (I have a 1mbps connection, so, any slowdown is need for correction). In order to determine why, I began to cut off all internet-using programs. Even with everything off, and no downloads running, almost all of my bandwidth was being used. Still confused, I looked at the Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor. It showed avast! as hogging the network. My first thought was "Avast is updating", but, after disabling the automatic updates, I was still being choked. Then, I thought of the real-time shields. I went through them all, and disabled/re enabled each to see the effect. However, I saw no change until I had disabled every single real-time shield. After this, avast!'s internet usage dropped to zero. I then tried a download, and it ran at full speed.
My question is, why do the real-time shields download? Is there any way I can stop them from doing so? I'd rather not have to switch to another anti-virus, nor to run without the real-time shields.
Thanks for any help with this.
Info:
avast! program version: 6.0.1289
Engine and Virus definitions: 111122-1
OS: Windows Vista 32bit
Internet: 1mbps

[ady4um]

Please first re-enable all your previous Avast's shields.

May I ask if you have a permanent connection to Internet? If so, try Avast main GUI -> settings -> Updates -> Update parameters -> enable "my computer is permanently connected to the internet".


Independently, IF the above is not enough...

Try Avast main GUI -> settings -> community -> disable "participate in avast community".

I don't know if this last setting is going to help, but testing it and undoing the change is simple enough. Please test first the first suggestion if it is adequate for your system, and test it independently from this second possibility.

Please report back.

[Johny1616]

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried them both, and I received the greatest benefit from your first suggestion(telling avast! I was always connected [which I am]). While it did not remove the issue I was having, it did reduce it. Instead of constantly taking up all my bandwidth, avast! began to share with my download. Even then, avast! reserved a fourth of my capacity for itself. Sometimes however, avast! will not interfere at all. In either case, its a big improvement over before (Interestingly enough, according to the Reliability and Performance Monitor, avast! is still taking up half of my bandwidth). The option for participation in the avast! community doesn't seem to affect much.

[ady4um]

OK, first, set back the community option to the previous state (as you said it is not having any impact), but of course leave the first setting (permanent connection) as you have it now.

A couple of tests I would like from you to perform and report back.

Close the main GUI of Avast to the tray icon (not minimize and not opened). Also completely close any program that needs connection to any kind of network (including to Internet). This means not only to minimize (and not even to the tray area), but completely close any email client or email notifier, bandwith checkers, web browsers, ftp, P2P programs, games, ... In short, no program should be active in any way, except the minimum for the OS to work, the network connection enabled, and Avast (in the tray).

In such situation (almost no bandwith used), is Avast still using bandwith?

The point of this test is to confirm if Avast is really using your bandwith, or in fact it was checking (scanning) other services (email, web browsers, and so on).

When Avast has the web shield enabled, it will scan all http traffic, so "anything" using http is going to be seen as being "used" by avastsvc.exe. This is only because Avast is protecting your http traffic, and not really "using" it.

So, if the test behaves as expected, and the other descriptions I just wrote are too, then you have nothing to worry about, and nothing to do. In such case, Avast is not really "using" your bandwidth, but scanning your traffic.

I hope I was clear.

[Johny1616]

Sorry for the late replay, but, suffice to say, Happy Thanksgiving
I did as you asked and found out some interesting patterns. I restarted my computer to start fresh, and cut off all he internet-using programs (avast! still in the tray). At this point, avast! wasn't using any bandwidth at all. However, as soon as I started a download, avast! started hogging again. Even after I closed the download (I killed the process, just to be sure) avast! was using all my available bandwidth.
After a few variations, I found that avast! started using the internet intensely once I ran a internet-using program that required around 50kB/s. Once I started a program that required that much, avast! would kick in and begin using all the bandwidth it could.
Throughout all these instances, disabling the real-time shields would stop this hogging within a few minutes. I'm going to try starting a download, then turn the real-time shields back on. I'll edit this post when those results.
Thanks again for all your help. You have been very clear throughout it all.

[ady4um]

Which exact "name" is showing as been using your bandwidth? I mean the exact process, or exact name of the file (probably an exe file)?

[Johny1616]

It is indeed a .exe "AvastSvc.exe" It usually has one or more of these running (and using bandwidth). It also seems that this process is using my upload as well as download. I took the below image within 10 seconds of opening the Reliability and Performance monitor. This was with no other programs using the internet (Family-computer is my computer's network name).

I sent a ping and trace-route to all the addresses it listed (I know I needn't send it to all, but, why not).
http://db.tt/PO6SO57r

[lukor]

Are you aware of the act that Webshield as an example and some other shields as well work like localhost proxies so all traffic (web browsing in case of webshield ) goes via AvastSvc.exe. Of course without consuming any bandwidth!. Maybe this is something trivial, but are you sure you were excluding are traffic inside your computer (such as those where there is localhost or only the ip of your pc involved) and were counting only those connections actually leaving your network adapter?

[Johny1616]

I do agree that there is alot of internal activity (122, and Family-computer), but, my LAN speed is 24mbps (I can increase to 54mbps if needed), so, 1mbps of activity shouldn't interfere. However, there was still external activity. The 74.125.96.170 address does provide about 12 hops when I did a traceroute. And the addresses listed change every once and awhile, and I haven't done traceroutes on all of them yet. However, yes, there is alot of internal activity as well (but that doesn't bother me).

[Johny1616]

I still haven't found any way to solve the issue. Currently, I've had to uninstall avast! in order to use the internet   . If anyone has any more suggestions, I'd love to try them out.

In addition, several more addresses were being used by avast! (AvastSvc.exe). I traced them, and they were mostly external. Just to make sure, I checked my router log and it showed traffic going to/coming from those addresses.

[Rixuel]

Did you try

Settings -> Popups -> unchecked "Show monthly security reports"

?

[Johny1616]

I reinstalled and tried your suggestion (and the already mentioned ones). Surprisingly, it helped lessen the amount of used bandwidth some more (not sure why though  ). I've been running it as such most of the day now, and, I haven't noticed avast! hogging as much (although it still does [with spikes of usage every once and awhile]). Unfortunately, with my low amount of bandwidth, any program that uses it makes a dent.

[ady4um]

If you are in a dial up, or in a permanent Internet connection, each of those has respective settings in Avast that may help you.

Avast main GUI -> Settings -> updates -> Update parameters

Then either use

A: "I only connect to the Internet using a dial up modem"

or

B: "My computer is permanently connected to the Internet".

[Johny1616]

I have tried both per your earlier suggesting. They both help, with the selection of a permanent connection being the best of either. However, it hardly reduces the amount of bandwidth used.
When I reinstalled avast! it came with an offer for 20 days free upgrade. I took it, and it's been insightful. I cut off all the internet using programs, and checked with the avast! connections list to see what was using the internet:

Since I had no other internet-requiring programs running, I'm sure that this activity isn't a proxy. Furthermore, pldt is my ISP. Since I took that image, the usage has remained (with the exception of upload [speed out] doubling). While this activity wouldn't bother most, it does hamper me. A 120KB down and 55KB up connection can't handle this constant usage. When performing speed tests (on speedtest.net) avast! does relinquish some. However, my best connection is now such:

Any further help is still appreciated and welcome.

[ady4um]

First, when you have avast main GUI open, you might be using "some" bandwidth. So for you to check in speednet (or other alternative sites), avast should be in the tray only.

About the dial up / permanent connection settings. I'm not sure if both can (or should) be used simultaneously. It is not very common to find someone using some dial up modem and simultaneously permanently connected (although I'm sure we can find someone here in avast forum that did / does). Anyway, maybe you could try both settings at the same time.

About testing the speed, you should perform more than one test, several times, in different hours of the day. You may also find that some other program is checking some update just when you were testing (Windows update, Windows Defender, Adobe, Java...).

Finally, most (if not all) of the traffic could be shown as coming from avast, as it is scanning it. One *possible* (but not certain) way to test this is to completely stop avast service from the "autostart" status to a "stop/none" (not even "manual") status. Then reboot. Check that no avast related service nor processes are running and in that condition, test your bandwidth (you would be unprotected though). Then turn back to your normal situation ("autostart") and reboot again (so to be protected).