avast! backround bandwidth usage

[Johny1616]

Closing the GUI does help sometimes. However, avast! will kick up again when I start to intensely use the internet. It seems, whenever I start something (youtube clip, file download, etc) avast! has to finish downloading and scanning before moving on (of course, I don't get the file)
As for testing, I performed two more tests recently, and both showed even less free bandwidth. I also tried the cnet (speed test) version as well. It only downloaded at 56kb.
When I uninstalled avast!, everything worked fine (uninstalling of course removing the whole program, so, not chance of retirement services or processes). I got full speed, but, the idea of having no AV was rather disconcerting. However, if there is a difference in effect between uninstalling and disabling the service, I'd still be interested to try it out.
However, as of now, most of the time it's fine. It still is an issue however it it kicks up--as I have no idea when it will stop. For example, right now I'm downloading at full speed. However, I'm not sure when/if avast! will begin to act up.

P.S. In reference to telling avast! if I have a permanent connection (as opposed to dial-up), checking that I connect via dial-up seems to help some more as well. I just tried selecting them both, and I'll report back sometime as to the results.

[ady4um]

The "visual" effect of avast using bandwidth when you use some "heavy load" site is probably more related to avast scanning the traffic, so it "seams" as if avast was the one using the bandwidth.

You might try disabling the shields not needed. For example, if you don't use P2P apps (which usually use "as much bandwidth as they can, unless configured differently"), then permanently disable the P2P shield. Or if all your email is web based, you can disable the mail shield. You get the point. But, I don't know if disabling unnecessary shields would affect your bandwidth usage. Just be aware to (un)check the specific necessary settings so it won't restart after the next reboot (and the respective "status bar" setting).

[Johny1616]

I do agree there is lots of scanning activity, but I still get strange activity. For example:

This is using all my bandwidth. I didn't even have a browser open when I took that. Who in the world is Hurricane Electric, and why does AvastSvc.exe like it so much?
In reference to the shields, there is no effect unless I disable them all.

[Rixuel]

First, when you have avast main GUI open, you might be using "some" bandwidth.

Sorry but  when  you disconnect from the internet, you can still access the avast GUI. So there is a way to use Avast without consumming bandwidth.

[saifeddine006]

Hey Johnny I have the soulition for your situation
in fact Avastsvc.exe as someone said it's role is scanning the traffic that's why it look like that it's taking all the bandwidth and if you look carefully you will notice that if you calculate all the process bandwidth = avastsvc.exe bandwidth
But your probleme as i understand that it keep downloading even if you stop all the programs that need an internet and the soulition is that you have to do the following open Avast GUI==> Cloud services ==> unchek "enable streaming updates"
and then you will not have any avastsvc.exe network activities
Please give us a feed back if that resolve the probleme.
Sorry I am tunisian and English is the Third language here so maybe you will find that i made some mistakes hhh or maybe lot of it...

[DavidR]

Streaming updates are negligible (typically a few KBs) and are even smaller than the incremental virus definitions updates. So I would recommend you disregard the suggestion to disable them.

Just check and see if you have any *_stream updates in the avast defs folder and you will see how small they are.

[Jackyah333]

Hi, I use NetLimiter 3 on my PC, which tells you exactly what programs on your PC uses how much uploading and downloading bandwidth per hour, day, month. According to this, Avast downloads an average of 7 GB per month and uploads an average of 2.5 GB per month. That is my total cap for the month. I have submitted a ticket to support and are awaiting their reply on how to solve this problem. Will let you know if I find a solution. There is no way I can run a anti-virus program that needs my whole cap just to protect me, if that's the case, I will have to look elsewhere.
Btw, I have also have a problem with downloading speeds being next to nothing (while my speed tester shows I'm supposed to have much higher download speeds), and never considered that Avast could be reason, interesting thought, would be worthwhile to test...

[Asyn]

According to this, Avast downloads an average of 7 GB per month and uploads an average of 2.5 GB per month. That is my total cap for the month.

That's all your web traffic, because avast! acts as a local proxy..!!
So all traffic from your browser(s) and mail client is included.

[lukor]

Hi, I use NetLimiter 3 on my PC, which tells you exactly what programs on your PC uses how much uploading and downloading bandwidth per hour, day, month. According to this, Avast downloads an average of 7 GB per month and uploads an average of 2.5 GB per month.

As Asyn said, and I also mentioned above: every byte you download with your browser would be counted to avastsvc.exe


I don't know how are things for the original poster - where he seems to notice some speed degradation meaning there might be actually some traffic from avast, but in your case it really seems you are just using some numbers you don't understand.

[Jackyah333]

Thank you Asyn and Lukor, I have also had a reply from avast! support confirming what you said:

"avast! is rerouting all http traffic through it's Web Shield so it seems that is using all traffic. This means that all the web pages (including pictures) or streamed videos (as a youtube) are downloaded into avast! first, scanned and then sent to your web browser. You can stop this if you will disable your Webshield or avast! real-time shields."

So it's back to NetLimiter 3 it seems - even though their totals for my monthly usage is 100% correct, when you start adding up the individual applications totals per month, the figures don't add up at all, and even if I remove avast!'s usage from the equation, the totals still don't add up. How do I find out what avast! actually use in bandwidth?

[Lisandro]

How do I find out what avast! actually use in bandwidth?

You need to see avastUI.exe (the interface, remote content and other features) and avast.setup (updates/upgrades) bandwidth.

[Asyn]

Thank you Asyn and Lukor, I have also had a reply from avast! support confirming what you said:

You're welcome.

[AntiVirusASeT]

@Johny1616: please remove ur link from post 17!  malicious URL detected!.

evidence: http://www.avast.com/lp-security-information-fp2?p_ext=&utm_campaign=Virus_alert&utm_source=prg_fav_70_0&utm_medium=prg_systray&utm_content=.%2Ffa%2Fen-ww%2Fvirus-alert-challenger2&p_vir=URL:Mal&p_prc=C:\Users\OWNER\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe&p_obj=http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36045434/avast!/Hurricane%20Electric.JPG&p_var=.%2Ffa%2Fen-ww%2Fvirus-alert-default2&p_pro=0&p_vep=7&p_ves=0&p_lqa=0&p_lsu=24&p_lst=0&p_lex=350&p_lng=en&p_lid=en-ww&p_elm=7&p_vbd=1426

someone check if it is fp?