Avast messes with Network Connection

[RVS2]

Avast comes with a "Network Performance Scan" or something similar. After running this network check, I lost connection to 192.168.1.1.

About 10 days later my internet died and had to be reset by my internet provider.

I didn't realise avast did this, so after getting my internet back, I unsuspectingly ran that check again.

Presently lost connection to 192.

Finally uninstalled Avast.

Let's see how long before my internet dies.

 

[Alikhan]

This most likely is caused by the Home Network Security (soon to be called Wi-Fi Inspector in avast! 2017). This scans the router and attacks it to see vulnerabilities, default passwords etc. I haven't heard of it doing that before but that's what I think.

You can do a custom install and not install that component or just remove it from avast! settings from avast UI to test.

Home network security | Keep your home network safe

 

[RoboMan]

Hi @RVS2,

Normally i'd recommend some second-opinion scanner as everything may indicate malware or software incompatibility, but i've experienced the exact same thing you have. Started like two months ago, and after a clean format, it kept happening, until two days ago when i uninstalled the product. I tried to contact Avast Support but they couldn't fix it, so i'd recommend you submit a ticket because we may have a bug here.

 

[RVS2]

Hi @RVS2,

Normally i'd recommend some second-opinion scanner as everything may indicate malware or software incompatibility, but i've experienced the exact same thing you have. Started like two months ago, and after a clean format, it kept happening, until two days ago when i uninstalled the product. I tried to contact Avast Support but they couldn't fix it, so i'd recommend you submit a ticket because we may have a bug here.

Couldn't care less about Avast and submitting their bugs. Just uninstall and get Kaspersky.

 

[HarborFront]

Are you using the AV or IS version? Thanks

 

[RoboMan]

Couldn't care less about Avast and submitting their bugs. Just uninstall and get Kaspersky.

Well actually, AV vendors depend mostly on us to fix the products we use. So all help is welcome, since it would be no news you find a bug on Kaspersky's products if you look a little deep.

 

[RVS2]

Are you using the AV or IS version? Thanks

Free Version.

Well actually, AV vendors depend mostly on us to fix the products we use. So all help is welcome, since it would be no news you find a bug on Kaspersky's products if you look a little deep.

I understand your point. But I'm the consumer not the test group. Why would anyone waste time on such things? LOL

 

[RejZoR]

Couldn't care less about Avast and submitting their bugs. Just uninstall and get Kaspersky.

And when Kaspersky glitches out, the solution will be what? Couldn't care less about Kaspersky and install Bitdefender? And when Bitdefender goes haywire, then what? Every program will do something wrong at one point, are you just going to keep changing them forever?

 

[RoboMan]

I understand your point. But I'm the consumer not the test group. Why would anyone waste time on such things? LOL

Because we are part of the product

 

[RVS2]

And when Kaspersky glitches out, the solution will be what? Couldn't care less about Kaspersky and install Bitdefender? And when Bitdefender goes haywire, then what? Every program will do something wrong at one point, are you just going to keep changing them forever?

You answered your own question.

 

[mal1]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think Avast IS was behind my network problems 9 months ago too!
First, I thought the wifi driver was acting up so I updated it but this didn't fix the network issues. I was getting "unidentified network", "limited access" and sometimes "no internet access" at all! These problems persisted even after I uninstalled Avast. I tried to change TCP/IPv4 settings How-to Guide - How to solve Limited/No connectivity Problem which sometimes worked, but the "limited access" and "unidentified network" kept coming back.
In the end, only a clean format was able to fix the problem once and for all.


P.S. i still like Avast, and I may switch to Avast free after my ESET license expires

 

[RejZoR]

You answered your own question.

Or, if you I don't know, contact the right people, they'll fix it. Posting on avast! forums is a good way to do it and we'll forward the link to that thread to the devs.

As for avast! breaking connection to 192.168.1.1, this is a local IP range, meaning you can't technically "lose" connection to it, because 192.168.1.1 is essentially YOU. It's your local network IP, usually used by routers and/or modems. Considering I'm seeing more and more ISP's pushing their retarded limited control panels that have to be operated through ISP's account settings instead through browser-router directly, my hunch is leading me to this exact thing.

avast! is probing loads of exploitable addresses on router that could exploit it remotely. It is possible avast! doing a probe on your system/network triggered ISP's countermeasures and they terminated your access to "protect" you. Considering you had to contact them to "reset" it for you gives me indication this might be the case.

In which case it's not avast!'s "problem" per se, it's just an unfortunate chain of events that lead to this final issue and which cannot be resolved by avast! because it's how ISP treats probes. I can only suggest you remove Wi-Fi Inspector component from avast! to avoid getting your connection terminated by ISP in the future. Wi-Fi Inspector is not an essential protective component so you won't lose any other protection capabilities if you remove it because of your particular case/scenario.

 

[KGBagent47]

I wish AVs would stay in their lane. Network security should be left to the router and user.

 

[RejZoR]

I wish AVs would stay in their lane. Network security should be left to the router and user.

1. Antiviruses aren't just "antiviruses" anymore. They are security products now, helping users protect multiple infection/exploitation vectors. Staying "in their lane" makes no sense anymore, they need to offer extended or complete protection, otherwise users will blame it for not protecting them enough, even though it was within their power.

2. "Network security should be left to the router and user." You mean, the very same router which most users just run with default settings out of the box and which can easily be exploited or abused? WiFi Inspector checks exactly that. It probes router for known and common exploitation methods, be it passwords like "12345" or other methods like sending full control URI's to it in hope to invoke its controls. avast! probes that and recommends user to fix that, if it finds any of such issues on your network.

This is the first time I've ever seen avast! Wi-Fi Inspector component cause issues. It's such specific case you just can't blame them for it.
Like I've explained above, due to nature of this specific case, removing Wi-Fi Inspector component from avast! is really the only way to make sure ISP won't terminate your access anymore. It's just because how his ISP operates. The WiFi Inspector is actually a really useful feature otherwise. I didn't use it much in the past, but now that I understand it in-depth, it's actually a really clever and useful tool.

 

[RVS2]

Or, if you I don't know, contact the right people, they'll fix it. Posting on avast! forums is a good way to do it and we'll forward the link to that thread to the devs.

As for avast! breaking connection to 192.168.1.1, this is a local IP range, meaning you can't technically "lose" connection to it, because 192.168.1.1 is essentially YOU. It's your local network IP, usually used by routers and/or modems. Considering I'm seeing more and more ISP's pushing their retarded limited control panels that have to be operated through ISP's account settings instead through browser-router directly, my hunch is leading me to this exact thing.

avast! is probing loads of exploitable addresses on router that could exploit it remotely. It is possible avast! doing a probe on your system/network triggered ISP's countermeasures and they terminated your access to "protect" you. Considering you had to contact them to "reset" it for you gives me indication this might be the case.

In which case it's not avast!'s "problem" per se, it's just an unfortunate chain of events that lead to this final issue and which cannot be resolved by avast! because it's how ISP treats probes. I can only suggest you remove Wi-Fi Inspector component from avast! to avoid getting your connection terminated by ISP in the future. Wi-Fi Inspector is not an essential protective component so you won't lose any other protection capabilities if you remove it because of your particular case/scenario.

The reason was explained by AliKhan above already.

If you use a product, and it malfunctions, it is the product maker's fault. Especially when it's software.

Losing connection means No connection and cannot connect. I thought that would be self explanatory.

The so called wifi scan is touted as a tool to check your wifi/network security. Quite handy and obviously used by many. It's faults were confirmed only after I ran it the 2nd time.

Finally, avast is...I mean avast! is not the only AV so going to others is just what I am saying. People here ask which is the best AV a lot, I like to say "kasp or bit", not "avast! and just don't press this, report that, don't click that".

 

[RejZoR]

Yeah, well, I've extended Ali's explanation and it's not just avast!'s "fault". It's a combination of how ISP's force their garbage controls on users and what WiFi Inspector does. It was combination of both which caused this. Yet you only blame avast!, but not your ISP. How come? It's their fault as well.

Like I've said, remove WiFi Inspector component and that's it. You can still continue using avast!. It's an unfortunate chain of events. Nothing else, really.

 

[RVS2]

1. Antiviruses aren't just "antiviruses" anymore. They are security products now, helping users protect multiple infection/exploitation vectors. Staying "in their lane" makes no sense anymore, they need to offer extended or complete protection, otherwise users will blame it for not protecting them enough, even though it was within their power.

2. "Network security should be left to the router and user." You mean, the very same router which most users just run with default settings out of the box and which can easily be exploited or abused? WiFi Inspector checks exactly that. It probes router for known and common exploitation methods, be it passwords like "12345" or other methods like sending full control URI's to it in hope to invoke its controls. avast! probes that and recommends user to fix that, if it finds any of such issues on your network.

This is the first time I've ever seen avast! Wi-Fi Inspector component cause issues. It's such specific case you just can't blame them for it.
Like I've explained above, due to nature of this specific case, removing Wi-Fi Inspector component from avast! is really the only way to make sure ISP won't terminate your access anymore. It's just because how his ISP operates. The WiFi Inspector is actually a really useful feature otherwise. I didn't use it much in the past, but now that I understand it in-depth, it's actually a really clever and useful tool.

2 people have echoed my avast! issue above. Clearly many avast!! users would know about this.
Btw, I don't want to ask people to join my cause and sign a petition, just stay clear of avast!!! and it's problems.

But let's not take sides and do a childish comment battle. Look at the facts, and move on.

 

[RejZoR]

Well, use whatever you want, I don't care. But your logic is flawed and you're refusing to acknowledge that. If you think I'm biased, I'd ask you to do the same if it was Kaspersky. Or Bitdefender. Or any other company. Contact them to get the issue resolved. But in this very specific case, avast! team can't just wave a magic wand and affect how your ISP specifically runs their network infrastructure and how they treat local probes of network. It's beyond their capability.

It's not a childish comment battle, it's me telling you technical stuff and reason behind all this and how it cannot be "fixed" and you're just saying "mah, whatever". That's ignorance, whether you like that fact or not.

Just remove the WiFi Inspector component and you'll not get disconnected ever again by your ISP. Is that really more difficult than uninstalling avast! and installing something else again? C'mon? It's like 3 clicks into Settings menu, totalling like 10 seconds of your time and you're done.

 

[RVS2]

Well, use whatever you want, I don't care. But your logic is flawed and you're refusing to acknowledge that. If you think I'm biased, I'd ask you to do the same if it was Kaspersky. Or Bitdefender. Or any other company. Contact them to get the issue resolved. But in this very specific case, avast! team can't just wave a magic wand and affect how your ISP specifically runs their network infrastructure and how they treat local probes of network. It's beyond their capability.

It's not a childish comment battle, it's me telling you technical stuff and reason behind all this and how it cannot be "fixed" and you're just saying "mah, whatever". That's ignorance, whether you like that fact or not.

Just remove the WiFi Inspector component and you'll not get disconnected ever again by your ISP. Is that really more difficult than uninstalling avast! and installing something else again? C'mon? It's like 3 clicks into Settings menu, totalling like 10 seconds of your time and you're done.

Wow you really want me to use avast! LOL.

Make up your mind dude, 1st you say contact them and get the issue resolved. Then you say it's only unique to me out of millions of people and the "avast!! team" can't do anything. And finally that I should definitely keep on avast!@! for No Good Reason, just "stay away" from using it properly.

You're deeply emotional about avast!!1! for some reason and I don't care to know why, but letting people know about issues which could affect them is by all means the right thing to do.

Ignorant behaviour would be to let it be and say I'll just keep it to myself , maybe tell avast@!$ but they can't handle it because their wand isn't working, instead of discussing it on an AV discussion site...literally the purpose of MT.

 

[Ink]

Quick questions, whilst connected to your home network have you configured as Private or Public network under Windows Firewall settings? And Do you use an alternative DNS setting?