I am both an IT Business owner (Florida, USA) and affiliate of Avast software with an issue that seems to be a show stopper for me.
I now have two customers that both have Verizon ISP service and Avast IS 6.0 (paid subs).
One is using Win7/LiveMail and the other is using Vista/Outlook2010…they both might be 64bit. One of them is using a @verizon.net account and the other their own domain email.
The issue on both clients is with OUTGOING email only…
I have found that by disabling Avast, all emails work fine. Also also if I disable all shields and then re-enable one at a time (excluding email), then I can also send for a minute or two…then it also locks up.
Disabling the outgoing shield alone does nothing.
Disabling the full email shield does nothing.
Changing the SSL account to match the Verizon settings does nothing.
The Verizon specific settings require port 587 for outgoing mail.
One point of interest (if I remember correctly) is that my customer with the Vista machine did not have issues with mail on the FREE edition…it was only after she paid for the I.S. version that the problem presented itself.
Now, I am not above saying this is a Verizon issue…but any help would be appreciated. My customers are far more likely to change their AV solution long before changing their ISP! I wish that I could provide more cases to reference, but I have a over a hundred or so people all on Avast now and do not keep records of what ISP each uses…unless requested.
Whilst it is avast5 related the same functionality is required in avast6, so whatever email client they are using they have to disable SSL in their account settings and let avast handle the SSL connection.
Given what the OP said “The Verizon specific settings require port 587 for outgoing mail.” flies in the face of not using SSL as this is an SSL port used for secure SMTP. If they truly don’t require encryption then the standard SMTP port 25 should be used.
So I don’t know what is going on with their account settings as I have never used Version. I think it is the unconventional use of port 587 for non-SSL SMTP use that is throwing the avast settings.
You could try changing the avastUI, Real-Time Shields, Mail Shield, Expert Settings, SSL Accounts, Encryption column to None for that account.
@DavidR -
yes, I have seen that article before…and this ISP does not use SSL, but I still changed the port numbers to match just in case there was a conflict.
The reasoning for the change to 587 is that the vast majority of spam bot code out there is set to use port 25. If your PC perhaps is compromised (worm) or your identity is because you choose to put your email out there in an open forum, then by refusing the smtp traffic on their network via that port…they reduce network congestion/spam/etc. At least that is the way is explained by Verizon. @mmargolin -
yup!
@Dieselman-
I never said that my customer’s weren’t in a business. Perhaps you meant “exchange” is good for business.
Actually the one using Outlook requires constant offline access to her email attachments and more than 18GB .PST file.
No, that was not a typo.
The other has three email addresses she uses and that will not work.
Seriously though…web mail is only for those people that more technically challenged than the rest…and many customers are. But there is no reason this plug-in shouldn’t work.
Perhaps if there was some sort of diagnostic utility to see what Avast was doing behind the scenes while running???
You say you disable the mail shield and still are unable to send outbound and that if you completely disable Avast that you can send. Makes me wonder if there is some other conflict. Maybe previous security software and/or firewall? What security software has been installed on these machines previously and was it removed fully/correctly? What error messages are you receiving?
I do know that when I set MSN email up in Windows Live Mail and then set up the ssl account in Avast that MSN sent me an email questioning whether or not this was an automated program. I had to reply to this email so that MSN would not block me from sending mail. Have either of your customers received an email from Verizon with something similar to this? I don’t know if Verizon does this but it is worth asking.
One of the PCs…is a brand new machine. Zero security software previously. Macafee (part of the bundle)was removed before before the PC was even connected to the net.
The other PC was using Avast free edition prior.
There are no emails from their ISPs.
Still no common denominator besides AIS & Verizon.
This is difficult without seeing the settings.
If you could please attach:
Screenshot of email client settings - server tab and advanced tab. (windows live mail, outlook)
Screenshot of Avast SSL settings.
Verizon’s protocol, port settings and encryption (could they be using TLS instead of SSL?). I know you said they don’t use encyption but that would be very strange if they didn’t.
Is what I have attached what you are using?
Does the outgoing mail server require authentication and is the authentication the same as the incoming mail server?
I would also check the firewall rules to make certain the email clients are allowed to connect outbound. If the firewall is set to auto-decide then it should have created these rules automatically. Is the firewall profile set to work/medium risk zone or public zone or home? Have you tried turning off the firewall and/or switching profiles then sending mail to see if the firewall is causing this? How do these folks connect to the internet?
Also, I would ask Verizon that if they sense an automated program sending email if they block outgoing mail and see what can be done to prevent this.