Hi there,
I have Avast Premier running on a HTPC (so it never moves) but the Firewall Profile changes for no apparent reason from Private to Public. This is the only one of three windows PCs on my home network that has this problem. I have the LAN IP address in the Friends list.
What’s the logic behind when Avast decides that a machine is on a private or public network? How do I work out what’s going on? I’ve clean uninstalled avast and reinstalled, doesn’t help.
I have Avast Internet Security (I guess - reading the top of the control box) running on 2 Windows 7 x64 machines.
Every time I start or reboot either machine a pop up box peeks up and says what I’m connected to and has a protection level “slider switch” to choose PRIVATE or PUBLIC. Tonight AT&T decided it would be fun to stop and violently play with my service for 25 minutes. The modem went through MANY re-starts and when everything was stable the protection level “sliders” in the pop up peek-a-boo boxes were now on PUBLIC.
The protection levels on both computers were always on PRIVATE before this.
I have two questions:
Also, why is Parki (the poster above this) being ignored since April?
I’m posting here because his post is the closest to my problem.
Hi,
I was starting to think that I was the only one in the world having this problem. :-[
I found a work around: I run a powershell script at boot time to set the connection type to private: http://windowsitpro.com/powershell/how-force-network-type-windows-using-powershell.
Let me know if I can help further!
Hi parki,
I was starting to think that I was the only one in the world having this problem.
Sadly you may still be. It only happened that one time last night… so far. Avast has become a nightmare to use and it has a mind of it’s own.
Though, I want to thank you very much for that link! 
It might come in handy. We will see.
Let me know if I can help further!
Yes please.
I know this is a pretty lame question but, Which protection level is better (more secure)… PUBLIC or PRIVATE? (all of my computers are wired to the router - I refuse to use wireless - and they never move from this room.)
I’m guessing PRIVATE, but honestly don’t have a clue.
Thanks in advance for your answer.
http://screencast-o-matic.com/screenshots/u/Lh/1500581100181-3427.png
I’m curious as to why you’re using the product ???
Hi Bob,
I’ve used avast since 1999. It was the probably the best antivirus out there. I’ve been a loyal customer ever since. Yes, there are FREEWARE versions, but I thought that with such a great product, they deserved to get paid. So pay I did. I LOVED it!
I can’t count how many people are also customers because of my word of mouth. I drove people nuts with my praises of avast.
Then a year or two ago avast started to fiddle with the workings. (And don’t get me started on the HORRIBLE smart phone - windows 10 style TILE look! It’s hideous and impossible to navigate without exact instructions)
You need a degree in avast to operate even the simplest of things anymore.
So fine. I thought I would learn the new interface and bite the bullet and that avast would improve the workings. NOOOOO! It’s only gotten worse!!!
My license came up for renewal this last January. I thought, “OK, they’ll get their act straight” and $72 for 3 machines for 2 years was doable, so I paid.
THEN came the first of the worst UI and function changes, this last spring - I think.
This brought with it many programs that are now lagging and hick-uping. The worst is with my audio editing software. Avast throws up random events that make recording an original 3 minute song impossible without some bizarre glitch. And this is with the network disconnected and ALL shields disabled. Avast still goes and plays games with the drives. Why? I “disabled” the stupid avast. Why is it still playing about with my computer.
My video editing software - while no network or shields, is taking forever to render. Only on machines with the latest avast updates.
I also enjoy an online world. As of the 2017 updates, the only way I can use the viewer is by disabling all shields! I have NO idea what risk I’m putting myself in. But anything is better then 8 frames a second when I get 60 FPS with shields off!
Oh, and joy of joys… as of last weeks avast program update, the virtual world viewer (Firestorm) crashes unexpectedly and my packet-loss has climbed exponentially. Remember ALL shields off… or so it wants me to think.
Let’s not forget that there are bits of the program that you THINK are there, but you have to pay for this and that module! That’s adware not antivirus.
And what’s up with the pop-up telling me that I have 13 insecure PASSWORDS??? WHAT? What is avast doing noodling about in my passwords, and how is it finding them, and just who has decided that those passwords are insecure? Then, if I want to “fix” them I have to pay AGAIN for the honor? No no no no. This is NOT the avast I’ve been preaching the praises of.
I’m not a forum kind of person… they aggravate me. You’ll see why if you’re following any thread I’m in. (People only read what they want to read, and don’t answer more than one question, though you’ve asked 3)
And I’ve found very little help by asking questions in forums. Maybe it’s that I’m too long winded or losing my mind?
Plus avast wants money to answer a question. NO! No way Jose! I’ve spent hundreds over the years and made them thousands more through referrals. I’m not paying for help that, in my opinion, is OWED me.
If that hasn’t answered your question, maybe this will. For the last few months I’ve been trying to find windows defender. Try as I might, I can not. I would look for the avast clean up uninstall program and use the crumby Microsoft products (defender and firewall) and vanquish avast to to stop the problems! The NEW problems they’ve been introducing this last year.
So, if you can tell me where the avast uninstall/cleanup program are and where I can find defender, I’ll put ME out of YOUR misery.
Listen, I’m a very nice person -normally, and I love to help people. But, I do have a short fuse when it comes to thievery and incompetence.
Avast has recently become the embodiment of the former and the latter!
Just so I’m not shamed any further I’ll remove the rudeness and tag line.
But PLEASE, I implore you. Have some sympathy. You have no idea what it’s like to loose 11 close family and friends in 2 years and being put on so many antidepressants you can’t think straight and be expected to understand what avast is expecting - and doing - to/of it’s end users.
This is why I’m still on Windows 7.
Thanks for asking, Bob.
Sorry to hear about your personal problems but, that has nothing to do with this.
I know this is a pretty lame question but, [u][i]Which [b]protection level[/b] is better (more secure)... [b]PUBLIC[/b] or [b]PRIVATE[/b]?[/i][/u] (all of my computers are wired to the router - I refuse to use wireless - and they never move from this room.)
Public means Windows (or Avast, I’ve never been able to work out which is at fault here) thinks you’re connected to an untrusted network. Private means it’s trusted. Given your setup private should be fine.