After the latest updates I still have problems with the firewall:
Untill last week everything were ok with the firewall and the internet network.
If It helps, I have Windows 10 and Avast Premium Security.
Reiterating:
A TOTAL CATASTROPHE.
Avast updated the program itself yesterday without asking me. I have always required it to “Ask when an update is available” but this was ignored.
No internet activity is passing through AT ALL. I thought it was Parallels, but no. Fully rebooted Mac, then rebooted Windows. No change.
As prior user says, when I first open Avast a big warning appears on the first screen you see, that Firewall is turned off
(Yes it says that in red.)
There is a big button to TURN ON […] and if you click TURN ON it says with a red X in a circle “Firewall not available!”
If you click the box with […] in it you are given the option to Ignore, which I did not try.
On the Notifications Alerts, it says Firewall is turned off, with the same green button to Turn on. Again it says “Firewall not available.”
If you go into Menu > Settings > Protection > Firewall, the firewall toggle is green/on. I click the Packet Rules, and my application-specific rules are gone.
List of network profiles says: No items in this list.
But it turns out you can work around this:
Here in Firewall Settings, if I turn off my firewall which is supposedly “off and does not exist” - then Internet access actually works.
So the Firewall that is non-existent and is off, which is actually on but without my rules and is blocking everything, can be turned off to bypass its total blocking of everything.
When will this be fixed? Will my rules ever be recoverable?
Sadly it’s a very bad problem.
After my post on this topic I can add:
I also tried to repair the app in the last days but nothing changed, when I restart my PC, the firewall always turn off on red on Avast.
When the Firewall on Avast seems to be on (“green”) the Windows security on PC settings doesn’t find any firewall protection.
Seems that Is the firewall which doens’t allow my PC to connect on my internet network.
Why there are always problem with the updates? Some months ago there were trouble with the bank mode after an update; and now this…
When will be fix?
Is your home network set to private?
Where would I check anything about my home network?
(I set up Avast years ago and for me it’s “set it and forget it.” Like most users, I’m not truly “interested” in it and pay as little attention to it as I can, so forgive me for not knowing about the home network. It used to “just work.”)
Maybe you mean this section:
In Settings > Protection > Firewall, in the section called List of network profiles, it states “No items in this list.” Is this where a “Home network” would be listed and configured? If so, it’s missing.
In Settings > Protection > Firewall, it can be toggled on or off. Either way, it still always shows that it is Off in Protection > Firewall, and cannot be toggled on there.
In Protection > Firewall, it always says “Current Network” - “You’re not connected to a network”.
In Protection > Firewall, the section called “Apps recently managed” is empty - it says “You haven’t managed any apps yet.” It is dimmed, so I can not click “Application settings.”
I don’t remember if the Firewall rules I set up were in Application Settings or in Packet Rules. Many years ago - maybe 5? - I played with it till I got it to work exactly as I wished. If I ever checked the rules after updates, I poked around till I found them. Now that they are gone - I have no idea where they might be, since I can’t click Application settings, and the Packet Rules are empty. It’s all just vanished.
Another glitch - in Settings > Protection > Firewall, it is set to Auto-decide, and cannot be switched to Allow, Block, or Ask. You can try to pick one of them, but it bounces back to Auto-decide.
Menu > Settings > Protection > Firewall
Make sure your connection to your router is set to private.
Public will block all connections.
I just wrote:
“In Settings > Protection > Firewall, in the section called List of network profiles, it states “No items in this list.” Is this where a “Home network” would be listed and configured? If so, it’s missing.”
Please seen screencap. There is no setting for my router, or for any network.
Sorry that screencap is too high res to read easily. There is no way to preview attachments. I have reduced its size and will post it here, and hope it comes out better!
Sorry I was going from memory since I currently don’t have the firewall module installed.
See if you find the information here, https://support.avast.com/en-us/article/Antivirus-Firewall-Application-Rules
Give this tutorial a try, https://support.avast.com/en-us/article/49/ especially the bit about Define Network profiles. Also see attached screenshot.
Thanks, I just read through it.
Most of it is describing Application rules - which you get to by clicking Application Settings on the Protection > Firewall screen.
On that screen, my “Current Network” and “Apps managed sections” are gray/dim and not-clickable, as are the links for Firewall logs | Settings and Application settings. Current network is blank and it says You’re not connected to a network.
I’ve attached a screencap.
DavidR - I cannot do any of these things. Firewall cannot even be toggled on/off on the Protection > Firewall screen, and there are no network profiles here. Nothing at all can be done on this screen.
Can turn Firewall on or off only in Settings, but even if set on there, it always says it is off on the Protection > Firewall screen, and there are no named or clickable or configurable networks, and Application settings is not clickable either. Everything is gray.
On the Alerts page, it always says Firewall is off, and even reports “Firewall not available!” if I try to turn it on there.
Firewall doesn’t even think it exists (Alerts), or thinks it is off and can’t be turned on (Protection), though it can be turned on or off in Settings. An inconsistent combination of information.
I suppose I can “remove” the component from Control Panel, then add it back and see what happens.
My reinstall of Firewall worked.
Solution:
REMOVE Firewall component
ADD Firewall component back
Let it scan - this requires a few weird steps, but it will eventually work. At first it finds 2 networks, one of which has a big red X. The other network defaults to public. You have to switch it to Private, at which point it completely hangs all of Windows for about a minute before finally scanning the Home network. It’s an almost unimaginably awful user experience, but eventually works, and when it’s done it eliminates the phantom disabled extra network.
Finally I can add my application rules. This user interface is now ALSO almost completely broken, as the Move Up and Move Down buttons no longer work properly. It will keep reordering to move my one Block rule to the top, when I want it on the bottom.
Eventually somehow I got the right order to stick. After that, if you go to look at the rules and they are correct, you MUST NOT CLICK OK to exit the list of rules. You must press CANCEL, or else the rule order will once again rearrange itself into the wrong order.
I never had any of these problems before. I actually bought THIS product years ago because I wanted the customizable Firewall that could control things all the way down to the port-level per application, which is the feature I needed. Since I first set it up, the firewall always worked, and my rules stuck.
This is a horrible update. Avast has made a mess of the Firewall in this release. Can’t believe I paid last month for another year of this.
Original poster - try to remove and add back the Firewall. I think you can do it from within the program, or via the Windows Control Panel using the Change button on Avast. (I have Windows 7, so the Control Panel might look different on your Windows 10 machine.)
See if it works for you too.
Thank you all for your suggestions. Avast should be informed that they broke their firewall!
Glad to hear you’ve got it solved.
Avast has already been made aware of the problem with the firewall.
I’m not sure if the current Beta just released has addressed the problem. I certainly hope so.
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=233306.msg1541992#msg1541992
@ IDF
You’re welcome, I wasn’t sure that article reflected the latest version/user interface, not being an Avast Firewall user.
Thanks for taking the time to report a solution to the problem.
Yes, it’s set to private but I can not connect my PC to my internet network.
What I have ti do?
I hope this problem will be fix soon
Me too. Worst desktop firewall ever!
Avast go back to version 19.
@ omarquo & lackschuh
Have both of you tried IDF’s resolution in Reply #12, not that far above your posts ?
EDIT: Information from an Avast Team member in another topic.
Try restarting your systems, that should trigger the Micro Update and or action it after the restart.
@DavidR
I’m gonna try now. Feedback follows.
In the last days I restarted a lot of times my PC, I turned off/turned on the firewall on Avast, I repaired the app on the settings but nothing changed.
My PC, I think It depends on the firewall, can not connect on my internet network and the firewall automatically switch everytime from private to public!
It’s possibile to have all these troubles with an update?! Some months ago, like I wrote before, there were problems with the bank mode and now this. It’s not acceptable for a thing that you had paid for.
I can’t believe I paid for this until 2022…
When will be fix?