Unable to connect to Windows Mobile Hotspot (again)

system · 2017-01-15T15:20:13.000Z

Hi all! I once posted a topic here about the failure to connect to a Windows Mobile Hotspot, which is a WIFI network created by a Windows network.

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=193224.0

Now, after reinstalling Avast Premier on both computers, the problem has happened again - my tablet computer (Avast Premier installed) can connect to the Mobile Hotspot created by my desktop (Avast Premier also installed), but it gets no internet.

I’ve already checked the “Internet Connection Sharing Mode” in my desktop. Everything works fine if I disable the firewall of the desktop.

In the firewall logs of the desktop, I can see that the remote address “192.168.137.82”, which is exactly the ip of my tablet, is being constantly blocked.

So my dumb question is: what should I do to allow this address? Thanks.

Asyn · 2017-01-16T04:24:53.000Z

→ https://www.avast.com/en-eu/faq.php?article=AVKB25 (Firewall FAQ)

system · 2017-01-17T12:24:14.000Z

The problem seems to be that Avast is constantly blocking svchost.exe (Host Process for Windows services) in my desktop computer, which is required for the hotspot to work (1st screen shot).

But in fact, svchost.exe has already been allowed to make all connections in Application Rules (2nd screen shot).

Trying to solve this, I deleted the rule and set Avast to ask me about how to handle svchost.exe (3rd screen shot).

It did ask me, and I chose to allow all connections (4th screen shot).

But it did not work either.

Eddy · 2017-01-17T12:30:33.000Z

avast doesn’t block svchost as it only runs locally.
avast can block the service that is using svchost to run.

Is the network profile (firewall settings) set to public or private ?

system · 2017-01-17T13:26:49.000Z

Thanks for your reply, Eddy.

It seems to me that svchost.exe is being blocked indeed. (screen shot 5)

I have already set all networks to “private” (screen shot 6)

And, after I turned on the mobile hotspot, I was notified that the Firewall mode had been changed to “Private/ Low risk zone” (screen 7). But as you can see in screen shot 5, the blocking of svchost.exe was related to “Public/ high risk zone”.

system · 2017-01-19T05:53:32.000Z

Still unable to fix the problem. Your help is very much appreciated.

Eddy · 2017-01-19T09:16:14.000Z

What happens if you set the network to public ?
Ofcourse disable automatic profile switching

system · 2017-01-19T15:07:06.000Z

A pop-up window tells me that the firewall mode has changed to “public/ High Risk Zone” when I turn on the hotspot, though I have already disabled “automatic profile switching”.

svchost.exe is still being blocked.

Client computer gets no internet.

system · 2017-01-21T00:06:14.000Z

See my updated thread on this topic.
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=193743.0
While I’ve been reporting the effect of a problem for a couple years now, I haven’t been able to determine exactly what the nature of the problem is. It would help if we could nail down that Avast is specifically blocking a specific application, service, file, etc.

I hope we can find a link between these issues (and other similar reports over the last couple days) so that Avast can fix this once and for all.

system · 2017-01-25T06:37:17.000Z

Hi Captain Starbuck, I tried your suggestion but it did not work. In my situation, I can allow internet access through the host computer only by turning off the Firewall.

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