ZoneAlarm Pro affecting internet speed

I did a search before posting. I run 3 background security apps on my XP Pro SP3 (yes I know it's outdated,
but it is what I have right now); Nod32 AV version 4.2.67.1/ Zone Alarm Pro version 9.3.014.000/ Malware-bytes Premium 2.03. The latter is set as "on demand" only. I have Verizon Fios as my isp and have their 75/75 service. I use the older versions of the av and firewall because the newer versions are bloated and don't play well with each other, and as noted in this forum, Nod32 detects the ZAP down loader as a virus and quarantines it. Anyway, if I have all 3 programs active and do a speed test I'll get 30 Mbps down/74 Mbps up. Disable MAW same result. Disable Nod32 same result. MAW on, Nod32 on...ZAP off I get 88 Mbps down/87 Mbps up. Should I be getting such a hit from the firewall? Is there something I need to configure in ZAP to get what I'm paying Verizon for? Thanks

 

ZA 9 is outdated, not anymore supported and potentially vulnerable to exploits. Best to move fast to another firewall that can play nice with your system and that you can keep up to date. Plenty of choice out there. Alternatively, the current version of ZAPRO is not more bloated then version 9 and you can simply ignore the idiotic detection by ESET that even tag the ZA removal tool as adware, non sense as already discussed in another thread here.

Btw, as the platform is anyway outdated and ZA will have a limited added value to protect it then better to just move to windows firewall and implement different restrictions policies on applications and the system with, for example, DefenseWall by SoftSphere.

 

Thanks fax...I solved the problem. I connected to ZAP chat support. The "tech" consulted his script and suggested steps I had already tried by using Checkpoint's support page and the ZoneAlarm forum. He seemed to be getting frustrated so I asked and received a refund on my licenses. Put the windows firewall back on. Now looking into Eset's suite but they seem to be having all sorts of problems with the new 8x release. Lots of frustrated users posting in that forum. I think I'll leave things as they are...keep gathering parts for a new gamer...wait for Windows10...and try again. Once again thanks for the reply.

 

You're welcome!

 

If you mean the tool http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/support/download/clean.exe, then it's a correct PUA (not adware) detection. The package contains ConduitInetc.dll and Win32/Conduit potentially unwanted application is correct.

 

Personally I know only about issues when download/upload speed is negatively affected by protocol filtering in ESET's products but this is nothing new in v8 and it seems to concern all versions that utilize Windows Filtering Platform. The issue is still being investigated but so far it seems that the issue lies in WFP itself.
Should you encounter an issue after installing ESS v8, please report it in our official forum https://forum.eset.com.

 

With the small detail that the file (clean.exe) is designed to remove ZA and the toolbar NOT to install it... the same for all the other installers that contains clean.exe. Conduit toolbar is not anymore in ZA products and this is since several years. If ESET then takes the lame excuse that the dll is contained in the file and therefore we detect it then its like to say that I am a killer (Conduit) because I have a gun (the dll) in my house.

Once again clean.exe does not install any conduit toolbar and therefore the detection is plain wrong. Any user can install ZA and check if conduit toolbar is installed, it is NOT. It is not a surprise that ESET is the only one out of 54 AVs detecting clean.exe as conduit toolbar (virustotal). Does this tell you something??

 

Then ask ZA to remove Conduit from clean.exe and it won't be detected. It's as simple as that ESET is very good at detecting potentially unwanted applications so no wonder it's often the only AV to detect them.

 

There is no Conduit potentially unwanted application in ZA, therefore there is nothing to remove . Yes, apparently you are the only one detecting irrelevant components in applications. If you are proud to be good at that...then... no comment, lol.

 

If you deny that ConduitInetc.dll is not made by Conduit despite of the string "hxxp://ie.conduit-download.com", well... Everybody can make up their mind. The very same dll is also part of Conduit installer itself. We are 100% sure this is not a false positive but a correct PUA detection.

 

Looks like a dialogue with a deaf, the component does not make the application.

Your detection is irrelevant and misleading as there is no Conduit toolbar installed by ZA even less by a removal tool. This is demonstrated clearly by the fact that you are the only one doing this. The AV industry is smart and professional enough to distinguish between the two. You not. Probably just laziness in whitelisting or a scare tactic to keep away the competition (although ZA does not really compete with you).

If otherwise you come here with evidence that ZA clean.exe hiddenly install the Conduit toolbar without the user consent then I would be 100% with you. Unfortunately it is not the case and your detection and approach, sorry to say, looks really stupid .

I am really amazed how can you defend the un-defendable, I would be personally scared of using your products. Its like I would be judged guilty of a murder and sentenced to death just because they found in my house the very same model of the gun even if I demonstrated that the gun was never used. LoL