Feed Drop - AVG Free culprit?

tenthirtyone · #1 (**permalink**) 03-30-2010, 10:20 AM

I had the problem of my feed being dropped almost daily for unknown reasons.

I was using two primary streaming machines - both of which had a Pentium dual-core processor at around 2 Ghz and a minimum of 2 GB of RAM. Not barn burners but ScannerCast is pretty light. The machines just sat in the basement and did some local file serving (mostly MP3s) but were not used for video streaming or other high-demand applications. I alternated between the two trying to find the reason for my dropped feed. I have essentially a static IP (it is not) due to using the cable company's phone service. I noticed my IP would change occasionally - but it was every 4 months or so if at all.

Then I noticed when I was around the displays for the machines and they were not sleeping the CPU meter in the task bar would sometimes spike and hang at 100% - same during some Remote Desktop sessions. Anyhoo the offending process was "avgnsx.exe".

I don't profess to be an expert at any of this - but some research led me to believe that this process was part of AVG's "link-scanner" protection. So I disabled the "link scanner" feature and experienced no more ScannerCast / Icecast drop outs. I have since switched to Microsoft Security Essentials (free) and have been running smooth since.

I switched to AVG years ago when I felt that Norton had gotten too big and bloated. AVG used to be a nice, light, free application. Apparently it to has gotten too bloated to run reasonably well on an "older" machine.

Food for thought.

YMMV.

hvscan · #2 (**permalink**) 03-30-2010, 1:54 PM

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9530/5.0.0.328 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

My feed computers are dedicated to just running feeds, so I don't have internet security software running and I haven't experienced any problems with the feeds dropping out. It sounds like AVG was your culprit. I do make sure Windows Firewall is turned on for each of my machines. I am going to look into MS Security Essentials, as that is a new one to me.

Chauffeur6 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-30-2010, 2:26 PM

AVG definitely does not play nice with ScannerCast. I've experienced the same issue myself. Once AVG was removed, problem gone. I agree, AVG used to be a nice, lightweight, free alternative to Symantec...now it's just as bloated, maybe even worse given its poor management of CPU usage.

DigitalMDX · #4 (**permalink**) 04-02-2010, 10:31 AM

Very interesting. My stream has been very solid since I started it, minus the Microsoft Patch Tuesday days.
I installed AVG yesterday on my streaming server and this morning got a message that my stream was offline.
Went to the streaming machine, ScannerCast was happy and streaming.
Went to RR and it showed my stream was offline - I clicked on it anyway... and it played fine.
I stopped and restarted ScannerCast and RR eventually showed I was Online...

I've now disabled AVG's LinkScanner - we'll see how it goes from here...
If it fails again, I'll remove AVG.

Thanks,
Jay

kb0nly · #5 (**permalink**) 04-02-2010, 3:13 PM

YES... AVG causes it..

I was just about to post about this on Saturday, which makes exactly ONE WEEK of drop free streaming. I'm even sending Meta Data on one feed just to see if everything keeps going.

The AVG Network Scanner Service goes to 100% CPU usage and slows the computer down and then the feeds drop off. I'm not exactly sure why, but after discussing it with their tech support through the AVG forums it seems to be that it affects the data stream as its trying to scan all data going out.

I dumped AVG and put in the free Avast AV on my stream computer and now nearly a week later NO PROBLEMS... I was about to pull my hair out having to restart my computer and streams once a day.

hertzian · #6 (**permalink**) 04-03-2010, 2:14 PM

I ran into the same problem with AVG-free's link-scanner feature. I ran AVG for many years, but the problem got so bad, I ended up with the free Microsoft Security Essentials and so far it hasn't loaded down the machine.

Since I also use Firefox as a browser, a similar function was being duplicated by Firefox in Tools > Options > Security > "block reported attack sites" and "block reported web forgeries". With AVG running, the duplication of effort was noticeable.

So for link-scanning, I just let Firefox handle it, and run MSE instead of AVG now.

PeterGV · #7 (**permalink**) 04-05-2010, 10:16 AM

I can strongly recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. It's free, it works, it's relatively low overhead, and it seems to play nice with others.

Peter
K1PGV

ScanPEI · #8 (**permalink**) 04-05-2010, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterGV

I can strongly recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. It's free, it works, it's relatively low overhead, and it seems to play nice with others.

I can second that. I have used AVG for years, and it has always caused me problems. With a recent switch to Microsoft Security Essentials, I've never had a feed dropout yet!

hvscan · #9 (**permalink**) 04-05-2010, 10:41 AM

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9530/5.0.0.328 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

For those using MS Security Essentials, do you use it in place of other branded internet security software?

reedo · #10 (**permalink**) 04-05-2010, 12:00 PM

Upon reading about issues with AVG, I deleted it from the dedicated feed PC with Revo uninstaller last week.
This PC was dropping the feed up to three (!) times a day. Had one crash since, a "black screen of death". Now running MS Security solo and want to thank those who brought the AVG problem to my attention. To any of my listeners who read this, I was doing my best to keep the feed online as seamless as possible. By the way.... when my feed dropped, apparently caused by AVG, all indicators on-screen showed normal, online status. Peter, if you ever want any new WireShark reports, let me know.

ka3jjz · #11 (**permalink**) 04-05-2010, 12:21 PM

This is useful information that should be added to the Live Audio wiki...73 Mike

kb0nly · #12 (**permalink**) 04-05-2010, 1:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reedo

Upon reading about issues with AVG, I deleted it from the dedicated feed PC with Revo uninstaller last week.
This PC was dropping the feed up to three (!) times a day. Had one crash since, a "black screen of death". Now running MS Security solo and want to thank those who brought the AVG problem to my attention. To any of my listeners who read this, I was doing my best to keep the feed online as seamless as possible. By the way.... when my feed dropped, apparently caused by AVG, all indicators on-screen showed normal, online status. Peter, if you ever want any new WireShark reports, let me know.

Mine did the same, i would get an email notice from RR saying the feed was down, go check computer and it looks like its fine and running. Stop feed and restart and it would work again. Then after a couple weeks of doing that almost once a day it started getting the high cpu usage problem. Then i saw it was the AVG network scanner service using all the resources. Uninstalled AVG and that usage problem went away.... Installed Avast and no problems since.

PeterGV · #13 (**permalink**) 04-06-2010, 8:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvscan

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9530/5.0.0.328 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

For those using MS Security Essentials, do you use it in place of other branded internet security software?

Yes.

Peter
K1PGV

hvscan · #14 (**permalink**) 04-06-2010, 10:25 AM

Thanks Peter!

djl998 · #15 (**permalink**) 04-06-2010, 11:03 PM

I use AVG with the Link scanner component disabled. It does hog the CPU for a minute or two every once in a while, but I've never had a problem with it.

claypineapplz · #16 (**permalink**) 10-30-2012, 8:53 PM

Hi all,

New member, here in Gleneden Beach, OR. Quick question: what has been done towards auto-checks with feedback status email(s) indicating "dropped/not dropped", some kind of means to manage these and, perhaps, (even) an auto-recovery to reset dropped item, etc. Seems to me that if these issues are taking up a lot of manual labor time, that some of this could be a bit more streamlined. Any thoughts....?

k3cfc · #17 (**permalink**) 10-31-2012, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenthirtyone

I had the problem of my feed being dropped almost daily for unknown reasons.

I was using two primary streaming machines - both of which had a Pentium dual-core processor at around 2 Ghz and a minimum of 2 GB of RAM. Not barn burners but ScannerCast is pretty light. The machines just sat in the basement and did some local file serving (mostly MP3s) but were not used for video streaming or other high-demand applications. I alternated between the two trying to find the reason for my dropped feed. I have essentially a static IP (it is not) due to using the cable company's phone service. I noticed my IP would change occasionally - but it was every 4 months or so if at all.

Then I noticed when I was around the displays for the machines and they were not sleeping the CPU meter in the task bar would sometimes spike and hang at 100% - same during some Remote Desktop sessions. Anyhoo the offending process was "avgnsx.exe".

I don't profess to be an expert at any of this - but some research led me to believe that this process was part of AVG's "link-scanner" protection. So I disabled the "link scanner" feature and experienced no more ScannerCast / Icecast drop outs. I have since switched to Microsoft Security Essentials (free) and have been running smooth since.

I switched to AVG years ago when I felt that Norton had gotten too big and bloated. AVG used to be a nice, light, free application. Apparently it to has gotten too bloated to run reasonably well on an "older" machine.

Food for thought.

YMMV.

Web, Email and Network Security Software and Services for SMBs

Not free BUT you can call them they will work with you. very nice people to deal with. i have had them for years.

claypineapplz · #18 (**permalink**) 10-31-2012, 12:33 PM

That's great! Yes, grisoft is terrific; have been aware of them for awhile, now. Thanks for the tip, tenthirtyone.

I was thinking along the lines of diy. . . .maybe ping my feed server, quant a monitored source, say, iPhone, do a 'if-then-else' batch to comp/analysis and prep a stock message to send to my mailbox re true/false. . .

f.y.i. my net is managed via gotomypc; I use several Xoom tablets to access/monitor/execute tasks, etc. big benefit=no mouse/keyboard (touchscreen).

please advise if you have any thoughts on this.... many thx. . .