Maptools Vs AVAST: Hessian exceptions

[Mrugnak]

Our group has just gone through six or so weeks of flailing, but we've just sort of pinned down an incompatibility with the latest versions of AVAST antivirus and MT.

The attached Hessian exception occurs nearly all the time for everyone trying to connect with AVAST running. Specifically, you can get away with a few connections then once it starts, it just doesn't stop. The work around at the moment seems to be to "bounce" your AVAST shields, temporarily disabling it then turning everything back on. Rebooting does NOT work.

I have no idea what's going on.

SSPD:

Specifically completed all troubleshooting steps with Maptools b89, zip version, 1GB memory, 2048k stackspace.
Windows 7 Home Ultimate, latest updates.
java and javaw let through the windows firewall.
AVAST antivirus up to date (no firewall).
Java version 7 update 51 build 13
Cisco router (192.168.1.127 is in the DMZ)

Maptool server info sees my local address as 192.168.1.127, external as 24.246.9.22 and port 51234


Windows IP Configuration


Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2002916:0:8d0c:93dc:a1c:78cf
Temporary IPv6 Address. . . . . . : 2002916:0:819d:5181:540f:7d6
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::8d0c:93dc:a1c:78cf%10
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.127
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : fe80::c2c1:c0ff:fe12:766e%10
192.168.1.1

Ethernet adapter Hamachi:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2620:9b:b545
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::893:4ae8:5067:2260%14
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 25.9.181.69
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 2620:9b:1
25.0.0.1

Tunnel adapter isatap.{13F7C223-1D01-410F-95DC-257042528BFF}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:9d38:6ab81ac1:e709:f6e9
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80:1ac1:e709:f6e9%12
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{D212025E-6461-4620-8854-CDC82F569290}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Under this situation I especially have problems as a client, but can provoke problems in others connecting to me as the server. They may just have the same problem I have.

I have not been able to connect to my regular GM since christmas (on b87, 89, and on b90). I get the Hessian protocol error.
I was able to connect once today to a b89 server. I then drag-dropped a token onto the map, got a storm of popups, and had to force-kill java. When I restarted, I got the Hessian protocol error again (See attached) and now I can't connect again.

Step 1) No Test Connection button. However, as I am in the DMZ, this should theoretically be OK. I have put Java in the windows firewall exception list a long time ago, and have verified it is still there. I was able to connect to the server once, so that certainly appears to be working. My AV solution does not include a firewall.

Step 2) I can start two MT sessions on the same machine and connect as a client.

Step 3) I cannot be seen on the LAN tab. I tried disabling my AV and restarting maptools, I still cannot be seen. I can be connected to from the LAN via the RPTools.Net tab. I am, as previously mentioned, in the Router DMZ. the other computer is not.

Step 4) No errors.

Step 5) No wireless devices.

Step 6) Other people get the Hessian exception when people try to connect to my machine from outside the network *from some machines*. Other machines behind the same router do NOT get the Hessian exception. The two machines specifically tested with today have Windows 7 tablet Java version 7 update 51 build 13 running from zip (success) and Windows 7 Home Ultimate

I do not have two routers. We do not use UPNP.

We tried Hamachi.

[aliasmask]

I've never had a problem with Avast, but I see you're using Hammachi and those two could be conflicting. You should see if Avast can set up an exception for Hammachi.

[Mrugnak]

I've never had a problem with Avast, but I see you're using Hammachi and those two could be conflicting. You should see if Avast can set up an exception for Hammachi.

Hamachi was installed while troubleshooting the AVAST problems, trying to work around it.

EDIT: It does appear to *possibly* be linked to AVAST 2014 or AVAST free vs AVAST paid. We've given up trying to refine the exact problem once we found the work-around. We used Roll20 twice as an emergency solution and no offence to those guys, but we hate it and we're coming home

[Full Bleed]

Glad to see you've isolated the issue. You're not the first to make this connection... I've seen it firsthand with one of my players who was using Avast as well. And there have been a couple other reports in the forums, too. It appears to have been something Avast changed about 4-8 weeks ago.

For what it's worth, it was the Free Avast that messed up one of my players.

[Mrugnak]

Yep, that's the timeframe for us, too. What took us this long was a) poor googling on my part (never found anything on the forum here) and b) we nearly all are using Avast, if not all. Not sure about one of our users.

For other folks: Take your Network Shield down, connect, and you can put the Network Shield right back up again. You'll keep your connection after you put them up again. However, if you loose your connection for some reason, you might need to shut the shields down momentarily to get back in again.
It doesn't seem to matter if the server has the shields up or down when folks are connecting or when the server is started - just the clients.

[Lee]

It's not happening on my end so I can't test, but try this:

• Open Avast
• Go to Settings on the left
• Select "Antivirus" on the new Window
• Scroll down a bit to find "Exclusions"
• Add the path to where your MapTool installation is
• Test

Let me know if this works. Exclusions will take what's listed out of the AV and Shield's purview.

[aliasmask]

It's not happening on my end so I can't test, but try this:

• Open Avast
• Go to Settings on the left
• Select "Antivirus" on the new Window
• Scroll down a bit to find "Exclusions"
• Add the path to where your MapTool installation is
• Test

Let me know if this works. Exclusions will take what's listed out of the AV and Shield's purview.

I was thinking you may want to include the version of java you use and whatever Hamachi uses.

[Nin]

Had been mentioned here as well.

[Lee]

Making an exclusion is definitely better than lowering shields. Hopefully we can get confirmation that it works so we can prescribe it moving forward.