Protect yourself from hackers who attempt to hijack your DNS (Domain Name System) settings, redirect you to fake sites and steal your banking details. Wi-Fi Inspector Automatically detect weaknesses in your home Wi-Fi and strangers piggybacking on your network. Forum discussion: AFTERMATH Update: SOLVED I opened my AVAST antivirus and internet security, and did a “Scan network for threats”, it found a vulnerability for Wannacry Double pulsar.

• Avast Dns Resolve Has Failed

Hello, all.
I was doing some repair on my wifi network, (couldn't load usatoday.com, or theatlantic.com via any wifi device in my home, but direct ethernet connections and also cellular G4s signal were able to load both sites easily, there are a bunch more, these are just two examples)
I noticed that in my system tray, my network status said 'Currently connected to utopia.net' which is strange since I am a Comcast Xfinity customer, and presumably using their servers, (75.75.75.75)
I looked up 'utopia.net' and saw several discussions about DNS hijacking, so as an experiment, set my DNS to google's public DNS servers, (8.8.8.8), restarted my computer, (wasn't sure if that was even needed) and still, my network connection comes up as 'utopia.net'
I have used a VPN service to safeguard business information between myself and several clients financial, but have since uninstalled and deleted them from my computer, seeking an answer to this strange 'utopia.net' question.
I saw was there was a discussion here a couple of years ago on the same subject and thought I'd see if anyone had any definitive information on what exactly 'utopia.net' network is, and what to do about it. I'd prefer that if I am using Comcast Xfinity, that my network connection status say 'Comcast Xfinity'
Comcast techs, by phone, (no explanation needed) said that the original problem of not being able to load certain sites on my wifi network, maybe have been due to the DNS getting hijacked, or something to that effect.
Any ideas or information on what this is and how to fix it?

Thanks!
RR
Stats:
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 -bit system

Dreaded arris TG862 standard Comcast wireless router
Processor AMD A8 7600 Radeon R10 10 compute cores 4C+6G

Attached Files

• utopia.net dns hijack.jpg43.45KB0 downloads

Edited by RandomRobert, 26 May 2017 - 12:52 PM.
Moved from Win 7 to Am I Infected - Hamluis.

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• Viruses: files containing malicious code which may impact the security and performance of your PC.
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Real Site, formerly known as Secure DNS, is a feature in Avast Premier, Avast Internet Security and Avast Pro Antivirus which secures you against DNS (Domain Name System) hijacking. Some malicious programs can stealthily redirect you from an authentic URL to an inauthentic website to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details.

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Sensitive Data Shield, available in the latest versions of Avast Premier and Avast Internet Security, scans and protects your personal sensitive documents against unauthorized access and malware. The files considered as sensitive contain your personal information which, if revealed, can compromise your privacy and identity. Sensitive Data Shield controls which applications and users have access to your files to secure your private data.

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Webcam Shield, available in the latest version of Avast Premier, prevents applications and malware from accessing your PC's webcam without your consent. With Webcam Shield enabled, untrusted applications cannot capture images or videos and send the content outside of your PC to compromise your privacy.

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Wi-Fi Inspector, formerly known as Home Network Security, scans your network for vulnerabilities and identifies potential security issues that open the door to threats. This feature checks the status of your network, devices connected to the network, and router settings. Wi-Fi Inspector helps you secure your network to prevent attackers from accessing it and misusing your personal data.

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Sandbox is a virtualization tool in Avast Premier, Avast Internet Security and Avast Pro Antivirus which allows you to browse the web or run an application in a completely isolated, safe environment. When you run an application in Sandbox, your activity and web content is contained, which prevents damage to your PC. This is useful when you want to run suspicious or untrusted applications without risk.

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Data Shredder is a feature in Avast Premier which allows you to irreversibly erase your files or whole drives, so that there is no way for anyone to restore and misuse your data.

When you erase a hard drive, or delete a file using standard tools, only a reference to its data is removed from the file system. Simply deleting sensitive files, such as user data or licensed software, may not be safe as there are tools capable of restoring deleted files. Data Shredder overwrites files with meaningless data multiple times before deleting them which prevents data from being recovered. Data Shredder is especially useful when selling/donating your computers or hard drives.

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Anti-spam is an additional installable component available in Avast Premier and Avast Internet Security. Anti-spam ensures that the inbox in your mail management software is free from unwanted spam and junk emails. This feature applies to mail clients installed on your PC, such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird.

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Browser Cleanup is a feature now integrated into Smart Scan and Cleanup.

When you run Smart Scan, your PC is scanned for various elements, including poorly rated browser add-ons. If such add-ons are detected, you can click Remove All to remove them.

If you use Cleanup, the Clean option scans for and identifies poorly rated browser add-ons. You can select which add-ons to remove, as well as view reputable add-ons.

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Passwords is a password manager that allows you to use one Master Password to quickly and safely log into your online accounts and complete web forms. Passwords encrypts and securely stores your sensitive information, and enables you to synchronize your data across all your devices.

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What is SecureLine VPN?

SecureLine VPN is a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN functions as a private tunnel through the internet which encrypts your data and secures your connection when using public Wi-Fi connections such as those in cafes or airports. SecureLine VPN has servers in several locations which means you can bypass geolocation restrictions as well as access your favorite content while traveling.

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Cleanup scans for unnecessary items and performance issues to create space on your PC and improve the speed of your system. After a scan, Cleanup offers to remove or resolve any found issues.

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Miscellaneous

Can I set Software Updater to automatically update my applications?

Avast Antivirus informs you when Software Updater detects updates for third-party applications. In Avast Premier, you can configure Software Updater to perform updates automatically.

In Avast Internet Security, Avast Pro Antivirus, and Avast Free Antivirus, you can maintain updates manually by clicking the Update button next to each application.

Does my PC's performance slow down during an Avast scan?

Avast Antivirus comes with several pre-defined scans as well as the option to create your own custom scans and you can also create your own custom scans. Generally, running a scan does not noticeably affect system performance. However, performance may be affected somewhat depending on your system configurations, especially if you execute multiple scans simultaneously.

Does Avast Antivirus scan webmail accounts?

Avast Dns Resolve Has Failed

If you use a web based email account, such as Yahoo or Gmail, Avast does not directly scan your emails. However, Web Shield and File System Shield actively protect your PC from malware which could be contained in your email messages.

If you use a mail management software, such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird, Mail Shield scans for threats in your incoming and outgoing email messages.

Can I adjust the sensitivity of Anti-spam?

Yes. If you want to adjust the sensitivity of the Anti-spam filter, open the Avast user interface and go to Protection ▸ Anti-spam. Select one of the following settings:

• Relaxed: use this setting if too many legitimate emails are being marked as spam.
• Strict (default and recommended setting): keep this setting enabled to maintain optimal spam filtering.
• No mercy: use this setting if too many spam emails are getting into your inbox.

You can also adjust the sensitivity of Anti-spam from Settings ▸ Components ▸ Anti-spam ▸ Customize.

Can I turn off the Microsoft Windows Firewall when using the Firewall in Avast Premier or Avast Internet Security?

Yes. Avast Premier and Avast Internet Security include a built-in firewall. The Avast Firewall monitors all communication between your PC and outside networks and blocks unauthorized communication. It is highly recommended to keep all Avast protection components enabled at all times for reliable PC protection.

Can I turn off the antivirus protection?

Yes, but we do not recommend doing this permanently. If you need to disable Avast Antivirus, right click the Avast icon in the system tray and select Avast shields control. Select one of the following options:

• Disable for 10 minutes
• Disable for 1 hour
• Disable until computer is restarted
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• Avast Pro Antivirus 19.x
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