Symantec NetDetect rescheduling itself

Christer · 2004/12/09

I searched the Symantec KB and found Information about NetDetect from which I quote:

NetDetect is a Symantec program that checks for an active Internet connection. Automatic LiveUpdate uses it. After NetDetect has found an active Internet connection, it attempts to connect to the LiveUpdate server.

If successful in connecting to the server, it checks for available updates.
If updates are available, NetDetect either downloads and installs them, or it notifies you, depending on your program settings. Once this process is done, NetDetect does not check for updates again until the regularly scheduled time, which you configured in Automatic LiveUpdate.
If updates are not available, NetDetect waits for four hours and then if an Internet connection is present, it again checks for available updates. It repeats this process as long as the connection is present or until an update is available.

If NetDetect was not successful in connecting to a LiveUpdate server, it waits for five minutes and then attempts to connect to the server again. It repeats this every five minutes as long as the Internet connection remains open. This time can be adjusted in the Windows Task Scheduler.
Click to expand...

The last part is the interesting one and should be compared to (4) in foolproof's post.

As I understand it, the computer must be running but without an internet connection for the schedule to change to 5 minutes. Under normal conditions, I'm always connected but at 03:40 PM (CET) I will make sure that the broadband cable is disconnected to observe what happens. If my computer is shut down when the next scheduled time passes, it doesn't happen (the change to 5 minutes) but it just skips that time and goes for the next "on schedule ".

In post #1, I provided a link to a Symantec KB which detailed how to setup NetDetect scheduling.
It says to create two schedules, #1 daily at 5 minutes interval for 24 hours and #2 at login. #1 is the one that gets rescheduled and #2 takes care of the problem if #1 should be hours away.

Question:

Do You guys have a single schedule or multiple?

Thanks,
Christer

charlesvar · 2004/12/09

Hi Christer,

Do You guys have a single schedule or multiple?

Single, the 5 minute one.

Regards - Charles

Johanna · 2004/12/09

NIS 2003 defaults to checking LU w/ Net Detect every 4 hours. If no internet connection is present, it will search every 5 minutes for one. (At my house, that means the electricity is off! ) No difference between dial up and cable internet connection behavior. Only one schedule present on Task Scheduler- the every 4 hour one. There is a checkbox to add multiple schedules,but by default, the box is unchecked. I don't see a way to change the Net Detect schedule in Norton, just through XP's Task Scheduler. Christer, if I'm just missing it, would you point me in the right place?

Johanna

Christer · 2004/12/09

Well, at 03:35 PM I was physically disconnected from the internet and was sitting in front of the screen, watching the scheduled task NetDetect. (Sounds like a good start of a horror story, doesn't it.) My expectations were set high for the "log" to read last run = 03:40 PM, next run = 03:45 PM but it disappointed me by soldiering on at the 4 hour schedule. After 10 minutes, I reconnected to the internet and waited another 10 minutes but nothing happened.

Since adding a second schedule (at login) makes this a non-issue, I will stop flogging this horse or I will go even nuttier than I already am.

Oh, one more thing,

If no internet connection is present, it will search every 5 minutes for one.
Click to expand...

How do You know that? Does it show in the "log" in Control panel > Scheduled tasks?

Christer

Johanna · 2004/12/09

Christer,
Norton tries to get online every 5 minutes when disconnected. It shows on the tattletale globe "preparing to access the internet" and in the Norton event logs. I don't see anything in XP for trying to detect an internet connection for Symantec, but I'll keep looking.

Johanna

Christer · 2004/12/09

Johanna,

It shows on the tattletale globe "preparing to access the internet" ...
Click to expand...

Is that the alert tracker ...... ...... I have reenabled it to see what it is up to!

... and in the Norton event logs.
Click to expand...

I have these entries in the FireWall log:

12:38:38 - Firewall configuration updated: 142 rules

16:45:12 - An instance of "C:\Program\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_2_6.EXE" is preparing to access the Internet for the first time

16:49:02 - Firewall configuration updated: 142 rules

17:23:24 - Firewall configuration updated: 142 rules

LuComServer was at the time of a reboot, via the second schedule (at login) of NetDetect. The other ones have no time stamp that coincides with any schedule and seemingly the same update three times.

Christer

Edited:

I cleared the logs and restarted. The entry for the Firewall configuration appears at reboot (probably no connection to the internet) but LuComServer didn't reappear.

Johanna · 2004/12/09

Yes, the Alert Tracker. Set the Alerting Status on High and drive yourself buggy. I have called your doctor anyway, he will be phoning in a prescription. I described your condition as "Norton Anxiety ", and he understood immediately. I'm curious to see whether he thinks Thorazine is needed, or plain Prozac.

12/09/2004 10:05:11 AM,
An instance of "C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_2_5.EXE" is preparing to access the Internet for the first time,An instance of "C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_2_5.EXE" is preparing to access the Internet for the first time

12/09/2004 6:05:10 AM,
An instance of "C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_2_5.EXE" is preparing to access the Internet for the first time,An instance of "C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_2_5.EXE" is preparing to access the Internet for the first time

12/09/2004 2:05:11 AM,
An instance of "C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_2_5.EXE" is preparing to access the Internet for the first time,An instance of "C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LuComServer_2_5.EXE" is preparing to access the Internet for the first time
Click to expand...

I will now disconnect from the internet and check logs after awhile.

Johanna

Christer · 2004/12/09

Johanna,
I'm cranking it up to high!

I can see them through the window now ...... ...... no, not that Window ...... ...... they're coming to take me away haha ...... ...... !

Christer

Christer · 2004/12/09

It seems like adding the second schedule (at login) does no good. I have checked the timing in the logs and it appears like NetDetect does its thing before the connection has been established.

I restarted a few minutes ago and in;

- Control panel > Scheduled tasks, the log says last run at 22:26:49 (I got tired of converting to AM/PM);

- NIS/System-log says "NIS is protecting your connection to a newly detected network on adapter "Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC" " at 22:26:56, seven seconds later;

- NIS/Connections-log and NIS/Firewall-log have no entries for LuComServer at or around those times.

At the last scheduled time, NetDetect did its thing at 22:00:00 and the entries for LuComServer appeared at 22:00:12, twelve seconds later.

My conclusion is that NetDetect runs prematurely at login ...... ...... right?

Christer

Christer · 2004/12/10

My conclusion is that NetDetect runs prematurely at login ...... ...... right?
Click to expand...

I changed login to not using the "Welcome screen ", which forced manual login. Delaying login made the "at login" schedule work and LuComServer to run.

Christer,
still flogging the horse

Johanna · 2004/12/10

Christer,
When I boot my computer, a number of programs try to access the net immediately. As you know, they usually load in alphabetical order (??What genius thought that up??) and Norton will stall them all, until it is online and operational. The Alert Tracker (I like "tattletale" better) will announce "XYZ is preparing to access the internet" (emphasis mine) and then when Norton gives the green light, everything jumps on at once. (Doubleclick the tattletale when you get to your desktop, for those of you who are playing along) I do not know HOW Norton stops access until it is "ready ", but it does. If you specifically put a program in "always permit" or "automatic ", Norton still blocks it, until Norton is loaded and ready.

I did some experimental boots this morning, and realized LuComServer does not connect until approx. 6 seconds have passed from when Norton indicates it is up and running. I would suggest that this is by design- programs authorized to make connections are allowed to initialize, so that the user can get on his merry way, and then the Updater kicks in when that initial rush on the connection is over. The delay makes sense, because if Norton needs to download and install updates, it will need to "hog" bandwidth for a bit. I know Charlesvar knows what I mean, because of dial up. A Norton Update on my kids ancient Pent 2 dial up takes minutes- sometimes maybe 10 or more, and the same update, on my comp with it's cable connection, happens almost instantly, and if I am not paying attention, happens silently and unobtrusively.

Another observation: If I do not click my name and type my password right away on the Welcome Screen, my modem flickers, and when I do hit "enter" I get a fast desktop, not the gradual additions. This tells me that Norton is working during the Welcome Screen, releasing the queue for internet access, and XP is finding the desktop and all its parts, otherwise the desktop would not be instantly available.

Christer, keep on flogging the horse. If it weren't for curious minds and tenacious wills, we'd never learn anything, and the BBS would be a waste of time. I am glad you are investigating Norton and its mysteries. I think Symantec could vastly improve their product (and increase sales) if they had you on staff. But, sadly, "engineers" are being replaced with "programmers ", and the loss is ours, collectively.

Johanna

Christer · 2004/12/11

Johanna,
the horse is still in pain ...... ...... !

Right now, I'm at a friends place, blowing the froth off a couple of beers but when I get back home, I'll Ghost back to a state when Norton was freshly installed. That should prove if "my" Norton is corrupted but if it is, finding out when and why will be difficult.

Christer

Christer · 2004/12/13

I have played with Ghost and NetDetect:

I ghosted back to before installation of NIS 2003.
I installed NIS 2003, original version of LiveUpdate is 1.8.

I didn't start manual LiveUpdate until I found out how the original version worked in automatic.
NetDetect had two schedules, #1 - daily, every 5 minutes for 24 hours, #2 - at user login.
When NetDetect found the connection, LiveUpdate ran and retrieved virus definitions.
When finished, the schedule remained at 5 minutes but next time to run was moved 4 hours ahead.
After 4 hours, I was disconnected from the connection, next time to run was moved 5 minutes ahead.
I reconnected and after 5 minutes, NetDetect found the connection, LiveUpdate ran and next time to run was moved 4 hours ahead but the schedule remained at 5 minutes.

I had been prompted to run manual LiveUpdate and when I did, LiveUpdate was updated to version 2.5. (Not to the most current version 2.6 ...... ......)
Now, there was a single schedule for NetDetect - daily, every 5 minutes for 24 hours. After the first run and connection to LiveUpdate, it was rescheduled to every 4 hours. Since then, not a sign of the 5 minutes schedule.

I ghosted back (a second time) to before installation of NIS 2003 and installed it fresh. Next, I installed LU version 2.6 from the harddisk, before going on-line. The result was the same as after the previous installation of version 2.5.

This is very annoying and I thought that it could be my copy of NIS 2003 that was corrupted. However, I worked on a Packard Bell this weekend and installed NIS 2003 from the harddisk. It was among the bundled software (swedish version). It behaved in the same way as an installation from my NIS 2003 CD (english version). My conclusion of this is that my CD is OK and it's not a language version problem.

But what ...... ...... is the problem?

Christer

Johanna · 2004/12/13

I think NetDetect will search for an internet connection every five minutes until it finds one, and after it has communicated with LU, it automatically goes into the every 4 hours schedule. If it's any consolation, mine is version 2.5 also.

Perhaps we just didn't notice this behavior because we're used to our "always on" cable connections??

btw, I have Ghost, and decided to give it a try, thanks to you, Christer. Be prepared for an onslaught of confusion and questions!

Johanna

Christer · 2004/12/13

Johanna,
in a previous post (#27) You posted an excerpt from Your log. It looks similar to my log when the computer is running all day, LuComServer connecting every 4 hours. Then You said:

I will now disconnect from the internet and check logs after awhile.
Click to expand...

You would have to wait until the next scheduled time, which in Your excerpt would be at approximately 02:05 PM. If the computer is disconnected from the web, there shouldn't be an entry for LuComServer. If NetDetect works as it is "supposed to ", then the next run should be moved forward to 02:10 PM. On my computer, it would be moved forward to 06:05 PM.

I am eagerly awaiting the result of Your test!

btw, I have Ghost, and decided to give it a try, thanks to you, Christer. Be prepared for an onslaught of confusion and questions!
Click to expand...

I'll be happy to assist but I have not used Ghost in every conceivable way. If You start messing with USB harddisks and storing images on a network ...... ...... then You'll have to try Your luck at RADIFIED Forums. Most if not all problems get solved over there.

Christer

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