BitDefender Total Security (Windows) Compatibility with HomeSeer HS4?

IlDavo

HomeSeer HS4 home automation software fails to operate when run on a Windows 10 PC that has BitDefender Total Security installed.

I'd read, a couple years back, that HomeSeer HS4 and BitDefender were incompatible. An unanswered 2021 post in BitDefender Community suggests that this may have been true — at least, in 2021.

Is anyone aware of any conditions/configurations under which a Windows 10 PC protected by BitDefender Total Security can also run HomeSeer HS4?

Alexandru_BD

Hello,

A quick search over the Internet reveals that certain issues have been reported with HS4 and some antivirus programs in the past. Security solutions often include firewalls that, by default, may block the HomeSeer web server from operating correctly. This can prevent access to the HS4 interface or cause connectivity problems.
So, I don't think this is necessary an incompatibility issue, but rather a setup issue involving the firewall.
For instance, based on my findings, some users have experienced difficulties connecting to HS4 when using Windows Defender Firewall. In one case, HS4 was listed twice under the "Allow apps to communicate through Windows Defender Firewall" settings, with inconsistent configurations for private and public networks. Adjusting these settings resolved the connectivity issue. But that's just an example out of context.

For Bitdefender, I would advise to consider the following steps:

Temporarily disable the Firewall and see what happens. If turning the Firewall OFF solves the problem, do the following:

1. Go to Network Adapters tab and set the network type to Home/Office using the drop-down menu near its name
2. Then, from the same Firewall Tab, click on Settings from the top-right , then, for the network you're currently connected to, uncheck the stealth mode button to disable it.

If this doesn't help, add a network exception by following the steps from this article:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/13428/

Next step would be to click on the Settings tab from Firewall module and switch OFF Port scan protection.

If HS4 still fails to operate with the firewall disabled, Turn OFF all Bitdefender security modules from the interface, one by one, in order to find the culprit. You can find the steps on how to do this here:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/28557/

Just remember to re-enable your defenses once troubleshooting is done.

If it turns out that the issue is caused by Bitdefender Shield -- add exclusions for antivirus.
If the issue is caused by Advanced Threat Defense - add exclusions for ATD.

If none of these steps help, then I think it's a task for Support and you can contact them usign this link:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/help/

Let us know what worked for you.

Regards,

Alex