Bitdefender Firewall Slowing Down Network Transfer Rate

I am getting the same (if not a similar) problem. I purchased BitDefender Internet Security 2013 from the official BitDefender website a few days ago, and installed it this morning. It's been fine, excepting this fault...

I am trying to copy files across gigabit LAN, from a new Windows 8 PC with BitDefender Internet Security 2013 to a slightly older but still very new Windows 7 PC with a properly licensed and functional copy of Norton Internet Security 2013. We're using the standard Windows Explorer windows to copy files (nothing special like Teracopy).

If the BitDefender firewall is on, then the file is estimated to copy in about forty minutes (12 kbps). As soon as I switch the firewall off, the file copy completes very quickly. I have tested it multiple times, and as soon as I turn the firewall off, the dialogue box on the remote system (with the 40-minute eta) suddenly completes the transfer and the file copies successfully.

To test further, I ran a Windows XP system inside a VMWare Player virtual machine, and tried copying a file from the host (the same Windows 8 PC with BitDefender Internet Security 2013) to the guest (a fresh install of Windows XP inside a virtual machine with no firewall active). The exact same slow speed occurs, and as soon as I turn the firewall off the file transfer completes in a flash.

To ensure that VMWare wasn't causing the fault or a related conflict, I completely uninstalled the VMWare player. Everything seemed to uninstall properly, and the special VMWare network adapters disappeared.

Try this, change the status of "Windows Explorer traffic on HTTP / FTP" Rule in the Firewall General Rules.

Thanks for the idea, but I have tried this, with no luck. I have tried allowing ICMP and ICMPv6. I have tried adding all the IP addresses (v4 and v6) involved to the adapter settings window (each zone set to "allow", of course). I have tried Intrusion Detection on and off, and Internet Connection Sharing on and off. I've tried going into Manage Adapters from the main screen, and changed the network type to Trusted, and Home/Office. I've also tried setting Stealth mode to Off, On and Remote, and I've tried Generic mode in Yes and No. Each time I re-test the copy, and it goes really slowly. The only setting that has an effect is if I turn the firewall completely off from the main BitDefender window.

If I turn the Log Verbosity on and then go into Network Activity and then Show Log, I get heaps of this (but only when I try to copy files):

I am seeing heaps of "Blocked packet because of rule 25" messages in particular, with the occasional allowed packet message in between.

I've been combing through all the settings I can find in this software, but I can't find any reference to rule 25 or rule 50. Where can I find these rules please? Are these rules what are causing my slowdown?

Can someone please help me? I'd really appreciate any help please.

I've lodged a support request through the website, so if I hear anything from them, I'll it post here. In the meantime, if anyone can help, I'd be really grateful!

(Also, to clarify, I've been running the BitDefender update daily, and testing it continually, with no improvement just yet.)

There is no information for such blocking rules (e.g rule 25 in your case) in any manual or help. Wait for reply from technical support or provide some more info, let me see if I can help you.

Thank you so much for replying! I'm glad that someone kindly is trying to help me, even if they don't work for BitDefender.

1) What are your Antivirus, Firewall and Privacy Settings?

Antivirus

> Shield

+ > On-access scanning = On and Normal

+ > Active Virus Control = On and Normal

> Vulnerability

+ > Automatic Vulnerability Scan = On

+ > Critical Windows Updates = On

+ > Regular Windows Updates = On

+ > Application Updates = On

+ > Weak Passwords = On

+ > Media Autorun = On

> Exclusions

+ > Exclusions for files = On

+ > Excluded files and files (my GTA4 game folder)*

+ > Scan CD/DVD devices = Autoscan

+ > Scan USB devices = Autoscan

+ > Scan mapped network drives = Autoscan

> Quarantine

+ > Rescan quarantine after virus definitions update = Off

+ > Submit suspicious quarantined files for further analysis = Off

+ > Delete content older than = 30 days

+ > Quarantine list = Empty

Privacy

> Antiphishing

+ > Show Bitdefender Toolbar = Off

+ > Search Advisor = On

+ > Scan SSL = On

+ > Protection against fraud = On

+ > Protection against phishing = On

+ > Whitelist = Empty

+ > Protection for instant messaging = On

> Chat encryption

+ > Enable Instant Messenger Encryption = On

> Data protection

+ > Data protection = Off

+ > Rule list = Empty

Firewall

> Settings

+ > General Rules = All Allowed

+ > Application Rules = I haven't touched anything in here, so BitDefender is looking after this list.

+ > Adapter Rules = All IP addresses set to allow.**

+ > Paranoid Mode = Off (I have tried it in the On position, with no luck)

> Advanced

+ > Intrusion Detection System = On (I have tried it in the Off position, with no luck)

+ > Intrusion Detection System Level = Normal (I have tried it in the Permissive position, with no luck)

+ > Internet Connection Sharing = Off (I have tried it in the On position, with no luck)

+ > Block Port Scans = Off (I have tried it in the On position, with no luck)

> >Increase Log Verbosity = On (I have tried it in the Off position, with no luck, but it generates less detail in the Application logs)

+ > Monitor Wifi Connections = Off (As I do not have a Wifi network)

Manage Firewall

> Ethernet***

+ > Network Type = Home/Office (I have also tried Trusted, with no luck)

+ > Stealth Mode = Off (I have also tried On and Remote, with no luck)

+ > Generic = Yes (I have also tried No, with no luck)

*I had to put my entire GTA4 folder in here. If I do not put it in there, then the game crashes with the following Application Event Viewer log:

Faulting application name: LaunchGTAIV.exe, version: 0.1.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000

Faulting module name: avcuf32.dll, version: 3.10.7143.4226, time stamp: 0x509d2a97

Exception code: 0xc00000fd

Fault offset: 0x00008d48

Faulting process ID: 0x13b8

Faulting application start time: 0x01cdf2eb23a6ff72

Faulting application path: \Games\Steam\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto IV\GTAIV\LaunchGTAIV.exe

Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Bitdefender\Bitdefender 2013\Active Virus Control\Avc3_00173_002\avcuf32.dll

Report ID: 629eeba8-5ede-11e2-be8b-005056c00008

Faulting package full name:

Faulting package-relative application ID:

** Under Ethernet I have tried adding each IP address (IPv4 and IPv6) of any computer I have tried to transfer files between, and setting it to "Allow". This seems to have no affect on the speed of file transfer.

*** As per the instructions from Christian at http://forum.bitdefender.com/index.php?showtopic=35496

2) Are you using Ethernet connection or Wi-Fi?

CAT5e ethernet cabling running through a gigabit router. I thought that calling it 'gigabit' in my first post was unambiguous, but I keep forgetting that 802.11ac was also referred to as 'gigabit' wifi. Sorry about that.

3) Do you assign manual IP addresses or DHCP?

DHCP off my router. Since reading your post I've tried static IP addresses on everything, and I've tried flushing the DHCP server to assign new addresses, with no luck.

Does anything I've written here help spot the problem?

To BitDefender support team: Please, I need to get this fixed. I'm about an inch away from demanding a refund and going to a different vendor. I can't afford to keep spending my time trying to fix this, and shutting my firewall off every time I copy a file.

Any solution to this? I´ve just added another computer to my home network and I´m expering the same problem.

My solution right now is to disable BD Firewall...

reposting my solution, hopefully spam filters don't get triggered: "Are you by any chance running teamviewer or apple software? I just disabled my teamviewer and bitdefender went from the sawtooth 0-2 mbps to a steady 7.12 mbps (and disabling apple software allowed scans to actually happen... shouldn't have to kill other programs for AV to work... but whatever...)"

Greetings, everyone!

I just registered, because (for me) I just solved the issue of my terribly slow home network with BD firewall (btw - thnx google... dont ask me where have I found it, just randomly seeking and trying stuff...)

I disabled the IPv6 in ethernet adapter settings. That`s it. I don`t need it anyway.

Speed jumped up on my Win7/Win8 home network, movie streaming works... And all firewall settings are on default.

Not a permanent solution, I hope Bitdefender will work on this!

I hope this helps.

(bad english, hope understandable:-))

Cheers!

Sounds good, but I have no clue what to do.

I found the "rules.xml" file, found #25,

went to the Support>Contact Support,

received a zip file on my desktop.

But what next? What do I need to change, what executable is in the support tool?

Thanks