VMWare AVG Firewall conflict

[tmbarton]

I'm running VMware Workstation 6.5.0 on a 64bit Vista host with a CentOS 5 guest. I installed the guest a while ago had haven't really used it all that much. It's the only guest I have at the moment. I'm using bridged networking, so myguest's eth0 is bridged directly onto my local network.

I can't get the guest to talk to the world if the host's AVG firewall is turned on - I have no network connectivity at all. If I turn the host's AVG firewall off, everything works as expected, I can ping the local net and the internet and I can crows to web pages, etc, from the guest. As soon as I turn the host's firewall on I can't do anything.The host firewall logs show the packets being blocked, but I can't find out which rules if any are doing the blocking. The blocking also happens if I choose AVGs "Allow all" profile, which apparently should let any application do anything, but seemingly doesn't. The only way I can get any network connectivity from my VMWare guest is to disble the firewall completely.

The only glimmer of connectivity is that I use DHCP to allocate the guest's IP address from my netowrk DHCP server. That worked, even though the host firewall was on when I booted the guest, and I have a valid IP address on the guest adapter.

I think this is a recent problem. I know the VM has worked properly in the past, and for example I can see various websites in the guest's Firefox history. I'm pretty sure it's worked with 6.5.0. I'm suspecting a recent update in the AVG stuff has killed it. It's version 8.0.199, bang up to date.

Anyone have any ideas?

Trevor

[p6889k]

I have exactly the same problem and am also looking for a solution. I have VMware Workstation 6.5.0 on 64bit Vista and also on 32bit XP, both with AVG Firewall 8.0 and none of my guests can connect to the internet unless I disable AVG firewall. This used to work just fine few months ago, until I have turned on the guests few days ago and noticed the problem.

[p6889k]

I just got a response from AVG that this is a bug in their software and that I should download the latest AVG beta version to fix it. Here is the message from AVG:

"....We would like to inform you that your issue has been solved in the
latest beta version that is available on our beta portal ( 8.0.214 )

[http://beta.grisoft.com/beta/index.php?lang=2]

Please install the beta version and do the following:

- Start the AVG User Interface
- Select Tools -> Firewall settings -> <Active profile> -> Enable
Virtual Machines Bridged networking option.
- Save changes......" 

[tmbarton]

Thanks, p6889k, that's the answer! Installing the beta AVG and ticking the box does the trick. I guess the AVG numpties made something "more secure" and the law of unforseen consequences came up and bit them in the ... not the first time it's happened in recent months, unfortunately! Actually at least the fourth in a month:

[BartMcLeod]

I have a similar problem now with Windows Vista BU 32bit and AVG 8.5.375, with the checkbox checked. If I turn the firewall off and restart virtual ubuntu, I can go anywhere on the web. Firewall on, no connectivity. The ip of the guest is in the allow everything range, VMWare workstation is an allowed program etc. I checked everything I could think of and it is driving me mad.

The same version of AVG works fine with Windows 7 RC 1 64bit.

VMWare Workstation 6.5

[mmkovach]

To allow bridged networking as of AVG 9: Tools/ Firewall settings/ Defined networks/ Fictive local IP addresses. Edit the fictive network to include the local IP address or range of addresses of your virtual machines. Hope this helps.

[PCFerret]

Worked for me!

[BartMcLeod]

Thanks a lot for your answer. It solved my problem.