newbie questions re potential version upgrade from not-so-newbie user

[brynn 0]

Hi Friends,

Please be patient with me. I'm not very technically inclined and I find ESET extremely hard to understand and use properly. Also I may have neglected it for the past couple of years due to health issues. 🙄

My installed version is 16.0.26.0. I've been stumbling through the website for an hour now, and nowhere can I find what the current version is. I'm sure it's there somewhere, and I'm sure I need to upgrade my version. But I cannot find it. So I will just refer to the "current available stable version".

Re the neglect. I find that clicking on the Network Protection link, I see a Troubleshooting Wizard, which is routinely reporting the same 3 blocked apps, 2 of which are blocked hundreds of times every 15 minutes. Aside from the curiosity of what could possibly want to be happening  with such a frequency, they both appear not to be necessarily malicious. They all report that the Remote Address is 192.168.0.1. Maybe I have forgotten something, being away from my computer and ESET for a while? But isn't that the address that I use to access my network connection or isp settings? Well....maybe those settings actually live at my ISP's server,  rather than on my computer. But still, I'm not sure if they are malicious. If I tell you the info for the apps, can you give me any info, or point me to info that will help me make that decision for myself?

1 -- SSDP Discovery, Microsoft Corp, C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe. In the Reputation column, it shows a green checkmark beside a gray icon that I can't quite make out. However looking at the Details window, it says "Communication denied by" a certain rule. And since I have certainly not added any rules (I barely have  a concept what a "rule" is in this case) it must be some rule that came with ESET by default, which makes me think the app must be dangerous. (This one is being blocked 200 to over 300 times per 15 minutes!)

2 -- NT Kernel and System, Microsoft Corp, System, This also shows a green checkmark with a tiny gray icon, but the Details window shows that it's being denied by 2 different rules. Again, I have not entered any rules myself. They must have come with ESET by default, which again makes me wonder if it's dangerous. I just have no idea whether these are maliciously trying to access my network/isp settings, or part of some normal and safe process. This one only happens 20 to 30 times per 15 minutes.

3 -- This one is really confusing. CenturyLink C1100T Gateway. That actually is the name of my wireless modem/router, which was installed just before my health issues started. So I only just now figured out it's being blocked. The fact the ESET is blocking it has not apparently affected my internet accesss. But I really don't understand why ESET can't see that it's connected to my system....somehow? Anyway, my best guess is that this one should be unblocked. But honestly, I'm not completely sure. Sadly I just can't understand enough to be sure.

So are these all safe, and coming from my ISP, legitimately? Or attacking me or my isp? If you can point me to any info I can use to decide on  my own, that would be great. I have done some brief searching, but mostly what I learned just raises more questions and confusion.

And there is one more question related to this subject, but separate from this Troubleshooting Wizard info. (well....maybe connected to those issues.....arrrgghh, I don't know!)   Just above that (on Network Protection window), there's a link for Connected Networks. When I open that window, it shows one network -- mine -- the one I click on to connect to the internet. The problem is that it says it's Untrusted!  Does it only say that because I have not yet switched it to Trusted? Or does that indicate some other kind of problem? If I switch it to Trusted, I wonder if that will automatically unblock the router items?

I know that a lot of software support reps want to advise users to upgrade to the current available stable version, because doing so will fix the user's problems (because I actually help to support users of a much smaller and less technical software - a graphics program). But I have 2 reasons to delay the upgrade for a bit longer. One is that my subscription does not expire until December. And the other is that I'm still using Windows 7. And I don't know if the current available stable version will work on Windows 7 (since I could not even find the current available stable version number). I hated Windows 10 so much, that I decided to ride Windows 7 as long as I can, and then I plan to switch to a Linux system. Maybe I should plan to do that next Dec?

In any case, will you be able to help me with the above issues, considering that I cannot upgrade to the current available stable version, right away?

I have  a couple of much less urgent questions as well, but they don't fall under the category of "potential version upgrade" as in my topic title. Can I tack them on to the end of this thread? Or would you prefer I make a separate topic? Maybe it doesn't matter, but I don't want to offend the community.

Sorry this is so long. I'm not sure how much is relevant detail and how much is unneeded. Plus I've probably left out something important.... So thanks for your patience with my huge not-so-tech-savvy-ness. And sorry again it's so long  🤓

brynn

 

[Marcos 5,153]

Version 16.0 is the latest that supports Windows 7. Microsoft ended mainstream support for that OS in 2015. Without security updates it has become vulnerable to attacks as new vulnerabilities were discovered. We strongly recommend upgrading to a fully supported operating system.

As for your questions, please run the Network troubleshooting wizard only if you are experiencing network communication issues and pausing the firewall makes a difference. If that's the case, elaborate more on the issue that you are having, otherwise feel free to ignore the blocked communication.

[brynn 0]

Well I thought I was having connection issues when I opened ESET in the first place. But I did not run a wizard. This is something that shows up on the Network Protection window. (I do wonder why it's called a "wizard" because I have not seen anything like what I think of as a wizard.) So I made a screenshot for clarity. I have the impression it comes from some kind of active monitoring (because it sometimes changes as I look at the page). As you can see, today when I made the screenshot, it was blocking 4 items. (I have not disabled the firewall.)

So you say I can ignore whatever has been blocked. I assume that means you think they are probably malicious or at least unwanted? I just don't understand why they are coming from an IP address that is, or seems, trustable. Especially the one coming from my own router.

That's what makes this all so hard to understand. By name, the items seem safe enough. But then, they must have been blocked for some reason. I just wish you would make a dumbed down version of ESET, so people like me could understand better.

Last question. Is it ok to switch my network to trusted? Or is this something technical that I don't understand, and I should leave it as untrusted?

Thanks again for all your patience 🙂

Edited June 15 by brynn
typo

[Marcos 5,153]

The button is called Resolve blocked communication in newer versions:

It displays a list of recently blocked communications so you can use it when you notice that a desired communication has been blocked, e.g. if you want to connect to the machine remotely and RDP is blocked because the remote machine is not in the trusted zone.

[brynn 0]

Thanks.