Constant network drops/reconnects with Malwarebytes

[dkinnard]

Originally Posted by Dennyc

Problem SOLVED. For me, it turns out that Malwarebytes AM and/or Malwarebytes AE were the problem. My two machines started having strange issues right after I installed these programs. Apparently, some kind of conflict was happening between Malwarebytes and something else. I suspect MSE. I was also experiencing boot problems where my machines would hang during boot up. Anyway, once I uninstalled all Malwarebyte products, both of my machines became real happy again.

I came across the above posting earlier today when searching for a solution to a similar problem: my ethernet connection--running DisplayLink USB Graphics Software for Windows 9.3 M0 drivers through my Plugable UD-3900 USB 3.0 dock on Windows 10--was constantly dropping, disabling itself and rendering my machine unable to connect to the internet (even Wifi using the built-in adapter). As a current premium subscriber of Malwarebytes 4 (current version is Malwarebytes 4.04.49), I saw this posting and, although dated, took a chance on uninstalling Malwarebytes (and reinstalling; see below) and...so far...I have had my ethernet adapter in my dock working all day. Here are the steps:

(1) Completely and totally uninstall malwarebytes using the latest mb-support and/or mb-clean tools
(2) by default, Windows Security/Defender Antivirus will eventually kick-in since you (presumably) have no other antivirus installed at this time.
(3) exempt/make exceptions in the Windows Defender Antivirus settings for all of the various DisplayLink software packages that you will use below to clean and re-install DisplayLink software, including, without limitation, making exceptions in the "Exploit Protection" settings (under App & Browser Control)
(4) shutdown
(5) unplug the dock from the computer
(6) reboot
(7) run the latest DisplayLink Installation Cleaner (let it finish) to completely remove all traces of DisplayLink from your machine
(8) reboot (do not yet plug in your USB 3.0 dock)
(9) Install the latest DisplayLink USB Graphics Software for Windows
(10) Shutdown
(11) Plug your USB dock into your computer
(12) reboot
(13) if you have a Plugable Dock like me, check Plugable's website to see if there is a firmware package update for your dock. There was for mine, so I ran it. (Note that, prior to uninstalling Malwarebytes and taking the above steps, this firmware would not update, so I determined that firmware was not the original culprit).
(14) shutdown
(15) physically unplug the power supply adapter from your dock for at least 30 seconds.
(16) plug power supply back into the dock
(17) reboot.

The above worked for me--and, again, so far...

Whether it works for you may be a different story, but I felt compelled to contribute to this forum since I rely on DisplayLink so heavily in my daily work environment.

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EDIT:

ADDITION TO THE ABOVE: (18) Reinstall Malwarebytes. As an added measure, and whether or not this is superfluous or necessary is totally up to you: leave the "enable self-protection module early start" option (in advanced security settings) unchecked, as enabling this setting specifically "...changes the order of services and drivers associated with your computer's startup" (see the MB for Windows User Guide here: https://support.malwarebytes.com/docs/DOC-3564), and you want (or, at least I want) the DisplayLink "dlcdcncm" ethernet adapter driver for the USB dock loaded early on in the PC's startup process so that the internet (using ethernet, not WiFi) works right away at the Windows login screen (and during your boot process).