Netgear gone schizo

[Hunt]

OK so I set up my netgear modem to be unsecure / no password required.
2 of the computers in the house pick up the modem and access the www no problem without a request for a password. My third laptop that recently crashed and rebuilt I just put on Kaspersky anti virus and when I "view available networks" my Netgear comes up as requiring a password. I am blocked from accesssing my own unsecured modem? what to do?

[Ricky-Ray]

I've never used Kaspersky before but maybe it's blocking it somehow? I would try uninstalling it and see if you can get on your network if you can then install Kaspersky back and see what happens.

[Hunt]

I've never used Kaspersky before but maybe it's blocking it somehow? I would try uninstalling it and see if you can get on your network if you can then install Kaspersky back and see what happens.

I hate to get on the www without antivirus

[Ricky-Ray]

Have the install file already downloaded, uninstall the AV, most likely reboot, try to connect to wireless, if successful reinstall AV. You'll be connected online for just a few mins but you haven't downloaded or connected to any websites so it would be 99.9% safe to say you should not get any viruses during that time.

I've connected newly built computers online before having AV on there and never had issues. The stuff I downloaded was alway's drivers or the AV software from trusted sites and no issues.

[mzimmers]

When you say your modem is "unsecure," do you mean merely no password required, or that the firewall is completely disabled? This Kaspersky stuff might access the modem through a particular port that you've never used before, and isn't enabled in the modem's security software. I'm just spitballing, but it's something to look at.

[Rivers]

I've had Kaspersky do this on clients' PCs. It is blocking all access to the computer. It's a checkbox to undo this and is a quick fix once you know to look for it, but it will happen again. I'd disable Kaspersky's firewall and re-enable Windows, or lose Kaspersky altogether and use something else. Check various PC sites (PCmag.com, etc.) for product reviews.

Now I go back to my Macs...