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Downloading from the web kicks me off Wi-Fi and I have issues moving files

Whenever I try to download through my Windows 11 set-up, the download fails and I get kicked off my internet connection. I've seen a number of people complain about this - on here and on Reddit - and the solution appears to involve turning off virus protection, but that clearly isn't a viable or sensible solution.

Dropbox needs to figure out what's going wrong and fix it. As it stands, the platform is no longer viable for me and the company I work for. If a proper solution isn't found soon, we will be moving our business elsewhere.

To make matters worse, there's the problem of moving files. I used to be able to click Move, then click Create new folder, navigate back, Click Move again, the new folder would come up and I could click on it. Job done. Now, Create new folder is greyed out and I have to go through a ridiculous number of steps to create the new folder and move the file. The obvious folders aren't offered as defaults and it's just a total faff.

Dropbox used to be very efficient and easy to use. Now it's effectively useless. The only way that I can actually use it is by doing everything via a Mac to carry out the downloads then email the files to my PC - obviously not a viable solution in the long term.

As I said, if Dropbox can't find a solution to these issues, we'll be moving our business elsewhere.

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Comments

Dell_Dropbox

Which version of Windows and Dropbox are you running specifically? I know these questions may test your patience but its necessary to gather as much info we can when our teams inevitably delve into these situations.

When exactly did the problem start?

Nostromo99

Yes, it does test my patience because other people have identified this problem recently, so Dropbox must be know about it. So why aren't we seeing a message on the site to tell us that they are aware of the problem and are working on a fix or providing details of a workaround? Why am I having to come on here to complain about it?

[link removed per Community Guidelines]

https://www.dropboxforum.com/discussions/101001016/accessing-the-dropbox-site-disables-my-internet-connection/846899

But yes, I'll go along with the charade. I'm on Windows 11 and I access Dropbox via Firefox, not via the app. I've tried using Chrome and the same the happens. The problem started at the beginning of the month.

Neal

Hi @Nostromo99,

Thanks for reporting this to the Community.

I have actually been collecting all of the reports of this across the community and and Reddit as well, to put together a cohesive report for ou internal team. This is now being looked into and hopefully we will have a fix soon.

In the meantime, I'd suggest whitelisting any Dropbox domains in your anti virus software.

Nostromo99

Hi Neal,

Thanks for letting me know. And I appreciate you working towards a fix. Apologies for coming across as so combative, but this has been an incredibly ball-ache during a really busy, stressful period. I've juggling multiple computers just to get basic stuff done.

Neal

Hi @Nostromo99,

I appreciate the apology but there's no need! I completely get the frustration when things like this happen! I can't say for definite if I'd be any different 😅

I'll be keeping an eye on the investigation and posting updates as soon as I have them.

In the meantime, here is the results of some of our investigations and steps you can take:

Avast

At this time, we are not certain of the feature causing the problem. We suspect Web Control, which includes a Business feature tier, although it might be the Firewall feature.

The Web Control feature enforces domain-level blocking across categories such as “Business,” “Cloud Storage,” or custom groups, per Avast. As Dropbox is a Cloud Storage provider, this suggests a whitelist for approved services in a Business environment is assumed by Avast.

Here are Dropbox’s official domains:What official domains does Dropbox use?

We have contacted Avast support, are investigating how we might reproduce this problem, and we’d appreciate any feedback on the results of this set of steps:

Troubleshooting Steps

Open the Avast dashboard and check the Notifications log for URL: entries.
Disable one protection component at a time to isolate the trigger (Web Shield, Real Site, Firewall).
Add the affected domain to Exceptions (enter the base domain, such as example.com, not just a page).
Restart your browser and re-test.

Additional items to check:

Firewall rules are managed under Protection → Firewall → Apps or Network Rules → Unblock or Allow connection.

Avast’s Real Site feature overrides your system DNS to prevent DNS hijacking attacks. Disabling or excluding the dropbox.com domain from Real Site may restore connectivity.

If the issue is primarily happening while working with the Desktop application, Avast documentation indicates that Behavior Shield can block background components of web-based apps if they install supplementary local services, and Email Shield can block webmail plug-ins or APIs invoked by desktop clients.

Norton

At this time, we are not certain of the feature causing the problem, but we suspect firewall related settings, or the Intrusion Prevention System features.

Norton's Smart Firewall feature actively filters all inbound and outbound network traffic and can block domains or disconnect Wi-Fi in certain configurations.

Norton 360 includes a VPN and Wi‑Fi inspection engine that monitors unsecured networks. These features can interrupt network sessions or override local DNS settings, mimicking a Wi-Fi disconnect symptom. Norton recommends whitelisting your trusted network under Settings → VPN → Split Tunneling → Add Trusted Network (link).

Norton provides some recommended steps here and also noting that “Internet Connection Sharing” setting defaults to “Block,” which can cause Wi-Fi disconnections or “no Internet access” errors until toggled to “Allow” (link included screenshots). Adjustments can be made under Settings → Firewall → Program Rules or Network Trust Configuration.

If you are experiencing issues primarily through the Dropbox Desktop application, Norton’s Intrusion Prevention System feature looks similar to a known issue with ESET’s HIPS feature (actively in progress to fix).

Norton performs deep packet inspection on HTTPS traffic, issuing its own root certificate to decrypt and inspect it. If you are seeing “Secure Connection Failed” or “Privacy Error” or ‘socket’ errors in your browser, this feature could be the issue. You can temporarily disable this feature to confirm under Web Protection → Encrypted Connections → Disable HTTPS Scanning.

We have contacted Norton support, are investigating how we might reproduce this problem, and we’d appreciate any feedback on the results of this set of steps:

Troubleshooting Steps

Open Norton Dashboard → Device Security → Settings → Firewall → Intrusion and Browser Protection.
Disable one module at a time (Firewall, SSL Scanning, Safe Web, VPN) and retry Dropbox.
Review the Security History logs under “Web Protection” for blocked domain events.
Add permanent exceptions under Web Protection → Exceptions → Add Web Address.

Here is a list of all domains used by Dropbox for reference: What official domains does Dropbox use?

Neal

Hi @Nostromo99,

As I mentioned earlier, we are actively investigating this and we need some follow up information.

Could you reply to me and let me know if you are using Avast or Norton and specifically what version of each are you using.

Thanks!

Neal

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to chime in and let you all know we're still looking into this but one of the solutions we found for Norton users is to go to Security > Advanced > Smart Firewall and change the Default Rule: Action from Smart Mode to Allow (screenshot below).