HOST Interfering with NAV protection?

[Chet]

On the page http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm under the section
about "Creating a Hosts Editor" it says: "If you are using a HOSTS file
now, check to see if there are any needed entries before you replace it with
the new download. Several users have reported overwriting their entries for
Norton's Email Protection.

127.0.0.1 pop3.norton.antivirus
127.0.0.1 pop3.spa.norton.antivirus"

I just downloaded the HOSTS file current for 11/19/03 and installed it over
my older HOST file. I searched it for the above two references. They aren't
in my hosts file. I run Windows 98. I use Norton antivirus with the
autoprotect on. I do not have email scanning checked on my NSW 2002
antivirus module because if I do, it messes up my communication with my ISP
and I was told the NAV scanned for viruses anyhow (ISP and instruction
booklet with Norton both agree that I am protected from incoming email
viruses despite not having checked email scanning).

I don't quite understand what the quote from the mvps page means. If those
two items are or aren't in the HOST file is my antivirus protection
compromised??

Thanks.

Chet

[YoKenny]

Chet wrote:
> On the page http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm under the
> section about "Creating a Hosts Editor" it says: "If you are using a
> HOSTS file now, check to see if there are any needed entries before
> you replace it with the new download. Several users have reported
> overwriting their entries for Norton's Email Protection.
>
> 127.0.0.1 pop3.norton.antivirus
> 127.0.0.1 pop3.spa.norton.antivirus"
>
> I just downloaded the HOSTS file current for 11/19/03 and installed
> it over my older HOST file. I searched it for the above two
> references. They aren't in my hosts file. I run Windows 98. I use
> Norton antivirus with the autoprotect on. I do not have email
> scanning checked on my NSW 2002 antivirus module because if I do, it
> messes up my communication with my ISP and I was told the NAV scanned
> for viruses anyhow (ISP and instruction booklet with Norton both
> agree that I am protected from incoming email viruses despite not
> having checked email scanning).
>
> I don't quite understand what the quote from the mvps page means.
> If those two items are or aren't in the HOST file is my antivirus
> protection compromised??
>
> Thanks.

Short answer. No it is not.

Long answer. The HOSTS file entries are only for email scanning and are not
needed if you don't use it. If you attempt to open an infected email then
you will be warned.