Why does Opera connect to Facebook servers every time its first instance/window is opened?

operauser1234567

operauser1234567

Are you logged in to Facebook Messenger in the sidebar?

No. I checked.
I will accept that I logged in once. But I logged out of it back then itself because the amount of time it was taking to load up, I thought I was better to use Facebook's web interface itself.

And when I open the Messenger from sidebar now, it asks me to sing-in. So I'm definitely not logged in to Facebook Messenger in the sidebar.

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer

Any open tabs when Opera starts?

gcg1000

gcg1000

Checkout your SETTINGS parameters, try the following: Settings>Basic>On Startup>Open a specific page or set of pages Set pages and see if a page set is pointing to Facebook.

operauser1234567

operauser1234567

Any open tabs when Opera starts?

Hi leocg!

No open tabs whatsoever...except for the Start Page!

See this screenshot.

That's how the screen looks when Opera starts interacting with Facebook's servers (the server are always in this range 157.240.0.0 - 157.240.255.255).

operauser1234567

operauser1234567

Checkout your SETTINGS parameters, try the following: Settings>Basic>On Startup>Open a specific page or set of pages Set pages and see if a page set is pointing to Facebook.

Hi gcg1000!

See this screenshot.

It's set to "Open the start page".

Also, I would like to mention here that to prevent any issues occurring due to old cookies, or old cached data, I usually use Private mode. I've even modified my Opera shortcut's command to ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera\launcher.exe" --private". So by default, I use Private mode, instead of normal/regular mode.

A Former User

There's this recent malware making your computer work as a node.

Another possibility could be that you or some of your utilities are/is logged to Facebook. A third party site like you're using and which uses your local storage or wants to constantly/regularly renew its cookies or something...
Try clean profile and clear cookies.
Check your browser starting shortcuts and stuff if they were not modified by something, just to stay in the clear.


> Another possibility could be that you or some of your utilities are/is logged to Facebook. A third party site like you're using and which uses your local storage or wants to constantly/regularly renew its cookies or something...  

Just thought of it!  
If you're logged out from Facebook while that third party Scheisse had been previously logged with it, that thing might be trying and trying - and failing to - renew the cookies or its connection, or whatever.  
Just out of interest, should it's the case, try logging to Facebook and restart the browser. If no more problem, then that is the case. :idea:

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer

See this screenshot.

What about the bookmarks? Any of them use Facebook?

And did you check with your extensions disabled?

What is the behavior with a clean profile?

sgunhouse

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer

Bookmarks shouldn't matter - unless he has an extension that checks his bookmarks for bad links. Do you have Facebook as a source for stories on the news page, perhaps?

operauser1234567

operauser1234567

Bookmarks shouldn't matter - unless he has an extension that checks his bookmarks for bad links. Do you have Facebook as a source for stories on the news page, perhaps?

Hi sgunhouse!

Here is the screenshot of my Personal News section. I only have 3 news sources (blogs.opera.com, blogs.opera.com/india, and Opera News (from Opera.com)). So none of them use Facebook.

Also, I have set "Check my sources for new content" setting set to "never". (see this screenshot) That's why there was nothing in my Personal News section.

And my extension list is as follows:

Dashlane Secure Password Manager
Download Chrome Extension
Evernote Web Clipper
Ghostery
HTML5 Video Speed Control
IDM Integration Module
Stylish

operauser1234567

operauser1234567

See this screenshot.

And did you check with your extensions disabled?
What is the behavior with a clean profile?

Hey leocg!

Okay! So here are the results:

Disabling the extensions has no effect at all. Creating a standalong instance of Opera even after disabling the extensions connects to the facebook servers in the range 157.240.0.0 - 157.240.255.255.
Clean profile helps. But only till the next update. So if I start working with a clean profile now, the behaviour would be normal...no instance of Opera connects to Facebook. However, come the next Opera update, and Opera would start connecting to Facebook servers again.

operauser1234567

operauser1234567

There's this recent malware making your computer work as a node.
Another possibility could be that you or some of your utilities are/is logged to Facebook. A third party site like you're using and which uses your local storage or wants to constantly/regularly renew its cookies or something...
Try clean profile and clear cookies.
Check your browser starting shortcuts and stuff if they were not modified by something, just to stay in the clear.
> 
>   Another possibility could be that you or some of your utilities are/is logged to Facebook. A third party site like you're using and which uses your local storage or wants to constantly/regularly renew its cookies or something...  
> 
Just thought of it!
If you're logged out from Facebook while that third party Scheisse had been previously logged with it, that thing might be trying and trying - and failing to - renew the cookies or its connection, or whatever.
Just out of interest, should it's the case, try logging to Facebook and restart the browser. If no more problem, then that is the case.  
  

Hey joshl!

Regarding the possibility of a malware, please suggest an antivirus which would be able to detect and remove it, if all it exists in my computer. I've tried with Kaspersky and MBAM, but the two came up clean...no detections whatsoever.

Could you please also clarify what you meant by a third-party site? An example would help...because from my viewpoint, every non-Opera website is a third-party site here. Also, as I said, I use Private mode as my default mode to surf the internet to stay clear of cached content related issues. The only website that I open in normal/regular mode is Feedly.

About starting from a clean profile: Clean profile helps. But only till the next update. So if I start working with a clean profile now, the behaviour would be normal...no instance of Opera connects to those Facebook server. However, come the next Opera update, and Opera would start connecting to Facebook servers again. This has been repeatedly proven to me over the past 4 Opera updates.

I've modified my browser shortcut to ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera\launcher.exe" --private" to make sure that I use the Private mode by default. That way, I stay clear of cached content related issues.

I don't have any 3rd party app connecting to Facebook. Might you be referring to the Facebook messenger built into Opera? I cleared the browsing data (cache, cookies, history, passwords...everything!). Why's it still connecting to Facebook after having cleared everything?

Additionally, I tried this:

In the regular/normal mode, I opened Facebook, logged into it and then logged out of it.
In the regular/normal mode, then, I oped the Facebook messenger built into Facebook. Logged into it, and then logged out of it.
Then I closed Opera and waited for all Opera.exe instances to die down in the Task Manager. Then, I opened an instance of Opera again.

However, even after doing this, Opera connects to the Facebook servers in 157.240.0.0 - 157.240.255.255 range...hogging down the bandwidth for minutes! I then cleared all the browsing data again...from the beginning of time. Then I restarted Opera. However, again, it connects to those very Facebook servers.

But I noticed something in this exercise...when I opened Facebook website, Opera didn't connect to the servers in 157.240.0.0 - 157.240.255.255 range. It was when I logged-in and logged-out of the FB messenger built into Opera that Opera started having conversation with the servers in 157.240.0.0 - 157.240.255.255 range. So, I think the culprit definitely is Opera's FB messenger. But nothing seems to be working in my case except a clean profile (which will only be a temporary measure till the next update, as has been proven 4 times already...)

What should I try next?

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer

I could see several connections to those IPs while I had Facebook page opened but with that page closed I couldn't see those connections anymore.

mbaluta

mbaluta

@operauser1234567 this is most likely because Messenger in sidebar is preloaded. Please simply right-click on sidebar, uncheck Facebook Messenger and see if that helps.

A Former User

Any site you log in with Facebook, commenting-liking plugins, that mess. included I guess.
No. Log in and stay that way. To see if it's a blind cub syndrome.
Every AV, I guess, will have its own tool. As Windows, they say, issued some.

I'm not well, sorry :faint:

operauser1234567

operauser1234567

@operauser1234567 this is most likely because Messenger in sidebar is preloaded. Please simply right-click on sidebar, uncheck Facebook Messenger and see if that helps.

@mbaluta Thanks so much sir/ma'am! It really seems to have stopped Opera from connecting to the FB servers in that range! And I don't have to wait to browse the Internet!

But it seems uncharacteristic to load only the Facebook Messenger and not Whatsapp & Telegram messengers...is Facebook also one of the funding sources for Opera?

operauser1234567

operauser1234567

So, how do I mark this post as Solved?

sgunhouse

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer

We do that ...