Skype - Newbie Questions

[RueFang]

Not too sure about the wording but would like to know about how much resources SKYPE uses in bandwidth. I have unlimited downloads per month but people I will be talking to only have limited accounts and are a bit worried about using precious mbs. To actually download the program is only 35 mb but when you make or take a call, how much is it using?

Also, if only one person has a web cam can you still see them and how do you see them?!

Cheers

[Guest Reimar]

The actual connection is between 96 and 128 kbsp up and down. so devide by 8 you get the amount of transfred data in kB!

If only one person has a Camera, the other party can see that one, don't need a Camera.

[RueFang]

Thanks Reimar! How do you check the connection usage? When viewing from my end (no camera) is it all automatic in Skype - how do I see the other person? My friend connected her camera yesterday but I couldn't see anything.

[gregb]

If you're worried about bandwidth *DON'T USE SKYPE!!!*

Read the Skype terms and conditions. They can use your bandwidth in any amount for any service they want as long as you are logged on. In particular, if you are not behind a symmetric NAT device, you can very easily find other people's conversations being routed through your PC.

Skype is a peer to peer service, and as such needs to be considered in the same way as Bit Torrent or any other bandwidth sharing service. Anytime you log onto Skype, you have to be prepared for them to use all of your bandwidth. Woe to you if you actually happen to log on from a static IP address with a few Mbit of bandwidth at your disposal. You'll find yourself almost immediately promoted to a supernode.

People don't understand this about Skype. It is not a voice communication service. Voice is simply the primary application they run on top of their peer to peer network. Skype is at its core the same as Bit Torrent. Remember, it came from the same people who developed Kazza.

Anyone stating they only use 100kbit or so is either extremely lucky or just happens to be behind a symmetric NAT device and is leaching bandwidth from some other unfortunate sucker.

If are concerned about bandwidth, go with a VoIP service that doesn't steal it from you. There are many of them out there. Googletalk for example. Much less intrusive than Skype. Or just about any SIP provider.

Ignore this warning at your own peril...You have my condolences if you pay by the Mbit...

[RueFang]

Thanks for the info Greg..luckily I don't pay by the Mb and I can always turn it off and just turn it on when I want to use it. Will look into alternatives but for now I realllly want to know - How the heck do I view someone who has a webcam...they say they can see themselves through the webcam program but not through skype...so how do I see them if I don't have a webcam??

[batami]

Thanks for the info Greg..luckily I don't pay by the Mb and I can always turn it off and just turn it on when I want to use it. Will look into alternatives but for now I realllly want to know - How the heck do I view someone who has a webcam...they say they can see themselves through the webcam program but not through skype...so how do I see them if I don't have a webcam??

you cannot see them becasue they have not enabled their cam on the skype call .. you don't control that. When they connect to you on voice they will have a button which is sitting towards the bottom of the Skype box (this is the box which has the tabs at the bottom and has the name of the called party in the center. towards the bottom there should be a box which says (from my recollection, I don't have cam enabled right now) show my webcam or something to that effect) - they need to click that box then you see.

I read gregb's post and was not aware of what he has said, and will do a bit more research... HOWEVER, I have been a Skype user for, i guess, two years plus (i was one of the "early adopters') and I have been satisfied with the service - and, as it has been enhanced, then i have used it more and used more functions. I now have a UK "Skype in" number (or is is "Skype out") so my friends, family, business colleagues call a london number (0208) and I receive the call on my pc in Asia (or wherever I am) or it goes to skype voicemail. my family who are scattered across Uk and Asia use it avidly. and I have used it frequenlty for business and for biz conference calls... including China. No doubt the more technical amongst us will have something positive or negative to say about the techncial merits / demerits but -- for me - it works and saves me a hel_l of a lot of money.. I might add I operate on a adsl line out of CM and a broadband connection in Singapore.

Skypes usefulness is driven by (a) how many of your regular contacts are also on Skype so you can get free pc to pc calls and ( how far you enter you own contacts telephone numbers into the Skype directory on you pc -- i have been known to use it for calls internally in thialand. International SMS's are cheaper (forme) on Skype than on my phone. My tip is, as you increase its useage, check the relative costs of services between Skype and your own phone(s) - use the cheapest combination skype ot thai mobile or landline

I have bought a skype phone (As in normal looking handset) but its functionality is limited - if you go down this route do some serious checking out of usability and functions - i didn't and i have a handset that serves as a paperweight. By contrast my daughter has a combined landline and skype phone in the Uk which they use all the time

Skype provides me value -- over to you.

[lopburi3]

My quick search does not agree with gregb. A firewall should stop any such use and even if no firewall it would be limited to 40k at the most and only for data - calls are not routed through another persons computer, only the connection information, from my reading. Idle was estimated to be .5kb/sec usage.

[RueFang]

I have to say that even though I've only had it for less than 2 weeks I've spoken to people more than I have in 3 years!! So I'm very much loving SKYPE right now for the free calls! I'm sure my friend enabled the show button but nothing...I assume it automatically appears in my skype box where their name appears?

[lopburi3]

There is a setting for video in the tools/options/video tab to automatically show or whatever you want - not sure what happens if that is not ticked.

[Guest Reimar]

Hi RueFang,

sorry for the late answer.

gregb is wrong! Usinge differrent software for measuring the in and out going traffic in kbps, if everything is idle just skype is running the usage is with no call connection below 40 kbps even if the camera is connected. Within a call but withinout camrea is app. 100 kbps and with camera running it goes up to 180 kbps. That's all.

batami is right about to see the other party if they having a camera but NOT started! I do the same, normal my camera is of and I've to click on the camera button to start that service. But you can set the start to automatic via Tools >Options >Video Settings from the skype Menu!

Cheers

[RueFang]

Thanks for the clarification. I've (and the other parties) have all enabled the skype video from the tools menu but it says in a red box "Skype did not find preferred video source. Webcam could be in use by another application".

batami - When they connect to you on voice they will have a button which is sitting towards the bottom of the Skype box (this is the box which has the tabs at the bottom and has the name of the called party in the center. towards the bottom there should be a box which says (from my recollection, I don't have cam enabled right now) show my webcam or something to that effect) - they need to click that box then you see.

- I assume this must be the thing to do but since I can't see their box I can't be certain they've enabled it! Will try try again..thanks for helping, muchly appreciated.

[lopburi3]

You should get that message as you do not have a camera - but are you saying the person with a camera is also getting that message? Below that message should be the automatically receive video options and suspect if you have that turned on there will not be a button to push (but don't know that). But if other person is getting the no camera found there is a problem with there setup and they are not sending any video.

[torrenova]

I found SKYPE has problems with camera drivers and it forgets sometimes as well.

[RueFang]

You should get that message as you do not have a camera - but are you saying the person with a camera is also getting that message? Below that message should be the automatically receive video options and suspect if you have that turned on there will not be a button to push (but don't know that). But if other person is getting the no camera found there is a problem with there setup and they are not sending any video.

Yes, yesterday the person also had the same message in the red box. I tried again this morning with someone else and theirs said video working, enabled, no red box...but alas I still couldn't see them! When they clicked on start video their name changed format in the box but nothing came through. I'm at a bit of a loss because I've enabled video and can't see what else to do. I emailed support so hopefully they can do something!

[RueFang]

Well, this is embarrassing! Just had to maximise the window!! BTW Skype support only answer emails if you're a paying customer...lucky my brain cells kicked in!