Skype Always Poor Connection In Thailand

[Bluebell]

Been using skype in UK and HK with no problems. Since moving here I never get a good connection.... poor audio quality every time with skype to skype and Skype Out. Anyone using skype successfully? I presume it is the poor adsl here. Any advice or should I just forget about it?

[Guest Reimar]

Been using skype in UK and HK with no problems. Since moving here I never get a good connection.... poor audio quality every time with skype to skype and Skype Out. Anyone using skype successfully? I presume it is the poor adsl here. Any advice or should I just forget about it?

May your Router isn't configured right! You need to forward the right port for Skype to get the most out. To get the port you need to forward, open Skype, click on Tools follow by Options, click on the Advanced button and choose Connection. Uncheck Use Port 80 and 443 ........... The Port number in the Field above the Use Port 80 and 443 ......... shows you a port number which you can use for forwarding or any other Port number you've free like 34456 or whatever. use that port number for forwarding in your Router.

Cheers.

[jeffer]

I use Skype a lot in Thailand, mostly Skype Out. It works okay but sometimes it can be poor quality but that's internet in Thailand for you, whichever company you deal with. I really notice the difference when using Skype overseas in Europe or the US because the quality of the line is always much better. If you are using a connection slower than 1MB it helps if you have only Skype using your internet connection e.g. no downloading in the background, no news sites and RSS programs, no anti-virus updating. Even with a 256 ADSL connection I've found Skype passable 99% of the time but if you are using an internet connection where it always seem to take forever to load overseas websites then you will probably have problems using Skype.

[Bluebell]

May your Router isn't configured right! You need to forward the right port for Skype to get the most out. To get the port you need to forward, open Skype, click on Tools follow by Options, click on the Advanced button and choose Connection. Uncheck Use Port 80 and 443 ........... The Port number in the Field above the Use Port 80 and 443 ......... shows you a port number which you can use for forwarding or any other Port number you've free like 34456 or whatever. use that port number for forwarding in your Router.

Cheers.

Thanks.....will give it a try.

[Greenside]

May your Router isn't configured right! You need to forward the right port for Skype to get the most out. To get the port you need to forward, open Skype, click on Tools follow by Options, click on the Advanced button and choose Connection. Uncheck Use Port 80 and 443 ........... The Port number in the Field above the Use Port 80 and 443 ......... shows you a port number which you can use for forwarding or any other Port number you've free like 34456 or whatever. use that port number for forwarding in your Router.

Cheers.

I was trying these suggestions since my Skype service is rubbish too but can't find the way to configure port forwarding in my modem/router. Might it be called something else? The modem is a G-Mesh GM-301 supplied by TOT with it's internet subscription.

[yeti]

http://www.portforward.com/ is the 1st place you should look at when having questions about port forwarding.

[Old Man River]

I can't help from a technical standpoint (others are doing that anyway), but it must be a technical issue as I have no problems with the audio quality (I am in Bangkok). I normally call the US, and while the signal cuts off from time to time, the audio quality is as good as a normal land line.

[nonthaburial]

Quickie for the experts. Do you have to use a card purchased in the country you wish to use Skype from? point in mind is I bought a Skype Card in Kunming and works perfectly between Thailand and China and vv, but I dont seem to be able to use it to other countries ??????

[jstumbo]

Buy a card for Skype? Never heard of such a thing. I just add money to my skype account from within skype and then I make skype out calls to phones all over the world.

I have much worse connections here compared to when I do it from China or Malaysia though.

[monty]

Never any problems with skype, even when using it on a TT&T 256/128 package (Premier, SME package).

Never changed any settings or done any port forwarding either...

It's a different story however on the cheap Indy (home) packages, where quality can vary a lot...

[Veazer]

My connection in Chiang Mai (True/Cable - 1024/512) is usually horrible for skype. The other party says they can hear me fine, but their voice is very slooooo and choppy like it's played back at 1/2 speed or slower...... and then suddenly their voice speeds up to 2-3x normal speed and is too fast to understand, then slow again. repeat repeat.

My ports are forwarded correctly, and skype diagnostics shows that no relays are being used, virtually no lost packets, low cpu use, but roundtrip times range from high, around 2500-3500ms, to ridiculously high like 15,000-20,000 ms. It's as if my incoming skype data is treated as low priority traffic and waits in some queue for a few seconds.

The connection currently works fine for nearly everything else, especially considering how many people have horrid internet problems. I can use nearly all my bandwidth when downloading torrents, and single threaded downloads (ie no download manger) are typically 25-30 kB/s, more than adequate to handle Skype's minute bandwidth. Browsing, email, etc. are all very usable, only skype gives me issues.

[edit: typo]

Edited March 31, 2008 by Veazer

[CosmicSurfer]

SKYPE works fine for me in Bangkok... I'm with TRUE, (256 or 512???) Sometimes the connection to Canada or USA cuts, but that's par for the course... Occasionally in Prime time the connection is iffy, but usually quite good...

It also matters if you are going "Computer to Computer" to someone with Dial-Up.. My Father still has Dial-UP (Too cheap to spring for Brioadband) and then we sometimes have a bad connection.. especially if he tries to use his WebCam.

My SKYPE-Out works great... I even have call forwarding to my Mobile set up... actually to 2 Mobiles and my Direct line.. Forwards my SKYPE calls even when I'm not online... Really freaky when both my mobiles and my Direct line all start ringing at the same time... But then I know it's a SKYPE call. .

CS

Edited March 31, 2008 by CosmicSurfer

[makloey]

Skype uses upnp, which is automatic port forwarding. So manual port forwarding will not help you any further.

Most of the cheap lines are useless for anything realtime with the insane latency they have.

[Fantasteak]

Been using skype in UK and HK with no problems. Since moving here I never get a good connection.... poor audio quality every time with skype to skype and Skype Out. Anyone using skype successfully? I presume it is the poor adsl here. Any advice or should I just forget about it?

Not a very Teci one here but it might help some. If you are typeing messages to someone on skype in CM the messages can often get held up or sometimes they just wont go. If this happens just call the person you are sending the messages to on skype. As soon as you here the ringing tone you can hang up. The messages should then go and it should work properly.

[Farma]

I use Skype to Skype on average 4 hours a day mainly between Thailand ADSL and Middle East 3.5G.

I don’t have many problems although noticed the service deteriorated for a few weeks after the last cable problems. I also upgraded to Skype version 3 around this time. The past few weeks Skype has returned to the pre cable problem/version 3 upgrade clarity.

Apart from a few dropped connections every now and then, it’s normally clear and way better than Yahoo or Msn.

[huski]

as suggested before, when using skype, try to close all other applications that would take bandwidth.

i use skype for audio/video and am very pleased. however, one thing to keep an eye on is the amount of users logged into skype, if around 9 million (thailand day, USA night) you should be fine. if above 12 million, there is a possibiltiy quality may go down or calls might be dropped.

[solent01]

Never any problems with skype, even when using it on a TT&T 256/128 package (Premier, SME package).

Never changed any settings or done any port forwarding either...

It's a different story however on the cheap Indy (home) packages, where quality can vary a lot...

Agree 100%, but shut down all other activity on your line first, then you may well find that Skype works better than your phone. It sure does for me. (Premier 1M down, and half that going up)