Skype Issue - It's Become Annoying.

[KhunHeineken]

This doesn't explain why I attempt 3 or 4 times to call a Thai mobile, particularly AIS mobile numbers, and give up, then straight away call a number in another country and it is connected on the first attempt and has great sound quality.

I'm thinking AIS have done something to block, or restrict the traffic flow, of Skype, and probably other VoIP providers, to their mobile numbers.

I use Skype, but can other members who use different VoIP providers tell me if they are having the same problem?

I don't think so. I believe this is a misconfiguration on Skype's gateway. The Skype call out is a normal call for AIS, coming in just like any other phone call.

Without knowing Skype network and service structure, my guess would be following.

Call flow:

Skype on PC -> Skype/network -> Skype2POTS gateway -> Normal landline call -> AIS network -> Receiver.

The Skype2POTS is likely an server which is behind good internet fiber connection (maybe TOT or CAT). It's likely to have on or multiple Public IP-addresses, which also means that there is no NAT problems on this end (anyway NAT problems are more of SIP/RTP problems).

The problem lies on Skype gateway which is serving AIS network. Maybe they have few dead lines, which are not taken off from the outgoing call pool. Maybe it's a capacity problem while transcoding the calls from Skype's codec to G.711 codec which is used by the phone network. In this case the voice is ok, when other calls are dropped...

In any case, this seems to be Skype's problem. Not AIS problem, even if they are suffering from it.

Just best guesses...

Having worked in the Mobile Industry for many years I would say it is a Transcoding issue in the Mobile Network. VoIP requires a high speed codec to be used as the connection is essentially Data. This issue of one way speach was very common in the UK many years ago as opperators started to upgrade to Data transmission for mobiles. After reading this thread I would say that the mobile provider has only partially upgraded its infrastructure and it is pot luck as to which Transcoder your call goes to. If it is an old unit and it cannot handle the Codec sellected for the call then the voice will be lost in one dirrection. This would explain why repeated tries to connect eventually succeed as you have been lucky and been allocated a transcoder that can handle the Data Rate. This issue would be more prevelant in busy periods as the system would always try to place a call via a codec that can handle the data rate and only place it on a transcoder that it not capable of the data rate when the correct one is not available. In this instance the data rate and call quality should be switched to a data rate that the transcoder can handle but some systems have not been configured correctly and the call can go to the old transcoder without being downgraded. I could be totally out of touch with what is out there in the mobile network but going on my experiance this is how I see the problem. This is why the lost speech seems to be ossociated with a particular mobile provider. If a carefull study was made it may also point to a particular area of the network. If I am correct one can only hope that the network will eventually be upgraded to stop these issues.

I made a phone at 11:30pm last night (off peak) - same problem. Made 3 attempts and then had to use my sim card/phone.

Some are saying it's a Skype issue, and some, such as yourself, are saying it's an AIS issue.

If it is an AIS issue, is it not in the company's financial interest for them NOT to upgrade?

Sometimes, I have had to call an AIS phone number as a matter of urgency and have resorted back to using my sim card/phone. This is more money to AIS - if your sim card is with them. I know "This Is Thailand" (TIT) but if they are doing this on purpose, do you think there are any legalities involved? What if a lot of other companies start doing it, pushing us all back onto landlines or sim cards to make our calls - thus, more money for the telecommunication companies? Either way, I have to call, but by doing what they are doing, they make the money and not Skype.

Are the users of other VoIP providers having the same problem with AIS?

[boatguy]

Right up front, I'll admit my total lack of knowledge about all of this technology and the techno talk.

About 5-6 years ago after marrying my Thai wife, I downloaded Skype and began using it to call her when i was in the states.

She has also used it to contact her relatives when she is visiting the USA. Most of this calling has been from my Skype service in the USA to a mobile phone here in Thailand,

So most of that is NOT the free calls offered by Skype, but rather a reduced rate from what the normal telephone companies would charge.

In a few instances I have tried the Skype to Skype calls with her, but the quality is really bad. It use to not be that poor, but rather actually good. When the quality is real bad, I have to just resort to calling her cell phone or landline. Why would the Skype to Skype calls be so poor?

I was never really enamored with Skype as I always had (and still do) a problem interacting with their web page presentation. I believe it has something to do with whoever wrote their software just didn't have a mineset that worked like mine. Anybody else have such a problem?

[CP3]

Just want to check, when u called , what is the caller number did u see?

[CP3]

Right up front, I'll admit my total lack of knowledge about all of this technology and the techno talk.

About 5-6 years ago after marrying my Thai wife, I downloaded Skype and began using it to call her when i was in the states.

She has also used it to contact her relatives when she is visiting the USA. Most of this calling has been from my Skype service in the USA to a mobile phone here in Thailand,

So most of that is NOT the free calls offered by Skype, but rather a reduced rate from what the normal telephone companies would charge.

In a few instances I have tried the Skype to Skype calls with her, but the quality is really bad. It use to not be that poor, but rather actually good. When the quality is real bad, I have to just resort to calling her cell phone or landline. Why would the Skype to Skype calls be so poor?

I was never really enamored with Skype as I always had (and still do) a problem interacting with their web page presentation. I believe it has something to do with whoever wrote their software just didn't have a mineset that worked like mine. Anybody else have such a problem?

I've been using skype to skype with my friend be it video or just audio, no issue. Since skype is the p2p technology, it could be between urself and the remote party internet peering issue

[Dork]

I've been using skype to skype with my friend be it video or just audio, no issue. Since skype is the p2p technology, it could be between urself and the remote party internet peering issue

Just read another post you made a few minutes ago. It was almost as unhelpful as this one.

[CP3]

I've been using skype to skype with my friend be it video or just audio, no issue. Since skype is the p2p technology, it could be between urself and the remote party internet peering issue

Just read another post you made a few minutes ago. It was almost as unhelpful as this one.

Why not you provide your insight then?

[CP3]

I asked what is the caller id because i want to know whether it is the sim termination or E1 termination. Do you know what is the sim/E1 termination?

2ndly. If skype is techno retard, why are there so many users still using it? As he mentioned time to time and skype rely on p2p technology, it is very much likely the internet issue. If not then what else?

3rdly, everybody try to help in TV and Nobody go around and commenting as useless as your statement,

[boatguy]

Just want to check, when u called , what is the caller number did u see?

I'm not sure that I remember, and I am currently in Thailand so I can't check it out at the moment

[boatguy]

I've been using skype to skype with my friend be it video or just audio, no issue. Since skype is the p2p technology, it could be between urself and the remote party internet peering issue

Not exactly sure of what you are saying here, ...but are you referring to the speed of her internet access as well as the speed of mine?

[Dork]

I asked what is the caller id because i want to know whether it is the sim termination or E1 termination. Do you know what is the sim/E1 termination?

2ndly. If skype is techno retard, why are there so many users still using it? As he mentioned time to time and skype rely on p2p technology, it is very much likely the internet issue. If not then what else?

3rdly, everybody try to help in TV and Nobody go around and commenting as useless as your statement,

In a Skype to Skype call there is no termination. The only connection between the two devices is the internet so what is the point in saying that it is likely an internet issue? How does that help?

[CP3]

Just want to check, when u called , what is the caller number did u see?

I'm not sure that I remember, and I am currently in Thailand so I can't check it out at the moment

sorry my bad..this caller id replied was meant for KhunHeineken

[CP3]

I asked what is the caller id because i want to know whether it is the sim termination or E1 termination. Do you know what is the sim/E1 termination?

2ndly. If skype is techno retard, why are there so many users still using it? As he mentioned time to time and skype rely on p2p technology, it is very much likely the internet issue. If not then what else?

3rdly, everybody try to help in TV and Nobody go around and commenting as useless as your statement,

In a Skype to Skype call there is no termination. The only connection between the two devices is the internet so what is the point in saying that it is likely an internet issue? How does that help?

Still it doesnt warrant you to say it Mr. Be nice. I was chatting and replying to the Khunheineken's post before boatman's post popped up

[Dork]

I asked what is the caller id because i want to know whether it is the sim termination or E1 termination. Do you know what is the sim/E1 termination?

2ndly. If skype is techno retard, why are there so many users still using it? As he mentioned time to time and skype rely on p2p technology, it is very much likely the internet issue. If not then what else?

3rdly, everybody try to help in TV and Nobody go around and commenting as useless as your statement,

In a Skype to Skype call there is no termination. The only connection between the two devices is the internet so what is the point in saying that it is likely an internet issue? How does that help?

Still it doesnt warrant you to say it Mr. Be nice. I was chatting and replying to the Khunheineken's post before boatman's post popped up

OK obviously some confusion as to which post you were replying to. I apologise if I seemed rude.

[linuxuser010101]

Using a calling card made my life much easier and I can use it from my home phone or my mobile. Just check the cost with TOT or your mobile service provider before calling, my ASI charges me local rates to call the calling card number and the TOT promotion number I call charges me .25 stang per minute, Any way I'm paying about 75 stang per minute to call the US and Canada on a perfectly clear connection with no delay or background noise.

http://www.thaitelephone.com/EN/index.php

[JSixpack]

Using a calling card made my life much easier and I can use it from my home phone or my mobile. Just check the cost with TOT or your mobile service provider before calling, my ASI charges me local rates to call the calling card number and the TOT promotion number I call charges me .25 stang per minute, Any way I'm paying about 75 stang per minute to call the US and Canada on a perfectly clear connection with no delay or background noise.

http://www.thaitelep...om/EN/index.php

There's much to be said for this if you have a private phone over there and your local branch of the Australasian Society for Immunology Incorporated (ASI) charges reasonably.

Some of us don't have private phones over there or any local branch of the Australasian Society for Immunology Incorporated (ASI) and need to resort to Skype or something similar. Wonder if Yahoo Messenger suffers the same problem.

[ITGabs]

BTW I tested calling from skype to AIS phones and I have the same problem :/

[KhunHeineken]

BTW I tested calling from skype to AIS phones and I have the same problem :/

Yes. It appears just to be with AIS. So, I will not be recommending AIS to friends and family who are coming to Thailand to visit. I will recommend a DTAC sim card to them.

Is it possible AIS are causing this problem on purpose, thinking they will make more money because people have to resort back to using their sim card to call?

[KhunHeineken]

I have a the unlimited subscription for more than two years and I've using skype for more than 5 in pc and smartphones.

I've been caliing from/to many countries

The problem it's probably more about the upload speed vs ISP traffic shaping.

In Thai ISP I discover two things to bypass this problems.

1. open a connection with a constant download, this improves the latency and unblock in some way the upload speed.

2. reboot or hard reset the router ADSL, this unblock all the persistent problems when the download speed per conenction is limited to 10 or 17 KB/s or blocked.

I don't know the reason about why this fix the conenction problems but the cause should be a shitty "traffic shaping" configuration by the Thai ISPs.

of course you must check that your upload speed is not used by another user or program in your network, one p2p can easily use all the upload speed.

Edit: this should sound strange but when I have problems with the speed or latency I never find problems with the speed test, Speed tests never fail but when I did a speed test speedtest.net outside thailand (probably inside thailand the test are cached in some way) the connection speed go up and all the blocked connections seems working for a while, maybe one minute. I reproduced this behavior many times, that is the reason that I am assuming a shitty traffic shaping configuration, probably they have many triggers to reduce the connection speeds in heavy traffic hours or by heavy users IP, but for the customers not complain they have another triggers that set the max speed when you do a speed test or when you reboot your router (changing IP)

This doesn't explain why I attempt 3 or 4 times to call a Thai mobile, particularly AIS mobile numbers, and give up, then straight away call a number in another country and it is connected on the first attempt and has great sound quality.

I'm thinking AIS have done something to block, or restrict the traffic flow, of Skype, and probably other VoIP providers, to their mobile numbers.

I use Skype, but can other members who use different VoIP providers tell me if they are having the same problem?

In the skype community have many threads with the same problem Skype vs. AIS http://community.sky...land/td-p/34080 no one find a solution

Thankyou for the link. There is not much information there, but it is interesting that the problem has been around for over a year, so, I'm thinking it's not going to be fixed anytime soon.

This makes me a little suspicious that Skype is being somehow blocked or restricted by AIS on purpose.

In any case, I will suggesting DTAC to others now.

[ITGabs]

I have a the unlimited subscription for more than two years and I've using skype for more than 5 in pc and smartphones.

I've been caliing from/to many countries

The problem it's probably more about the upload speed vs ISP traffic shaping.

In Thai ISP I discover two things to bypass this problems.

1. open a connection with a constant download, this improves the latency and unblock in some way the upload speed.

2. reboot or hard reset the router ADSL, this unblock all the persistent problems when the download speed per conenction is limited to 10 or 17 KB/s or blocked.

I don't know the reason about why this fix the conenction problems but the cause should be a shitty "traffic shaping" configuration by the Thai ISPs.

of course you must check that your upload speed is not used by another user or program in your network, one p2p can easily use all the upload speed.

Edit: this should sound strange but when I have problems with the speed or latency I never find problems with the speed test, Speed tests never fail but when I did a speed test speedtest.net outside thailand (probably inside thailand the test are cached in some way) the connection speed go up and all the blocked connections seems working for a while, maybe one minute. I reproduced this behavior many times, that is the reason that I am assuming a shitty traffic shaping configuration, probably they have many triggers to reduce the connection speeds in heavy traffic hours or by heavy users IP, but for the customers not complain they have another triggers that set the max speed when you do a speed test or when you reboot your router (changing IP)

This doesn't explain why I attempt 3 or 4 times to call a Thai mobile, particularly AIS mobile numbers, and give up, then straight away call a number in another country and it is connected on the first attempt and has great sound quality.

I'm thinking AIS have done something to block, or restrict the traffic flow, of Skype, and probably other VoIP providers, to their mobile numbers.

I use Skype, but can other members who use different VoIP providers tell me if they are having the same problem?

In the skype community have many threads with the same problem Skype vs. AIS http://community.sky...land/td-p/34080 no one find a solution

Thankyou for the link. There is not much information there, but it is interesting that the problem has been around for over a year, so, I'm thinking it's not going to be fixed anytime soon.

This makes me a little suspicious that Skype is being somehow blocked or restricted by AIS on purpose.

In any case, I will suggesting DTAC to others now.

Probably calling to Thailand mobile phones it's free and included into skype because Thailand companies have a promotion to call free in some way between numbers in the same company, I don't know if Skype have any kind of agreement with all the phones companies, probably skype it's using a crowd of numbers full time and some of this companies have a fair usage like skype http://www.skype.com/intl/en/legal/terms/fair_usage/ so that could be the real problem.

I remember a similar issue when I called years ago to Argentina landlines phones, sometimes I heard a message that the number was suspended and I need to contact the Argentina telephone company, I usually waited a bit and calling again, no problems at all.

[KhunHeineken]

I'll add my quick question to this thread. Does anyone know why a random phone number comes up on a Thai mobile when you ring it from skype?

[JSixpack]

I'll add my quick question to this thread. Does anyone know why a random phone number comes up on a Thai mobile when you ring it from skype?

Yes, it's because you haven't paid for a Skype personal online number. You want bubbly, you gotta pay for bubbly.

[jacnl2000]

Well, it depends on what the user wants.

Skype profile mentions a caller ID which is accessible via option "view account."

Click "change number" for typing in a number which will be shown when you call phones.

In my case I've entered the number of my mobile phone.

Sufficient functionality for me. It's working fine and I did not have to pay for that.

[KhunHeineken]

I'll add my quick question to this thread. Does anyone know why a random phone number comes up on a Thai mobile when you ring it from skype?

Yes, it's because you haven't paid for a Skype personal online number. You want bubbly, you gotta pay for bubbly.

Isn't the personal online number for incoming calls from your home country - so people can ring a conventional telephone number and it's redirected as a skype call to you?

I have a skype subscription. When a ring a Thai mobile, sometimes a phone number that is unknown to me appears on the recievers phone. It's never the same number.

[KhunHeineken]

Well, it depends on what the user wants.

Skype profile mentions a caller ID which is accessible via option "view account."

Click "change number" for typing in a number which will be shown when you call phones.

In my case I've entered the number of my mobile phone.

Sufficient functionality for me. It's working fine and I did not have to pay for that.

Thanks. I'll have a look into this. It might fix the problem.