Skype
Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 3:40 pm
Lately, for a week or so, I've been having consistent problems with Skype connections. I use Windows 10 & have a dual core, 1.8GHz laptop, 8GB RAM, 750GB HDD. I run on a 1Gbit Ethernet hard wired connection, through a 1Gbit 8 port NetGear Ethernet Switch (because I need that many ports) that connects to a 1Gbit NetGear router that connects to the Comcast (XFinity) router that has the ports set for pass-through so I can use my NetGear Router, which I vastly prefer.
Until this past week, I've never had any problems with Skype connections, but lately, I am plagued with continual connection drops, hiccups, freezes & interruptions, with Skype popping up that stupid box telling me the connection was dropped, though it's still connected & we're still talking & video is working. Almost every time I have the remote user share their screen, Skype turns off both our cameras, though the call quality says we both have very fast machines & a fast Internet connection. After a couple of seconds the box goes away & the conversation continues, but this happens every minute or so. It's made Skype's usefulness almost nonexistent, when it was really great for years before.
I've reset both my Comcast MODEM/Router & my own router & though there was a momentary improvement, the problem persisted. I also use a VPN, so I disconnected the VPN & the problems seemed greatly diminished, which led me to believe it was the VPN, but after hanging up & reconnecting, the problem returned, even without the VPN, though not as bad as before. I then fired up the VPN again, but selected a server closer to the remote user, though slower for me. The behavior was the same as without the VPN, so it's not just the VPN.
I also reset my Skype supernode list by deleting the shared.xml file, which is recommended when these kinds of issues arise. This had no effect except I did see that the number of relays (in Call Technical Info) is always 2, now, instead of the 4 or 5 it typically was before these problems started.
Speaking of Call Technical Quality, the details showed that the transfer rates were abysmally low (under 200Kbps for download & under 30Kbps for upload) when before these problems began, I typically saw rates between 300-500Kbps for both up & download. Number of lost packets was almost nonexistent, yet there were still snags & hesitations in both audio & video.
My suspicion is that Skype is doing some internal adjusting & it's messing with connections. I have no way to prove this, but I can find no other plausible explanation. The Call Technical Info says the call is just fine & everything is working fine, except for the transfer rates.
Anyone else having issues like this?
Until this past week, I've never had any problems with Skype connections, but lately, I am plagued with continual connection drops, hiccups, freezes & interruptions, with Skype popping up that stupid box telling me the connection was dropped, though it's still connected & we're still talking & video is working. Almost every time I have the remote user share their screen, Skype turns off both our cameras, though the call quality says we both have very fast machines & a fast Internet connection. After a couple of seconds the box goes away & the conversation continues, but this happens every minute or so. It's made Skype's usefulness almost nonexistent, when it was really great for years before.
I've reset both my Comcast MODEM/Router & my own router & though there was a momentary improvement, the problem persisted. I also use a VPN, so I disconnected the VPN & the problems seemed greatly diminished, which led me to believe it was the VPN, but after hanging up & reconnecting, the problem returned, even without the VPN, though not as bad as before. I then fired up the VPN again, but selected a server closer to the remote user, though slower for me. The behavior was the same as without the VPN, so it's not just the VPN.
I also reset my Skype supernode list by deleting the shared.xml file, which is recommended when these kinds of issues arise. This had no effect except I did see that the number of relays (in Call Technical Info) is always 2, now, instead of the 4 or 5 it typically was before these problems started.
Speaking of Call Technical Quality, the details showed that the transfer rates were abysmally low (under 200Kbps for download & under 30Kbps for upload) when before these problems began, I typically saw rates between 300-500Kbps for both up & download. Number of lost packets was almost nonexistent, yet there were still snags & hesitations in both audio & video.
My suspicion is that Skype is doing some internal adjusting & it's messing with connections. I have no way to prove this, but I can find no other plausible explanation. The Call Technical Info says the call is just fine & everything is working fine, except for the transfer rates.
Anyone else having issues like this?