Skype Kicking My Connection Off

weirdjim

weirdjim

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weirdjim
I don't particularly like Skype -- it is convenient for some easy stuff, but I haven't used it in a year or so. Now every time I boot it up, it breaks my internet connection and I have to reset my adapter to log back on. Boot Skype up and it kicks me off again.

I'm a far piece out into the country and the best I can do is 6.0 down and 1.5 up, but that seems to work on Zoom and a couple of others.

Did something happen to Skype in the last year that might account for this?

Thanks,

Jim
 
As I understand it (from our corporate IT) Microsoft is bailing on Skype in favor of Teams. For internal use on high speed intranets it's fine up to a limited number of people. Our first managers meeting (~140 people) was epic failure. I'm guessing Skype is good for maybe 15 max. So for large corporate we use Goto Meeting and always use secure password.

Unless you are required to use Skype, at your upload/download I would switch to something more optimized. Totally sucks that you have to reset network stuff, that is crap software if it's truly doing that.
 
I'm trying to set up a real simple group where half a dozen of us on this NG can get together and discuss stuff like simple avionics problems and who is going to win the unWorld Series this year. Simple. Small. Free. Nothing Corporate.

Jim
 
Sounds like the easiest fix would be not using Skype.
 
Yeah, I would recommend a different program or App. Zoom, hangouts, etc.
 
Ps. Would love to understand what Skype is doing to take out your router? If it's an older or not updated router is could be a unicast and even more likely, a multicast setup that the router is not handling properly. Or the reverse, a multicast subscriber setup that is non standard, etc. Microsoft is notorious for playing with the UDP/TCP configuration, api naming, etc making hard sometimes to properly configure a client or server. Have had this happen many times with our devices, especially multicast imagery, issues with keep alive config and jumbo frames. One place where I do miss Linux.
 
I'm out in the boonies of Northern California. However, we have a REALLY GREAT ISP here that has microwave data link sites on high hills that we can all hit from our houses with dishes. The signal comes down from the dish on Cat5 cable and goes into a TP-Link wireless router that broadcasts all over the lab. I pick it up on a TP-Link wireless access point and jam it into a cat-5 input on the computer. It is showing a 300MBS link.

Jim
 
You're definitely gonna need a IT type or network expert to chime in.

Seeing you're going wired (100Mbit or 1000MBit ?) to wireless back to wired (100Mbit or 1000Mbit ?) I could see one issue.

Let's say your PC --> AP is 1000MBit, then it drops to 300MBit wireless but lets say your incoming ISP cable is 100Mbit.

For UDP/TCP you would have lots of lost packets because you're trying to stuff a big hose into a smaller hose going out of your lab back to the internet.

It might seem counterproductive but you could force your PC network adapter to 100Mbit (full duplex). Now your pc will never try to stuff too much. It's worth a try but will slow everything to 100Mbit :(

If the PC thinks it can stuff (out) at 1000Mbit the packet loses will get so bad you will have more drop outs (UDP unicast or multicast) or massive TX retries for TCP which then also effect received data.

We get a similar issue when a customer does something as simple as using a 1000MBit Etherent to USB 3 adapter....good intentions! Then they incorrectly plug it into a USB 2 port. At that point the USB side of the adapter is slower than the ethernet side. But ethernet stacks are archaic and dont know this so they try stuff at 1000Mbit only to get choked to 433 or 200 or whatever USB 2 is. End result (TCP)...massive retries due to no responses. For UDP (no flow control) it will shove out more than it can actually send on the next step and be lost. For audio and video it will be dropouts. And for Unicast and especially multicast the "subscriber" group is already setup. If clients dont end nicely (due to TCP config losses) then the router doesn't know to end that group and you'd probably have to reboot the router.

...or something like that. Can get confusing.
 
Our three sons and their wives held a video chat with my wife for Mother's Day yesterday (total of four windows/partipants/devices/whatever) using Duo, and it was smooth as silk....great natural-looking video and bugfree audio. I use Skype with my Dad and to teach some online music lessons, but Duo with friends and most family. It's very simple and works great.....much better than Skype, and it will now allow up to 12 chatters at once.
 
We use Skype because it's cross-platform with other members of the family. Haven't had anyone booted yet. not heard of Duo, , but somehow the thought of getting my 92 yr old in laws to swap..., just now they're getting the hang of Skpe. The first couple sessions were pretty hilarious.
 
If you’re having to reset the network adapter on the Windows machine with Skype use and the rest of the devices on your network are fine, look no further than Skype’s built in ability (because it’s a Microsoft product) to jack with the Windows built in firewall... most likely.

Depending on what other security software is installed that has also registered to jack with the virtual adapter to bypass all traffic through itself, to monitor it... it may be fixable in the user interface, or it may be a disaster of virtual interconnections only visible to powershell and an hour of digging at the command line.

Easiest way to check. Uninstall security software and reboot and disable the Windows firewall on only a trusted or isolated network and see if Skype works.

Easier solution. Use something else.

Skype is essentially deprecated. Microsoft is moving on to Teams. Only corporate slowness and large contracts are keeping it alive. It may not die for years or ever, but it’s no longer their development focus. Dead end.
 
The Mircosoft Super confuser is at it once more.

Infos from wiki.

Skype - founded 2003, bought by MS 2011 ($8.5B)

Office Communicator - Written by MS 2007,
Remaned (some typos just have to be left in) Lync in 2010,
Renamed Skype for Business in 2015,
Renamed Teams in 2020 ish.
I believe that it does not interoperate with Skype.

I am not close to this and don't use it presently but "Skype - full f****** stop" is as far as I can see continuing. I could not even look it up because my google search returns only Skype for Business.

Microsoft seem to think that confusing people with name changes is good.

Hotmail -> Outlook , Via of course Windows Live f****** Mail.

User says I am using outlook????

Outlook Exchange client, Outlook.com (ex hotmail via web browser), Outlook Express, I am pretty sure I missed something. Ah yes, OWA and likely more. Ah yes, my email address is outlook.com. More?

Could mean anything - may as well say, I am using a witches cauldron and I have just added the eye of newt.

I'll not even start on the Windwos Photo apps. To begin with, I am too confused by it all to explain it. Windows Live Essentials (2011 or 2012?) contains the one that loads quickly and allows image manipulation, darkening, lightening, contrasting... No drawing tools. I have just discovered there is a "2019".

"no longer offering the Windows Essentials 2012 suite for download" I have (2011 or 2012?) if anyone needs it.
 
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I'm stuck with MS, but they really are a strong argument for not allowing civilians access to nuclear weapons. Redmond, WA would glow in the dark, otherwise.

That noted, I don't use Skype. Most meetings I join are using Zoom now, although I had one this morning that used Webex. Anything but Skype. I haven't used that in ages.
 
I agree. Skype is a dog. It used to be really great until MS got ahold of it.

So long as you are all on iOs or Android, DUO is nice. Getting it to work on Windoze is a royal bi+ch.

Looks like Zoom is the answer. Thanks, all.

Jim
 
denverpilot said:
If you’re having to reset the network adapter on the Windows machine with Skype use and the rest of the devices on your network are fine, look no further than Skype’s built in ability (because it’s a Microsoft product) to jack with the Windows built in firewall... most likely.

Depending on what other security software is installed that has also registered to jack with the virtual adapter to bypass all traffic through itself, to monitor it... it may be fixable in the user interface, or it may be a disaster of virtual interconnections only visible to powershell and an hour of digging at the command line.

Easier solution. Use something else.
Click to expand...
THis. ^^^

I used Skype before MS ruined it. In the early days, it was the best way to call from overseas without getting f***ed by cell phones and wireline companies. Then Microsoft bought Skype and T-Mo started offering wifi calling (no long distance charge) on their cell phones. No reason to use Skype and all the reason to avoid it.

Microsoft started doing bad stuff to firewalls, VPNs and security software. Claimed it was to meed Federal requirements (read: "wiretap" and "PRISM").

Ghery said:
I'm stuck with MS, but they really are a strong argument for not allowing civilians access to nuclear weapons. Redmond, WA would glow in the dark, otherwise.

That noted, I don't use Skype. Most meetings I join are using Zoom now, although I had one this morning that used Webex. Anything but Skype. I haven't used that in ages.
Click to expand...

Yep. MS Teams won't work in Safari, period. Meaning one has to install the MS spywa... er Team App on one's MacBook. That brings to a total of 7 different apps I have to have to talk with various clients (Facetime, Zoom, Teams, Skype, GoToMeeting, Webex, and Hangouts). And there will probably be more before we're done.
 
Zoom security concerns
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/lets-make-simple-zoom-malware

Teams limited support on Safari
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/unsupported-browsers

As far as Skype OP needs to clarify the version. It sounds like they are talking about consumer version of Skype vs Skype for Business or even Teams being referred to here. Different animal if so.

You can test Skype on your internet connection by seeing if mobile version works on same connection.

Try uninstall and clean install. Sounds like you haven’t used it in some time.

“I pick it up on a TP-Link wireless access point and jam it into a cat-5 input on the computer.”
- not sure what this means (if u r picking up wireless what r you jamming with cat-5?) but if you are wireless from your pc to the access point or router do u have an option to hardwire.

Do u have other stuff running? Maybe kill off other apps if u don’t need them. Check task manager to make sure they r killed. Also other apps may be conflicting with it on ports for instance. Especially other installed similar unified communications apps.

Check WiFi report? Win10 example
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4000462/windows-10-analyzing-wireless-network-report

Check your events logs for errors or hints. Example
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...pter-troubleshooting-for-windows-workstations

#3 here
https://www.techbout.com/wifi-keeps-disconnecting-windows-10-26226/

Try clearing Skype appdata folder
 
Had super icky yesterday.

A vendor invited those of us outside their company to use Zoom, while they sat on their commercial Teams server (much safer software) with some sort of bridge between them.

Very unimpressed with them, doing that. Almost a scumbag move, really.

Voiced some displeasure at it privately to the meeting organizer and suggested he ask his IT team how he’s going to handle the meeting where he says Zoom and we say no.
 
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