Need help with Skype

sheeny (Al) · #1 25-06-2008, 10:56 AM

My step daughters have relatives in France and England who have skype and I have a mate in Canada with Skype, so we thought we'd get it to keep in touch.

I have installed Skype on the girls' computer and the webcam and microphone should arrive today, so I've tried to setup a Skype account, but I keep getting a "Skype cannot connect" error...

What's worse is it tells me to see my system administrator (that's me!

) but I know he hasn't got a clue...

Anyone have any clues... things I should check, settings I need to change, etc?

BTW I am on a Satellite broadband connection.

Al.

Starkler (Geoff) · #2 25-06-2008, 11:43 AM

Windows firewall?

Screwdriverone (Chris) · #3 25-06-2008, 12:27 PM

Hi Al,

A couple of things to look at

1) Check your version number of Skype, this result suggests only certain versions work with Satellite. Skype didn't work over satellite until V2.0.0.73. That was the version when it started working. Check your SW version. Download the new one. I'm running 2.0.0.81
2) Check your Internet speed using www.speedtest.net and click on the preferred (Sydney) server and see what the down/up speeds actually are.
3) If you are using Windows Firewall (and know your way around it) go into the exceptions tab and remove Skype from the list (so that it is no longer allowed to get through). Start up Skype again and see if Windows Firewall asks to let Skype through, say yes and test again. Alternatively remove Skype, reboot computer and install the latest version and then see if the firewall asks and allows the new version through.

and finally, the oldy but a goody, READ THE EFFING MANUAL!

or the help file under troubleshooting.

Also if you can get any sort of communications like chat going you can use the echo123 service as explained below:

simply call echo123 to use the voice echo service
you can also add her to your friendslist - she will accept all authorization requests
you can also send her messages - she will echo back your messages
if you send her the message: "callme" - she will call you back

Hope this helps.

Chris

sheeny (Al) · #4 25-06-2008, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starkler

Windows firewall?

Yep. It's running windows firewall.

Al.

sheeny (Al) · #5 25-06-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

Hi Al,

A couple of things to look at

1) Check your version number of Skype, this result suggests only certain versions work with Satellite. Skype didn't work over satellite until V2.0.0.73. That was the version when it started working. Check your SW version. Download the new one. I'm running 2.0.0.81

Running version 3.8.0.115

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

2) Check your Internet speed using www.speedtest.net and click on the preferred (Sydney) server and see what the down/up speeds actually are.

1031kb/s down, 199kb/s up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

3) If you are using Windows Firewall (and know your way around it) go into the exceptions tab and remove Skype from the list (so that it is no longer allowed to get through). Start up Skype again and see if Windows Firewall asks to let Skype through, say yes and test again. Alternatively remove Skype, reboot computer and install the latest version and then see if the firewall asks and allows the new version through.

Been there done that... no luck.

In Tools, Options it says to use port 5705 for incoming connections, and theres a check box to select ports 80 and 443 for incoming connections which is checked. I have added ports for Skype in the firewall: 80, 443 and 5705 both TCP and UCP.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

and finally, the oldy but a goody, READ THE EFFING MANUAL!

or the help file under troubleshooting.

Also if you can get any sort of communications like chat going you can use the echo123 service as explained below:

simply call echo123 to use the voice echo service
you can also add her to your friendslist - she will accept all authorization requests
you can also send her messages - she will echo back your messages
if you send her the message: "callme" - she will call you back

Hope this helps.

Chris

renormalised (Carl) · #6 25-06-2008, 01:22 PM

And if Windows Firewall still stuffs you up....get a decent firewall. Grab Zone Alarm Pro or something similar. At least they'll work properly.

BTS (Brent) · #7 25-06-2008, 01:37 PM

...... and if you do have a seperate firewall (either router or software based) choose to accept skype through that.

sheeny (Al) · #8 25-06-2008, 01:38 PM

Hmmm.

I am using a Linksys WRT54G wireless router which has a firewall as well.

Do I need to setup Port Range forwarding for Skype? If so it looks like I'll have to manually set IP addresses for each of the PCs rather then using auto DHCP addresses.

Am I getting warmer?

Al.

sheeny (Al) · #9 28-06-2008, 06:38 PM

Finally got a bit of time on the girl's computer this morning so I had another crack at this problem.

As I had 2 firewalls to deal with, and there is a lot of conflicting information about both of them on the web (windows and Linksys WRT54G router firewalls), I started off by a process of elimination to see if I could determine which firewall was the problem, so I turned Windows firewall off.

Skype fired up and created an account with no problems. So the router firewall is not an issue.

I then shutdown Skype, started Windows firewall, and deleted Skype from the programs exceptions list, and then restarted Skype. Bingo! All works perfectly.

No port forwarding, no port triggering.

I don't understand fully why this wouldn't work before - maybe Skype does something that the Windows firewall doesn't like during the account creation process?

Al.

Screwdriverone (Chris) · #10 29-06-2008, 09:23 PM

Congrats Al, you have officially passed Computer Technical support 101. Please accept this copy of Windows 95 as your prize! I am sure you will be the envy of all your friends and family.

As for why it didnt work in the first place? Probably a glitch in Windows Firewall that would probably take about 10 cents and 30 seconds to officially fix in software, but instead will be rolled into a knowledgebase article, posted on the web on a MS forum, become entwined into a future security update fix item in windows update at an official never to be repeated cost to consumers and Microsoft of $1.934 BILLION dollars.

Can't argue with economics.

Chris

sheeny (Al) · #11 30-06-2008, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

Congrats Al, you have officially passed Computer Technical support 101. Please accept this copy of Windows 95 as your prize! I am sure you will be the envy of all your friends and family.

As for why it didnt work in the first place? Probably a glitch in Windows Firewall that would probably take about 10 cents and 30 seconds to officially fix in software, but instead will be rolled into a knowledgebase article, posted on the web on a MS forum, become entwined into a future security update fix item in windows update at an official never to be repeated cost to consumers and Microsoft of $1.934 BILLION dollars.

Can't argue with economics.

Chris

You are probably right, Chris!

I much prefer solving problems in the real world. The laws of nature are generally pretty steady once you learn them... the laws of the cyber world are man made and fickle! (and don't seem to respond well to a big hammer and a crowbar!

)

Al.