Skype on WiFi

[Clifftall]

We have been been having a problem with skype as we travel from cg to cg.

Sometimes it works and most times it doesn't. This has been with strong wifi signals. We don't even try if we have a weak signal.
My question is, do some wifi connections (operators ) disallow skype?

[alvinc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by clifftall We have been been having a problem with skype as we travel from cg to cg. Sometimes it works and most times it doesn't. This has been with strong wifi signals. We don't even try if we have a weak signal. My question is, do some wifi connections (operators ) disallow skype?

Skype is sensitive to the bandwidth that is available. For a video call they recommend 0.512 Mbit download, 0.256 Mbit upload. Some claim it can be done with 1/2 this, but its pretty jerky.

Looking at the bottle necks when using WiFi in a CG;

First you are competing with other people in the campground for the over the air bandwidth, even with a good signal. If the connection is 802.11b you have 11 Mbits (note that practical thoughput is only 5.9 Mbits) of bandwidth to share among all users on that channel (and most WAPs only use one channel). If the connection is 802.11g you will have 54 Mbits (practical throughput of 19 Mbits).

Thus you and anyone else using WiFi on that particular WAP (wireless access point) will share 5.9 to 19 Mbits of throughput. This may not be the bottleneck.

The next bottle neck is the CG connection to its ISP. Everyone in the CG is sharing whatever bandwidth the CG has to the Internet. Try asking what type and speed of connection the CG has to the Internet. You may find that it is typically the cheapest, or maybe one up, business plans. Note that this is often 12/2 or 16/2 (Mbits down/Mbits up) for cable, 1.5/.8, 3/.8 ($40/month), or 10/1 ($100/month) for DSL. Note that in all cases the download speed is much higher than the upload speed.

Depending on the size of the CG, you might be lucky and there is only one WAP, so you are only sharing with a small set of people. In some campgrounds it takes more than 1 WAP, so you are competing with even more people for the little pipe to the Internet.

My guess is that you are competing with more people for a small CG Internet pipe at the slower CGs.

One last thought; any realtime activity, like voice or video over IP besides being sensitive to bandwidth, is also sensitive to quality of service (QoS). Not only is data traveling, but it is sensitive to how quickly and timely the information arrives. Ethernet was not designed with QoS in mind, in general if it takes a while to get a message to its destination, thats ok as long as it gets there. If the communications channel is congested thats ok, it will just be slower. For voice and video poor QoS and a congested channel, is a killer.

Hope this helps explain it.

[RickO]

Thanks for the great explanation Alvin!

[Clifftall]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickO Thanks for the great explanation Alvin!

Ricko, I couldn't agree more.

Alvinc, thank you. I would have responded sooner but didn't have wifi

[two2go]

I use Skype voice (not video) over my Verizon mobile broadband connection. It usually works well, depending on the local cell system loading. My home location performance is ofter poor, but Skype is OK, especially since installing the latest software. Campground wifi has generally been unsatisfactory for anything except email and light browsing.

[pdq_bc]

we too have been "skype challenged"
and Alvin - thank you for the detailed explanation

does anyone have any tips as to possible solutions / improvements to be able to use skype? (only interested in voice, not video)
THANKS!
peter

[alvinc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdq_bc we too have been "skype challenged" and Alvin - thank you for the detailed explanation does anyone have any tips as to possible solutions / improvements to be able to use skype? (only interested in voice, not video) THANKS! peter

From several Skype FAQs:

What bandwidth does Skype require?

The bandwidth required by Skype depends on the type of call you wish to make or receive.

For voice calling, we recommend a bandwidth of at least 10 kbps.

For video and High Quality Video, we recommend a bandwidth of at least 384 kbps.

There are several sites on the internet that you can use to test and measure your bandwidth. Alternatively, you can contact your Internet Service Provider for information regarding your download and upload speeds.

How much bandwidth does Skype use while I'm in a call?

Skype automatically selects the best codec depending on the connection between yourself and the person you are calling. On average, Skype uses between 3-16 kilobytes/sec depending on bandwidth available for other party, network conditions in between, callers CPU performance, etc.

How can I see how much bandwidth a Skype video call is using?

How to get the best sound quality on Skype calls

======================================

My comments: Even at the rate of 10 Kbps you will still be subject to QoS (Quality of Service) problems. This means that if the transmission rate is not smooth the voice will be jerky and disjointed (see the "How to get the best sound quality on Skype calls). Note that last recommendation is to move closer to the wireless access point or use a wired connection.

[B Bob]

I have used Skype for years. It works with campground wifi with mixed results due to issues discussed by previous posters. The last few months I have been using google voice which is a completely different approach. It does not rely upon good broadband. I find if you have both skype and google voice in your computer one will likely work. Skype is slightly cheaper calling outside the USA and with Skype you can text overseas which google voice cannot. The really great feature of google voice though is it's organization of your voicemails. Really cool once you get used to it.