Skype problem. Solutions please?

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LancelotSA

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Hi guys,

Yesterday I set up Skype on my mom's computer.

Now this morning I tried to call her, it dials and we connect no problem. She can hear everything I say clearly. However from her side I can hear the first two or three words each time she speaks fine and then it goes silent her side. She can still hear me perfectly. This happens each time she speaks, so it doesn't drop the call or go silent permanently, it is just whenever she speaks it does it after a few seconds. Then if she stops talking and talks again it does it again. Few words ok then nothing.

She is using Windows XP home. No firewall besides the XP one. AVG anti virus in use.

Any ideas of solutions or what is causing it? I googled without much help (most results discussed dropped calls which this is not)
 
She should pause her torrents when using Skype. ;)

But yeah, upload speed would appear to be a possible problem.
 
hmm, weird... yes... check upload speeds.

Does her 56K modem support full duplex? :D

Is she using a skype headset or a desktop microphone?

check the little RCA plugs into the back of the computer... maybe one of them is a little bit jiggly.
 
.geek said:
She should pause her torrents when using Skype. ;)

But yeah, upload speed would appear to be a possible problem.
Click to expand...

A bad upload speed would result in a slurred speech (sounds like a walkman's batteries going flat).
I use a specified unique port on my firewall for Skype (you can set this is skype).
 
Thanks for the responses guys.

She has a 384k ADSL line which is the same as I have and I don't get "lost words" problems, so not sure if this is it. Suppose I could do a speed test to check what speeds she is getting. What is acceptable as an upload speed for Skype to work?

As for the firewall suggestions I do not have a third party one but only the Windows XP one and I checked that it already has Skype as an exception. Not sure what port it has chosen to use but I am sure the actual port would not make a difference surely? Where would I change the port it uses anyway? And what option are usual?
 
If I can remember, anywhere between 64-96K upload should be ok. Speedtest: speedtest.net

I don't think it's your firewall, but if I were you I wouldn't use Windows Firewall anyway.

EDIT: 64K is the minimum for VoIP
 
Last edited:
LancelotSA said:
Thanks for the responses guys.

She has a 384k ADSL line which is the same as I have and I don't get "lost words" problems, so not sure if this is it. Suppose I could do a speed test to check what speeds she is getting. What is acceptable as an upload speed for Skype to work?

As for the firewall suggestions I do not have a third party one but only the Windows XP one and I checked that it already has Skype as an exception. Not sure what port it has chosen to use but I am sure the actual port would not make a difference surely? Where would I change the port it uses anyway? And what option are usual?
Click to expand...

You would be correct there
 
The last time I made a Skype call (long ago), it used around 5 up and 5 down (KBps). If it doesn't work on a 384 line then there is some sort of issue.
 
Hmmm thanks guys. But it seems it should really be working fine, so not sure what is causing the problem then.

Someone mentioned the connection for the mic but the test call on Skype works perfectly... which makes it even stranger.
 
Boodles said:
Maybe try reinstalling sound drivers.
Click to expand...

I might look at trying that. The PC came with no OS so I had to load XP and then load the motherboard drivers myself.

Am I correct in assuming that things like audio/music playback would also be affected then? So far I have not picked up problems with sound other than me not hearing her intermittently when we are on a Skype call.
 
Does the mic test in XP's control panel work without issues?
 
LancelotSA, are you sure her computer just wasn't downloading something during the skype call? Browsing the web, windows updates, any other software updates could have caused this. I would just make sure that nothing is downloading on her computer next time and give it another try.
 
icyrus said:
Does the mic test in XP's control panel work without issues?
Click to expand...

I'll do another test but it worked fine when I first tested it and the Skype test call works perfectly too so the mic is working fine.

seymour7 said:
LancelotSA, are you sure her computer just wasn't downloading something during the skype call? Browsing the web, windows updates, any other software updates could have caused this. I would just make sure that nothing is downloading on her computer next time and give it another try.
Click to expand...

Yeah I see what you are saying that perhaps on a 384k line the call quality may have been affected by the line being used for something else, but I have switched off XP updates, she has no idea how to download and the only other thing she has open is Outlook express. Further to this we have tried on three separate occasions over two days and the same problem persists.

I did spot something on the Skype site that I am going to try...

One-way sound

One-way sound is when one person in a call can't hear the other.
This may occur for a number of reasons:

- Wrong sound device settings:

* If you can't hear the person you are calling or vice versa your sound device settings may not be configured correctly.
* Check your microphone is not muted. Some microphones have buttons to mute/un-mute.
* Check your volume. Everyone in the call should check their device settings and make sure they can hear other sound on their computers (eg playing music).
* You may have incorrect sound mixer settings. Check your sound card manual or get more advice from our sound set up guide. (Please note: the sound card used in our guide is only an illustration – your computer does not have to have the same model for Skype to work.) If that doesn't solve things, check our Troubleshooter.
* Finally, you can try disabling Skype’s sound device auto adjustment. Do this from Skype by clicking Menu > Tools > Options > Sound Devices – uncheck the box: Enable automating sound-device setting adjustment. On the same screen, check that the Audio In and Audio Out devices are set to the ones you actually use.

- Low bandwidth internet:

* One-way sound can be caused by the caller having low internet bandwidth, eg dial-up connections, satellite connections (that use dial-up or GPRS for upload) or low-priced ADSL packages.

- Personal firewall software:

* Some personal firewalls may block Skype's access to the internet. Due to the way these firewalls are designed, blocking usually happens after you have upgraded Skype. This may mean you can't connect, have poor call quality or one-way sound. Check your personal firewall settings and allow Skype to make outgoing connections and accept incoming connections (sometimes called Act as server).

- File sharing:

* Uploading a file while using Skype can sometimes affect the quality of the call. It's a good idea to close all file sharing applications before calling.

- Other people affecting the network:

* If you use Skype within a corporate network, one-way sound may be caused because someone else in the network is affecting internet connectivity. It's quite hard to work out if this is the case, and if it is the problem, there's not a lot you can do about it. However, contacting your system administrator for help is a good idea.
Click to expand...

I have covered most of the others but not the audio settings one.
 
Skype does indeed only use about 5KB/s down and 5KB/s up with normal voice calls.

I'd try reinstalling/updating her sound card/onboard sound drivers first :)

EDIT: Though I'd also recommend fiddling with the audio settings, of course :p
 
WKJ?:beanie said:
Skype does indeed only use about 5KB/s down and 5KB/s up with normal voice calls.

I'd try reinstalling/updating her sound card/onboard sound drivers first :)

EDIT: Though I'd also recommend fiddling with the audio settings, of course :p
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I am not at her place at the moment but will pop around and try reinstalling sound drivers and the recommendations on the Skype site.

PS Go Sharks! :)
 
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