Skype

[Alan]

Hi

Can I use Skype on a shaped account with a 384kb line. Also how much of my 5gig cap will it use up if a spend 6 hours a month on it.


Thanks

 

[BandwidthAddict]

Yes. I use Skype to speak with a friend overseas. I speak more than a few hours a session. The average Skype usage is around 8KB/s (up+down) so your 6 hours a month become roughly 168MB.

Peace.

 

[Wanderer]

Only if it works though. With Telkom's shaped accounts, Skype usually does not work. I had to switch to calling over regular phone yesterday because of a terrible connection to Belgium over Skype. You might be better off getting a small Unshaped account, for instance from Web Africa.

 

[fergus]

Or use an IS account which is unshaped. Apparently skype on IS is perfect although the lag might be slightly longer because of the satellite link.

 

[ambo]

Can I use Skype on a shaped account with a 384kb line

If its a shaped service it probably won't be great - like talking on a cellphone with bad signal.
We have a 512k Shaped MWeb account at work and skype has worked nicely a few times...
I have a 192k unshaped Cheetah-IS at home and skype worked like a beauty - draw your own conclusions...

 

[ettubrute]

The quality of skype has deteriorated extremely in the last couple of months. Actually, not only skype, but other VoIP as well. Seems teklom is really trying to kill it!

I deal with some customers in Europe, and most of their telephone calls these days are via some kind of VoIP. When they phone here, the lag is normally so bad that I tend to phone them back! At least then I use a normal connection to Europe, and only then get into the VoIP mode for the last part, which works fine, since their infrastructure is unshaped!

Damn teklom!

 

[Sig_ZA]

Only if it works though. With Telkom's shaped accounts, Skype usually does not work.

Odd, I've had no compaints from the person I phone in the UK.
Use it mainly after hours, so perhaps there is less network conjestion then.

 

[Highflyer_GP]

Odd, I've had no compaints from the person I phone in the UK.
Use it mainly after hours, so perhaps there is less network conjestion then.

with an saix shaped account they tend to hear you fine, but their voice breaks up.i tried alot of different voip softphones besides skypes and it was the same with all of them. works fine with IS though, the lag of about 600ms is barely noticeable. once it reaches 1000-1500ms then it becomes noticeable but no problems so far

 

[Masu]

I have been calling overseas with skype this weekend. Service provider WAfrica and have had excellent voice quality both ways.

 

[MaD]

If its a shaped service it probably won't be great - like talking on a cellphone with bad signal.
We have a 512k Shaped MWeb account at work and skype has worked nicely a few times...
I have a 192k unshaped Cheetah-IS at home and skype worked like a beauty - draw your own conclusions...

They are both IS accounts.

Generally speaking Skype is fine SAIX-SAIX and IS-IS during the day, but better between networks after 5-ish when latency improves.

 

[Alan]

Tried it last night and it worked 100%.