Skype: Question for Computer Experts
 

Our daughter is in the Netherlands for this semester and we have just begun using Skype. We're happy with the quality of our connection to her, but we cannot figure out what is wrong on HER side.

Every four seconds non-stop the sound drops out for us here. She has a brand new Dell laptop. She has re-installed Skype hoping that would work. It didn't.

Does anyone else have this problem? Have you been able to correct it?

Many thanks,

c.

I don't really have an answer for you, but I can tell you that I use Skype all the time for cross-atlantic calls, from a dell laptop, and I've never had a problem.

Before Skype, I used to use Gizmo: http://www.gizmoproject.com/, which is pretty much the same concept. You might try that instead?

Might it be the bandwidth capacity of her connection? What speed is her ISP allowing her? Or is she on a low-capacity dial-up connection?

things to investigate:

-her (and your) connection speed

-USB power - laptops are often poorly powered and flake out if too many hungry USB appliances are attached (i assume she is using a USB webcam or microphone?)

-memory - probably not since it is a new laptop but it might help to try shutting everything else down whilst chatting.

For communications, is she using a headset/mic, the laptop mic/speakers or something like a USB phone.

Laptop mic/speaker is the worst. Headset/mic is better. However, with both Skype uses automatic gain control. That means it is trying to adjust the sound level from the mic. That can equate to clipping (the sound drops)

You can buy a USB phone for her (about $25 at WalMart), which works well. The problem with it is that the laptop decides to use the phone as its primary sound system. She will just have to remember to switch the sound back to her speakers, if she wants to listen to music.

Thank you all - my husband has seen this and has some ideas now. He's going to try a couple things and if he has no success, then I guess that's how it's gonna be.

Hey, it IS the cheapest way to talk overseas.

Many thanks

c.