# Skype



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

Anyone using Skype ? From what I read it looks to be a good deal, even works with dial up.


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## sevseasail (Jan 15, 2007)

I use it quite often and I like it. Talk to my dad in argentina and friends all over the world. You can also have conference calls.

Good luck!!


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

Does it work well with wifi ? It may be good to use while cruising.


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## drynoc (Jul 17, 2001)

Skype works well. My wife used it to call Europe all the time, but she gave it up when we got Vonage. They both have shortcomings, but you can call a good part of the world for free, or right next to it. Skype actually is free, but you have to pay $24.95 per month for Vonage. You can use your computer camera with Skype to see the people you are talking to.


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

I also use Vonage at home.


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## sevseasail (Jan 15, 2007)

Freesail99 said:


> Does it work well with wifi ? It may be good to use while cruising.


I do not have experience with that. Only have used it at home.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

I used it extensively with wifi in harbors. The answer is YES it works well IF you have a GOOD wifi connection. If you have a flaky or slow connection it does not work well. 
We continue to use skype today to stay in touch all over the world and we have a video cam set up with other family & friends so we can see each other and talk at the same time...for free!! Very cool!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Vonage is a good alternative, and it has a few advantages over Skype. First, you get full voice mail capabilities... second, you get a US-based number, so that friends and family don't have to dial internationally to talk to you. You can get a Vonage soft-phone phone number, which allows you to use your laptop computer as a telephone.


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

Vonage I don't believe would work wih a dial up connection, unless things changed since I signed up 4 years ago. Skype will "sell" you a U.S. phone number and you can pick the location for the number.

Thanks Cam, for the info.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Freesail99 said:


> Vonage I don't believe would work wih a dial up connection, unless things changed since I signed up 4 years ago. Skype will "sell" you a U.S. phone number and you can pick the location for the number.
> 
> Thanks Cam, for the info.


Nope, really needs broadband, but even a good cellular 2.5G or 3G connection will do.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I just got it up and running last week, on the advice of my little bro who captains a large charter yacht in the Med, where all of his crew use it yak to f' and f's anywhere they may be. Yesterday a.m. when I got up, my laptop made a ringing noise and there on the screen is a note that said my bro is calling in. Just slipped on the headphones and clicked the icon. Voila, a free, crystal clear call between So Cal and Sardinia.

Skype is, to quote T. Edison, _some real cool ****.......... _

RB


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

They also have an adaptor to use an ordinary phone and they also have a wifi phone. Really cool .....


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Freesail99 said:


> They also have an adaptor to use an ordinary phone and they also have a wifi phone. Really cool .....


Just to clarify? Who does, Skype or Vonage? I believe they both have such gear, but haven't looked at the Skype stuff recently, so I could be a bit out of date on what gear they've got now.


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> Just to clarify? Who does, Skype or Vonage? I believe they both have such gear, but haven't looked at the Skype stuff recently, so I could be a bit out of date on what gear they've got now.


Skype has the adaptor. As I said before I am a vonage customer for over 4 years. Vonage is a New Jersey based company and has an Ad on TV it seems like every 5 minutes. But I know little about the company. I do get a email when they improve or add a feature and my bill ........ but little else. As my time is short I am looking for anything to keep in contact with my kids and them with me. I will be living in the caribbean before years end.


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## jackytdunaway (Sep 11, 2006)

i have used AT&T VOIP phone at home for a few years and love it. the only thing different about cruising would be the ability to get a good internet connection.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Will you be living on the hook or at a marina? If you're at a marina, with a wifi connection, you could probably keep your existing vonage phone number, and your kids could contact you through that. If you're living at anchor, your options will be far more limited. Many marinas have wifi now. You might need an amplified antenna to maximize your connection... 

If you have specific questions on WiFI and amplified antenna, PM me, and I'll write something up for you. I do a lot with long distance WiFi networks.


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

I plan to be on the hook and want to try and visit as many islands as I can. Wifi is of great interest to me.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Unless you'll need to speak to them while on the hook, the Vonage thing might be a simple way to go... and you'd have voice mail coverage while you're not reachable. Satellite phone and SSB are both options, but more expensive overall IMHO, and have fairly high initial investments. 

Maximum range I've seen on a WiFi connection is over 2 miles... but that was with parabolic grid antenna at both ends...and I don't think an 18˚ cone is going to be sufficient coverage for a boat at anchor...since your swing will probably vary more than that.


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

Skype does offer voicemail for a fee. SSB with a entry price of $3000.00 plus is something I tried very hard to justify, but can't. Satellite phone I have looked into, but the jury is still out on that. I did by a wifi locator ......


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Freesail99 said:


> Skype does offer voicemail for a fee. SSB with a entry price of $3000.00 plus is something I tried very hard to justify, but can't. Satellite phone I have looked into, but the jury is still out on that. I did by a wifi locator ......


The WiFi locators aren't all that useful.

You'd be better off with a "stumbler" program. For the Mac, I'd recommend iStumbler, and for the PC, I'd recommend, NetStumbler. These programs will locate and identify nearby WiFi networks, as well as tell you whether the networks are open or closed-ie, require a WEP or WPA security key.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

There's another freebie called "iCall Internet Phone" as well. New company so there's no telling how it will go--but another alternative for free internet phone calls for now. Voice quality wasn't as good as Skype when I tried it, but that may improve.

Any of the VOIP solutions will be stressed over dial-up, even if you have a clean fast dial-up connection. Still, if anyone remembers how an "overseas" call USED TO SOUND they're not so bad on their worst days.<G>


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

MY impression is that most of Skype is free with some paid addons. Vonage is paid even for the basics.

How is the free Skype different than vonage...Especially as it applies to cruisers living on the hook with off & on wifi access?


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Vonage: You pay every month. Your calls are free (in the US & ?) both in and out. And it hooks up to telephones.

Skype: It's FREE AMONG SKYPE USERS, no monthly payments. But, you have to make calls at your computer (or the new accessory/phones). And you have to pay per minute for calls OUT to non-skype users, etc. Totally different payment models and policies. Easy enough to check out at skype.com.<G>


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

With Vonage, you get unlimited free calls to the US, Canada and some Eurpoean countries, voicemail, call forwarding, etc. 

Skype's model, as HS has pointed out is free, but only among Skype users. If you want to contact people on their phones, it costs money. Voicemail is also an additional charge. I also believe that it costs money to get incoming calls from regular phones on Skype.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

With Skype and a headset you can connect to other family and friends who have downloaded the free skype software for free. You can also use VIDEO with a $29 web cam...You can also type chat like on AOL's AIM. 
You go online to the skype site and buy increments of connection time with your credit card for when you need to call people on their phone if they don't have a PC. It is about 2 cents a minute to do this. There are additional pay services like voice mail available. I used it on wifi in harbors and on land wherever there was a decent wifi connection thorughout the Bahamas and Caribe and of course it works in the US as well. 
Here's a good page on what is free and what is not:
http://www.skype.com/products/priceoverview/


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## Waymar83 (Jun 5, 2006)

As I have not been improving my sailing abilities or experiences in the last two years (boat has been on the hard     ), there are only a few threads I can comment/contribute to. This is one of them. Skype has been a godsend for communicating with family in Canada (I'm currently in Georgetown, Guyana). I use a laptop and headset. the bandwidth is not great here but adequate. Skype to Skype is free and the quality tends to be better than phone. Skype to phone, again depending on available bandwidth, varies. Overall, very satisfied. Skype also makes, or rather markets skype phones, one model even is a combination wireless phone and skype wireless phone. A really neat idea: http://www.skype.com/help/accessories/devices.html

Also a wireless cellphone thing specific to wifi but have read mixed reviews about those.

I've also heard of competitors but skype seems to have the formula with the most buy-in.


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## ebs001 (May 8, 2006)

As many of you have pointed out Skype to Skype is free. But there appears to be misinformation regarding the cost of Skype to or from another phone. I paid $15 for a year of unlimited "Skype out" . This allows me to make unlimited calls to anywhere in the US and Canada. That was a special price the normal price is $30. I have not checked into Skype in but I believe it's considerably cheaper than cell phone or Vonage. Before I go to the Bahamas I will be checking to see if my Skype out is covered with my North American coverage.


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## rljend (Oct 19, 2001)

I've used Skype/wifi from the Bahamas and was very impressed with the call quality and price. Calls to a US land line cost about .02/min and I believe there was a .30-.40 connection fee which is paid out of a $20 Skype credit account - not sure, since it was a borrowed connection, but I have opened my own account in anticipation of our next cruise.

To help with distant connections from the hook, I've added Netstumbler and these 2 items to my laptop inventory.

Antenna - http://wirelessgardenstore.com/detail.aspx?ID=314
wifi adapter - http://www.engeniustech.com/datacom/products/details.aspx?id=154


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

rljend, How well does the wifi adapter and antenna work ?


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## rljend (Oct 19, 2001)

Haven't tried it on board yet, but from inside my home, I'm able to recognize at least 5 additional connections to the south of me whereas, with my laptop antenna, I'm able to see only my own router.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I hope you didn't pay money for that antenna... it's a $3 Pringles can antenna.


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## Yofy (Aug 15, 2007)

We're currently in the Red Sea and we've been on skype ever since the Vasco De Gamma rally went through these parts. We met 25 sailboats all on skype with laptops calling home (North America, Europe and Scandinavia) for free. They were all on wireless connections.

We regularily use skype to call Holland, England, Canada and India. Sometimes reception is a little delayed, like with India, but land calls to India are unpredicatble as well. For free cals it does mean convincing friends and family to get skype too though... 

What is wifi?
Robyn


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## rljend (Oct 19, 2001)

*canantenna*



sailingdog said:


> I hope you didn't pay money for that antenna... it's a $3 Pringles can antenna.


 True..... but better results have been with coffee and chili cans, however, other life priorities made the $50 a bargain. For those who would rather roll their own canantenna - http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448
or http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Yofy...WIFI is short for wireless fidelity...put in practical terms it creates a wireless connection between your computer and a land based wired internet connection so you can simply turn on your computer and be connected to the internet without wires. Most wifi is also a high speed connection. 
To get it you need a wifi card for your laptop and a good signal from a wifi "hot spot". A lot of the discussion on this board is about how to find a good connection and get a better signal when at anchor. 
Here's some good reading if you are interested in further details:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

If you want to know more about WiFi Security, you can read this article. WiFi Security


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Dog
Your wifi security link appeared to address those broadcasting a wifi signal. I'd like to read a summary of security steps for the person logging onto open wifi networks. And I'd like this summary in plain english please!


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## GySgt (Jun 11, 2007)

xort said:


> Dog
> Your wifi security link appeared to address those broadcasting a wifi signal. I'd like to read a summary of security steps for the person logging onto open wifi networks. And I'd like this summary in plain english please!


Like any computer. Get a good firewall, ZoneAlarm is the best for personal use and free. Turn off the Windows firewall, it is horrible. Have a good Anti-Virus program. Norton AV is what I like, just the AV not the combo products they sell. Also install a spyware program. I like CounterSpy. 
Then stay off porn sites and keep the Spyware and AV updated. When the Firewall gives you a problem RTFM, (Read the Friggin Manual).


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

xort, I'd sum up wifi security in two words:
1-Firewall
2-Encrypt

You MUST use a firewall, because at every free Wifi access point there are trolls looking to see who they can hack, since "free" access points are never encrypted.

And you must encrypt--ussing https instead of http for things like secure web site transactions. Or better yet, get a VPN client which encrypts everything you do on the web--because everything you send through that free wifi site IS being read by people who want to have fun exploiting you.

For example, capturing your sign-on to a web forum, and then coming back to play games pretending they are you. Could be a good way for someone to sell someone else's boat...


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

hellosailor said:


> For example, capturing your sign-on to a web forum, and then coming back to play games pretending they are you. Could be a good way for someone to sell someone else's boat...


So I didn't just buy True Blues boat ?


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

"get a VPN client" Didn't I ask to speak english? Please?

Very Pretty Nanny? I can't afford one of those!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I'd second ZoneAlarm...but recommend that you buy the Security Suite version, since it has anti-virus, anti-spyware, identity theft, IM Spam blocking, mail virus blocking, and a bunch of other good utilities built into it. 

VPN—Virtual Private Network.

BTW, if you have an e-mail server that supports it, turn on the SSL-encryption in your e-mail program. Otherwise, the e-mail server name/IP address, username and password are sent in clear text... which means that anyone on the same WiFi network, with a packet sniffer, can grab your e-mail server, username and password, and then start using your e-mail account...  

Hellosailor's point about making sure to use the secure HTTP sites is a good one as well... and you should never, ever click on a link in an e-mail. If you have any doubts about a link in an e-mail, type the url into the web browser manually... DO NOT COPY & PASTE IT. 

The WiFi article I posted mainly does relate to setting up a WiFi access point, but that same information applies to using a WiFi access point. Using one that is encrypted is better than using an open one. And understanding what is going on with the access point and WiFi network doesn't ever hurt... 

BTW, I think Xort wants a Very Promiscuous Nanny...  but they're really, really expensive.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Thanks Dog
I may be able to afford a VirtualPrivateNetwork. I won't be allowed any other forms of VPN.


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

I saw on the news this morning, that Skype was down yesterday, over 225 millon users without service.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Still down today. Big problems...first time I can recall anything like this.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

One thing that can be done relatively inexpensively is to use SSH to create encrypted tunnels to send and receive your internet traffic through. This can be used to encrypt your e-mail, telnet, web and other internet sessions However, you do need to have a server on the internet, that acts as the end-point for the SSH tunnels. If you want more details, let me know.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> One thing that can be done relatively inexpensively is to use SSH to create encrypted tunnels to send and receive your internet traffic through. This can be used to encrypt your e-mail, telnet, web and other internet sessions However, you do need to have a server on the internet, that acts as the end-point for the SSH tunnels. If you want more details, let me know.


Doggone it dog, speak english!!!
You talkin worm holes or sumthin? Energize!

Yea, I'm interested


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Dog
I just looked at my Outlook Express and they have s/mime security. I have to get a certificate from some verification outfit. How is this different than VPN?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

There are various parts to Security when it comes to computers and the internet...

* The first is authentication of the person*... that you are actually who you say you are. That is generally handled by a username/password. However, normal e-mail programs and e-mail servers and many web servers send and receive the username and password in clear text... unencrypted.. .so that anyone with a sniffer can get that information and essentially pretend to be you.

* The second is authentication of the message.* Is the message from who it says? Is the message what the original sender sent, and not modified in any way? This can be handled with message-based encryption or signing. A user can get a public key/private key certificate, like a PGP signature, which will allow people to authenticate that the message is actually sent by who it says sent it. If you sign the message using a PGP signature... it can still be read by anyone, since it is not encrypted. This allows the receiver to authenticate that the message reads as it was originally sent, and that it was sent by the person who signed it. * If the message was sent by someone other that what the digital signature says, the authentication will fail. If the message was modified, the signature check will fail*. 
*
The third part of security is privacy. *The use of encryption can ensure this. There are two levels of encryption. Session-based encryption-like an SSH _(Secure SHell) _based encrypted tunnel. Everything you do is protected by the exterior tunnel, which acts to prevent people from seeing what you're doing.

Many newer e-mail servers, like Google's Gmail allow you to use an SSL _(Secure Sockets Layer) _based encryption for the e-mail communications, similar to the HTTPS layer, and it uses the same security certificates to provide encryption.

You can also use transaction-based encryption. Encrypting a single e-mail message can ensure it remains private and provides authentication.* However, this is not of much use unless you also use session-based encryption to protect the username and password of the e-mail account*. .

*S/MIME* is basically a Public Key Infrastructure form of encryption similar to the more widely-used PGP encryption I mentioned above. It only handles transaction-based encryption and authentication. 
*
The fourth part of security is generally considered availability,* but is not really required for the scope of the discussion here. I hope this helps a bit.


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## ebs001 (May 8, 2006)

My Skype is working at this time, 1800EDT


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Freesail99 said:


> I saw on the news this morning, that Skype was down yesterday, over 225 millon users without service.


*From today's L.A. Times......*
Glitch takes Skype calling service off-line
Many users are unable to connect. It's the latest problem for Net phone offerings as they struggle for acceptance.
By Jim Puzzanghera
August 17, 2007

Internet phone services let people make calls for little or no money. Some customers are getting what they pay for.

A software problem left many users of Skype, the popular program that routes calls over the Internet, unable to connect Thursday. Skype told customers early in the day that it hoped to fix the glitch within 24 hours.

The EBay Inc.-owned service would not say how many of its 220 million registered users were affected, but problems were reported around the world, including in the United States, Europe, South Africa and Brazil.

The outage marked the latest credibility problem for Internet phone companies, which are struggling with reliability issues as they try to lure people away from their land line phones.

"Consumers want their phone to work very well, sound very well and work all the time," said Sally Cohen, an analyst with Forrester Research. "If you're positioning yourselves as a land line replacement and one of those three aren't met, the consumer's going to be unhappy."

After the Skype outage, people can be forgiven for wondering whether Internet calling is ready for prime time.

Vonage Holdings Corp. has seen a drop in new subscribers and its stock has plummeted in the last year, partly because of a federal court's ruling that the company violated patents held by Verizon Communications Inc. Vonage's residential calling plans cost about $24.99 a month for unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada.

Another provider of Internet calls, SunRocket Inc., abruptly shut down last month, leaving thousands of customers without phone service.

Marc Kruskol, who runs a public relations firm from his Van Nuys home, was one of them. He was paying about $99 a year.

"I make a lot of phone calls around the country, even internationally, and I need to save money where I could," he said.

After SunRocket folded, Kruskol was happy that another Internet phone company, TeleBlend, stepped in to offer service to SunRocket customers.

Then his TeleBlend service went down for several days, he said.

"It really hurt my business. Clients were calling and wondering why my phone wasn't working," he said. "If it continues to be problematic, I might even consider getting a hard-wired land line."

Traditional phone lines aren't immune from problems. A computer glitch in 2005 cut phone and Internet service for as long as 12 hours to at least 150,000 Verizon customers in Southern California.

But analysts said land-line phones were more reliable than those that used the Internet.

Forrester has found that 87% of people intend to stick with their current phone provider. Internet companies can try to lure customers with lower costs and high-tech features, such as instant messaging, but shouldn't tout themselves as an equal replacement for hard-wired phones yet, Cohen said.

Norma Joyce and her husband spend part of the year in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and use Skype to stay in touch with their four children and grandchildren in the U.S.

"Today is my oldest daughter's birthday! So I am waiting and hoping that it will start up soon," Norma Joyce wrote in an e-mail.

EBay bought Skype Technologies for $4.1 billion in 2005, hoping the ability to complete online phone calls would make haggling over auction items easier and lead to more deals.

The service lets people call other Skype users for free and connect with different phone services across the globe for a per-call fee, which ranges from about 6 cents a minute to $3 a minute.

Skype also offers unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada for $29.95 a year and incoming calls for $60 a year.

Thursday's outage was one of the first that many users could remember. The company attributed it to "a deficiency in an algorithm within Skype networking software."

Most Internet phone users are comfortable with new technology and willing to endure an occasional glitch, said Alan Weckel, a senior analyst at Dell'Oro Group.

"But if this becomes a frequent occurrence," he said, "there is going to be some reluctance to go with them."

[email protected]


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

"BTW, if you have an e-mail server that supports it, turn on the SSL-encryption in your e-mail program. "
Unless you own the server...Are there any major ISPs or freemail accounts offering SSL as standard?


"SSH" ? SSH??

And there are free or inexpensive VPN server services you can subscribe to. Free with limits, or for a price, they wil tunnel all your public connections.

Skype made a statement that the glitch was due to a latent error that's been in their code from day one but somehow just went off, apparently related to the fact that somehow they use peer-to-peer routing, not just their own servers. (Didn't know that.)

Anyway...every VOIP service has had outages. Overall Skype has a good record,so far.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

HelloSailor-

Gmail support SSL-encryption for e-mail clients using POP3 protocols. The ports are a bit different from the standard—465 and 995 instead of 25 and 110 IIRC. 

SSH gives you a lot more options than SSL, if you have an account on a server that supports it.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

sailingdog-
I noticed that GMAIL setup checks "this server requires an SSL connection" but hadn't realized that was what it was about--sending the connect information encrypted.
Their "odd" ports options are very useful, since many ISPs will not allow residential customers to access Port25 on any server except their own. (A way to extort commercial/upgraded service plan rates, used apparently by Hughes, BellSouth, and some other bloodsucking vampires.)


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

HS-

Yes, port 25 is blocked by a lot of ISPs... but not only for the reason you're thinking. A lot of ISPs block port 25 to help reduce spamming...  BTW, if you need to use non-encrypted SMTP, you can often use port 587, which is the alternate port for unencrypted SMTP.



hellosailor said:


> sailingdog-
> I noticed that GMAIL setup checks "this server requires an SSL connection" but hadn't realized that was what it was about--sending the connect information encrypted.
> Their "odd" ports options are very useful, since many ISPs will not allow residential customers to access Port25 on any server except their own. (A way to extort commercial/upgraded service plan rates, used apparently by Hughes, BellSouth, and some other bloodsucking vampires.)


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Sailingdog-
Yes, blocking port25 access is a quick and easy way to block mail relay problems and block spam. But, it is totally unnecessary if one uses passwords or other secured access to the servers. 
There is no legitimate reason to block Port25 except "We're too dumb to implement real security" or "We're such whores, we won't let you do it for the price we quoted, you'll have to pay more for that". Bellsouth are whores like that, they won't even let you use a multi-port router without an extra charge unless you quietly do it on your own. (They don't support it for base residential service--even though their configuration software will work with it, if you make the right lies.)
Ditto for Hughes, they'll gladly sell you an upgrade to allow a wider range of ports.

For many years now, blocking ports this way has had no real security purpose, it is strictly a way to generate income.

Alternate ports are nice--but a lot of ISPs simply don't support any alternate ports. They like to play the same mutual game, using this as a stealth way to make customers upgrade their accounts. Especially the "telco" ISPs, who are used to charging $5-8 apiece for each of a dozen line features that the VOIPs provide for free. It's the old "beat the tariffs and advertise a lowball price" game.

(And my apologies to real whores, for comparing telcos and ISPs to one of the world's older and more honorable trades.<G>)


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Unfortunately, many e-mail servers aren't secured properly, and often it isn't the fault of the ISPs, since many of these e-mail servers are client owned and secured. But, I do agree that it is an easy way to make money for them.... 

Verizon and a lot of the other ISPs aren't quite as profit driven as BS... I use VoIP on my Verizon FiOS connection and don't have to pay any fees. 


I also agree that it is demeaning to the professionals to be comparing the Telcos and ISPs to them.


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## Waymar83 (Jun 5, 2006)

Sorry guys but port 25 compared to a good sherry or maybe 007's martini, shaken not stirred, is all the same to me...(not my area of expertise...)

I was just on Skype and noticed a quietly introduced connection fee for every Skypeout call. Was I asleep? is this recent or was it always there? I did find my Skype credits deplete faster these days. I also noticed they charge VAT on my Skypeout connection fee. Do they actually pay VAT on this or is this another disguised profit centre. Its also getting confusing with Skype Pro and Skype in discounts etc... sounds like muddying the waters to get revenues up....

After extolling the virtues of skype I may begin to look at the competition.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Skype may have changed their rates but at least in the US SKype hasn't been free as long as I can recall.

Any company that claims to collect taxes (VAT or otherwise) and doesn't remit them, soon finds their principals in jail. Most governments are treating VOIP phone companies as "phone companies" these days, making them pay the usual telecom taxes now.


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## Waymar83 (Jun 5, 2006)

OK but where are they based?... If you charge VAT, that is because your country's tax regime requires you to add the tax as you are providing a service. In Canada for instance they will not remit to Government the GST (same as VAT) on services or goods delivered outside of Canada becsaue you pay the GSTonly on what you use/get in Canada. 


By the way I googled VOIP providers and found a bunch of alternatives. I think I will try VBUZZER, its slightly cheaper than Skype. I'll see what the quality is like.


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## Idiens (Jan 9, 2007)

As an alternative to Skype, try also www.rebtel.com they make a good combination.


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## Yofy (Aug 15, 2007)

Camaraderie and sailingdog, thanks for explaining WIFI and those links. We've been away awhile and sometimes I feel like am loosing the ability to comunicate in English  .

Manny


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Glad to help.


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## speciald (Mar 27, 2007)

I've heard rumors that E-Bay, that now owns Skype, intends to increase fees after 1/1/08 - any one else heard this? I've used Skype with WiFi in the Carib and Bermuda for the last three years. Now that Globalstar is 39.99 / month for unlimited use, my patterns of calling may change.


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## Yofy (Aug 15, 2007)

Does anybody know how you would hookup a cantenna to a IBM thinkpad laptop? (laptop has internal antenna but not strong enough to recieve a good WIFI signal.)


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

If the laptop only has an internal antenna, you cannot hook up an external antenna. 

You either get a new laptop with an external antenna port (scarce), or tap a cable into your laptop (scary for most) or buy another complete WiFi adapter that plugs into another port, and allows an external antenna or has more power to start with.


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## speciald (Mar 27, 2007)

I use a RVmarine antenna http://www.radiolabs.com/products/wireless/wireless-marine-antenna.php)that plugs into a USB port. It is an amplfier and high gain antenna in a single unit. It works better than other antennas I have tried.


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## danielh (Sep 8, 2007)

hi yofy!

i used an ibm thinkpad t21 with an external (usb) wlan-antenna. i bought a zydas rp-wu1705 - it worked perfect. its usb 1.1 compatible so it workes with older laptops alos. and it has a long usb-cable so the antenna can be installed outside (ofcourse only in harbour).


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## RichardM86 (Sep 9, 2007)

Does anybody have experience with the jajah service? ( jajah.com
). It offers cheap calls world wide from your cellphone/landline. You need additional software on your phone or you can user the web-interface to dial the number. I wonder if this works in the Carib and Bermuda.


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## Idiens (Jan 9, 2007)

RichardM86 said:


> Does anybody have experience with the jajah service?


 Sounds a lot like Rebtel, which I use a lot. No software needed though.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Richard, it sounds like jajah is using a VOIP "Oreo". That is, they are using VOIP in the middle to connect two local telephone calls, placing both calls as outbound local calls and gluing them together with VOIP services.

In theory that would keep their costs low, avoiding all international calling costs completely. And the only limit would be whether they have the local 'last mile" connection in each country. Their list of supported countries is online at their site.

There are a lot of clever ideas going around, it doesn't seem like you can lose by trying them. (Except for the few cents you'll be billed for one minute, even on calls that don't connect to both sides.)

The frugal traveler needs a whole list of calling tricks up his sleeve. And of course, you still need to be prepared for things like bugged coin telephones, where folks steal your calling card numbers remotely. (I'd swear it wasn't possible, but I had it happen in SeaTac.)


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## micksbuddy (Aug 11, 2006)

I used skype quite a bit in the Bahamas this spring, and even with the connection fees(not sure if they were charging that at the time) it's still a heckuva lot cheaper than batelco cards(.50/min). And there a fair number of places with free wifi over there.


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## Yofy (Aug 15, 2007)

Thanks for the replies. I've been a little busy so I haven't had a chance to respond. (I've been deep in the engine room fighting with my starter... but that's another story  )

I also asked a friend in the computer business and he asked if the cantenna normally connects to a serial port??

If yes, he suggested that we could buy a serial port to usb adaptor that we could connect through the usb port instead.

Perhaps this is repeating some of the previously posted advice  , but is anybody using a cantenna that can answer that?

Manny


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Yofy-

The Cantenna (Pringles can antenna) connects to the antenna port of the WiFi card... usually an MMCX type port. A serial port doesn't have any use for an antenna. Some USB-based WiFi adaptors will have an external antenna port, or a removable antenna. BTW, I don't think much of a person in the computer industry that doesn't know what a Cantenna is, or how it is used... my friend's 10-year old daughter built one after I sent her the website link to the instructions.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Manny, twenty years ago radio guys were using coffee cans and pringles cans with 1/4 wave microwave stub antenas as cheap direction gain antennas and all a "cantenna" means is "a stub antenna installed at a resonant point in a can with one end cut open". 

Some geniuses have tried to trademark the name now, that ain't gonna last. A real "cantenna" is just a directional gain antenna that you have to plug into whatever your radio (including WiFi card) is. Antennas don't plug into serial ports, or USB ports. Even though some more geniuses are trying to sell "USB antennas" for WiFi, when all they are really selling is a USB Wifi adapter that has a long USB cord--and the adapter itself built into the base of the antenna.


"Ignore the man behind the curtain."


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## mygirls66 (Sep 23, 2007)

Skype is actually very good. Skype "IN" is a PC to PC and Skype "OUT" is using your PC to call out through a gateway to the local telephone network...i.e. someones regular telephone. Skype "OUT" costs a little bit but is no where near VONAGE rates. We use both. On occasion you miss a few words here and there but overall it is good and getting better.

Ian


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## Vasco (Sep 24, 2006)

A cantenna will not help much because you'll be swinging all the time. What you need is an omni directional antenna. Check this out.
http://www.netgate.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_42&products_id=328


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

An omnidirectional isn't all that useful in extending range. IMHO, you'd be better off using a panel type antenna, which has an acceptance angle of about 90˚, which will accommodate a fair amount of swinging, where a cantenna won't. It will also have far more gain than an omnidirectional antenna, and better range.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

What, Vasco, you're not willing to put out a 4-point anchor system in order to secure the boat so you can get the best cantenna performance? [weg]


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## Vasco (Sep 24, 2006)

Tried the four point. Didn't work because of the swell, kept on bouncing up and down.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

HS-

He needs to use a four-point anchor system and a gyro-stabilized mount for the antenna.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Skype Questions*

In addition to my satellite phone (way too expensive per minute) I will be using Skype In and Out to receive and make calls - if I can get my family trained. 

I'm looking at purchasing either Skype's MSC WiFi phone or the Philips VOIP8411B/37 phone (leaning toward the latter based on consumer reviews). However, my power system is entirely 12v and it will be only rarely that I will have 110v shore power. Does anyone know whether either of these phones comes with a 12v adapter; the literature just says "power adapter"?

Has anyone used Skype In and/or Out on a consistent, satisfactory basis? Particularly internationally?

And to you cruisers outside US waters, in more remote locales, how often are you running into marinas with WiFi?

Thanks!


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Heather...
1. The Philips comes with an AC charger only BUT the batteries are AAA Nimh rechargeables so you can use ANY 12V battery charger to juice them up or buy AAA batteries wherever you are. 
2. I would suggest that a small inverter is probably the easiest way to go and will be useful for other things as well. 
3. I cannot speak about the more remote places in the world, but wifi is ubiquitous throughout the caribbean basin at marinas and often in harbors and we used skype successfully there in 2005. I would never rely on it exclusively, but you can save a lot of Iridium bucks by bringing it along. Rather than get a handset, we simply got a MIC and CAMERA combo (abou $50) to plug into the PC and now we have free VIDEO and PHONE wherever we go!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hey, Cam - 

I have a little inverter for special uses...but don't want to stress the battery panel more than necessary. I've read in a couple of places it takes more juice through the inverter than simply using a 12v adapter. 

Sounds like Skype is definitely something I'll be able to make use of. Trying to get my non-techie family lined out with it may be the toughest part!  

I'm going to get the mic/camera combo as you suggested. But for times I'm moored instead of docked (my preference to save money), I thought the handset would be handy to carry ashore.

Thanks so much for your great input!


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Heather...you are right about conversion from DC to AC costing some amps vs. a straight DC to DC hookup...but you are only dealing with an amp or less here so even a 50% loss (unthinkable!) would not cost you an appreciable number of amp hours. 
My pleasure to be of some small help. We are ALL here for you!


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Sologirl-
If the AC adapter has some tiny ratings for input and output stamped on it, the odds are you can find or make a simple DCC adapter that will step the boat's power down to match what the adapter puts out.
Unless the adapter still puts out AC, which some do.

And, when plugging adapters into inverters, you need to check them, some will overheat or burn out. I don't know any rule of thumb to guarantee success but a "true sine wave" inverter will keep them all happy, anything else is "maybe".

(Those AAA cells are sounding pretty good right now, huh?[g])


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

One other thing about using an inverter... it gives you alot more flexibility than using a dc-to-dc converter.


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## speciald (Mar 27, 2007)

I have used Skype throughout the Caribean, Bermuda, and in Spain. You need a Wifi or broadband connection. It is reliable and cheap. Ebay bought the comnpany a yearago and there have been rumorwsof changes in the fees after the first of the year.


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## Idiens (Jan 9, 2007)

sologirl said:


> Has anyone used Skype In and/or Out on a consistent, satisfactory basis? Particularly internationally?
> 
> And to you cruisers outside US waters, in more remote locales, how often are you running into marinas with WiFi?


I use Skype in Europe, US and Canada. It usually works well, but sometimes has poor connections. I particularly use it to reach a daughter in Australia, it works fairly well. But not as good as Rebtel, so I use the combination.

Marinas in Europe are increasingly adding WiFi, but the charges are often unattractive. Also, having a high gain antenna is worthwhile.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thanks so much for all the info. 

I don't think the inverter I have is sine wave, so may upgrade to that.

Already have a WiFi boosting (er, uh, booster) antenna. 

I did read Skype was bought out by eBay and assumed prices might change but they swear computer-to-computer will always be free, so I can't go wrong there. 

Now where did I put those AAAs!?


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

eBay did buy them out. And I wouldn't call eBay money-grubbing whores with no appreciation for customer service, simply because I wouldn't want to offend whores.[g]

eBay was pretty fast to buy up PayPal to ensure eBay retained all revenues. Then they hiked the PayPal rates and killed free accounts. Then Citibank came out with a competitor--and eBay/PayPal took steps to punish any member using that service, with some non-compete rules.

So I've no doubt eBay will patiently look Skype over, then milk it for whatever the competition will bear.

In the early days eBay's Boss Lady used to say that she just wanted her friend to write a database to support her hobby of trading Pez dispensers. These days...the interviews sound like Great Wizards intentionally built this incredible system with fantastic knowledge of what would come. Funny how the old "tee hee, look what I stepped into" story has changed.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I've been an eBayer (I confess) for a lot of years. And the "feel" among buyers has changed as well. Used to be you could get great deals from trustworthy folks. Now it's Buyer Beware and darn little recourse if yer shafted.

Funny how scads of money changes most folks.

Still, I'm going to give Skype a shot. For the time being I don't stand to lose anything. And if it gets pricey I'll delete it and chuck the headset.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Hopefully Skype won't get too screwed up by eBay... there are a few other alternatives, but none as well established as Skype.


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