skype drops calls?

[peggyfromwastate]

Does anyone else have this issue? The longest conversation I've had was 15 minutes- the only one Skype didn't drop. It was during a low-bandwidth time I imagine (I think it was a Thursday afternoon at about 1 pm EST I think). Anyway, the other calls I've made drop after about 5 minutes. They are perfectly fine, then... Just dropped.

Kate and her friends use something called Uvu or something. I'm not sure what it is-- but it's a *cooler* alternative to skype.

Any suggestions?

[L.Jane]

I have never had that issue. When J and I were long distance we would leave skype up for hours. I think I tried oovoo for a while. It was neat in that you could video conference with more then one person, but the ads drove me nuts. I went back to skype and just dealt with not being able to video chat with more then one person at a time and the third person just had to be a voice. Maybe you need to delete and re download? There just might be a glitch in your download. But don't take my word for it. I am not the most computer literate person.

It happens to us, too. It used to work ok - just really slow - but now our calls drop right away. I figured it was due to being out in the country, or bandwidth issues. I've given up trying. I hadn't heard of oovoo.

[bokelley]

Haven't had any issues and Dh and I skype for hours some night. Only time we have had problems is when the internet was too slow to handle it.

[OrionGrad]

I use Skype for work almost every day, and my calls used to drop all the time. One thing that has worked for me is to plug my computer directly into the router when I'm using Skype (as opposed to using just the wireless connection). Could be worth a try.

[peggyfromwastate]

Hmm, that may be the issue with the connection on the other end then since I've used skype with my parents on their laptop (wireless) and DH also wireless on his laptop. I get 4 bars and then all of a sudden it's 2 and the warning says the connection speed is too slow...

There is a skype update apparently. maybe it will help.

Anyway, skype is fun but it's not the best way for me to actually talk to my family. The kids just come up to the webcam to make silly faces and what not. I suppose it's entertaining to the grandparents in their own way. But when the call drops DH, the 2 year old gets really mad!

We just started having problems with this ourselves- I talk to my sister in Taiwan on Skype. At first it worked great- but our last conversation dropped about 10 times. It's very annoying!

[SoonerTexan]

So based on your other post, I'm wondering if you have a Mac too? If so, why not just use iChat? You'll have to both set up an AIM account (I think there are other types too), but it works great. You can video conference with up to 4 people (my mom, sister, and I do this occasionally) and there are a couple of other really neat features too. You can drag a picture onto the chat session and it opens "iChat Theater" so you can all see the photo. You can also share screens and take control of another person's computer (with their permission of course)--I've been meaning to do this with my grandfather so I can just teach him directly how to do certain things.

My senior year of HS, when DH and I were long distance, I used to iChat with him before I went to bed in my room--freaked my mom out so many times when she would come say goodnight and heard his voice or saw his face on the pillow next to mine! Haha

[peggyfromwastate]

I haven't bought an iMac yet. This is our next computer, but we were waiting til next spring to get one.

Sigh.

I've been using the same computer that the kids use. It's no fun sharing!!