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82 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+42block Skype == exploit captive consumers
...yeah, that's something I'd want to be associated with. - hans0r, on 10/12/2007, -1/+38They don't block Skype because they want to ban VoIP.
They block Skype because it causes tremendous amounts of traffic.
Skype-Clients with high-speed connections automatically act as nodes (i.e. calls from other users are routed through those computers).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype#Criticisms - Angostura, on 10/12/2007, -6/+36And of course this has nothing to do with the fact that Skype's supernode peer-to-peer system can suck huge amounts of bandwidth even when idle.
This is a well known problem and businesses and universities have been leery of Skype for a while for the simple reason that it can severely strain the network.
See this forum thread from last year:
http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=16251 - mre5765, on 10/12/2007, -2/+26RTFP (P = policy). SJSU isn't banning all VOIP systems, just Skype.
They also aren't blocking all Skype access. On rate limited
networks such as those used in dorms, they allow Skype. - ArthurSucks, on 10/12/2007, -9/+30It's a damn shame that innovation is always being stifled.
- SuckMyDigg, on 10/12/2007, -5/+26wow.. i didn't know skype was being banned anywhere... that's pretty outrageous..
- dextroz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16this is precursor of what will happen when net neutrality loses out. your choices of how youu want to use the network will now be decided by the network access provider.
- Orbatos, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13It's a problem if the reason is merely as you say. I would like to believe this is being done for other reasons like incompatibility with SIP or XMPP based systems, an entirely proprietary network, and an intent to monopolize utilizing these issues. There are also "hidden" problems with skype like immense idle bandwidth usage.
As it has been noted, they aren't banning all VOIP services, only Skype. - theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I've never heard of this...
- trekkie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10My employer has banned it because of security concerns. At least the nasty gram email I got about it said so.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8So what can you access apart from porn?
- thefirelane, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Nice 100% wrong reaction... is the 'nerd community' really surprised no one listens to us with idiots like this spouting off nonsense like this.
- tutivlahos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7In Greece they are limiting the packets per second to prevent users from using skype.
OTE is the telecommunications operator of Greece.
From wikipedia:
"OTE has been accused of sabotaging Voice over IP services passing through its ADSL infrastructure by severely limiting the number of packets-per-second on lower-end 384k and 512k ADSL lines. The real result of this is that Greek broadband users do not have the ability of using an alternative, VoIP telecom operator instead of OTE's phone services. The packet limitation also creates problems for internet gaming and P2P usage, but voice over IP is by far the worse affected by this policy." - daven1986, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10it is quite pathetic really, block new technology because you can't compete instead of getting on board and bringing out your own VoIP service.
- kripkenstein, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6If this was the issue, why are other VoIP projects allowed? The policy paper even explicitly mentions that Wengo and Gizmo Project are fine.
The problem is with Skype. As mentioned elsewhere in this discussion, it can abuse bandwidth in order to fuel third-party transfers ('supernode'-ing). - mv36, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Provide references to your source of information.
- DannySpace, on 10/12/2007, -6/+11Government doesn't like skype + Government threatens to cut University funding = University doesn't like skype
- adityasen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5haha....porn is waaaay out of the question. forget porn...even celebrity sites are banned under the category of 'swimsuit / lingerie material'....lol
- modafekshen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5The USAF banned it too... They said and i quote "the network is a weapons system and must be protected" citing sources that Skype came from the same people that brought us Kazaa, use of closed source code, and the fact that it is internationally run... I go to the AF Academy so it rolled down to us and is banned here too. I was really mad because i used it a lot to call home.
- MikeMacMan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Why would you need skype at work? Doesn't your desk have a phone on it?
- mv36, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Most uni's do offer public ip addresses to their computers through DHCP (eg. www.kent.ac.uk ) though their being firewalled is another matter.
Though we have Skype as legal traffic through the firewall. - friend18, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Talk anywhere in the world (Except third world nations with gov't phone monopolies) for free!
- mattyh, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I worked in tech support at a major research facility at my University the last few years and we didn't block Skype per se, but we warned everyone that got on the network to make sure it didn't get left on except when they were actually using it to call. We would also explain how to turn off the Supernode option. I can understand why a University would want to block it. We had gigs upon gigs of bandwidth get used by a computer overnight simply because they left Skype running.
- stealthboy, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10Ahh, so now we see the phone companies behaving like the media cartel: Protect an old, out-dated business model by making sure new technologies cannot be used. Brilliant!
This is why they want net neutrality destroyed; they want to be able to relegate VOIP to the slowest possible speeds on "their" networks so that people won't even bother to use them. - theone3, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6.... not possible.
- mpancha, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5No, you're not at home. If you were living in an off campus apartment or house, that is your home. When you are living on campus, you follow the rules that make it so all features/services are available to everyone, and not exploited by few.
Skype sucks up a lot of bandwith. When it comes down to it, its more important that everyone have acess to internet for school purposes while on campus, not for everyone to upload/download as they please.
As many have already said, its b/c skype is a bandwith hog, it has poor efficiency. That is why its being blocked. Other VOIP services are allowed, those who took the time to make their services efficient. - LaueOfficer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4note to self: Dont go to school in Australia
- tobsterius, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5that's a little bit of a stretch, don't you think? And if that were the case, the mere fact of the government threatening to cut funding because they don't like skype would be in the news so fast, especially with today's media.
- gregmo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Australian University? You sure ur not just in North Korea?
- manageMyRights, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Then we will have to encrypt every packet and make it all look like VPN sessions. They won't mess with those cause of business clients.
- nofxjunkee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4The answer isn't blocking Skype, it's better networks.
- hans0r, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3of course it can! what do you think internet-provider use to assign you an IP address?
- MacsBaine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"Ahh, so now we see the phone companies behaving like the media cartel: Protect an old, out-dated business model"
Actually it not the business model but the model of government run monopolies that are out of date and banning new modes of communication
"This is why they want net neutrality destroyed; they want to be able to relegate VOIP to the slowest possible speeds on "their" networks so that people won't even bother to use them."
The major communication companies have spent way to much time and money on VoIP to try and stifle it and stop people from using it. As for old technologies most companies are just trying to lose lines as slow as possible, they know that they are going away though. - fatdog789, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Given that more than half of the traffic on the web is estimated to be BT traffic, that's not saying much.
- DCMacHead, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Reading through the article, it looks like the university in question backed down after an uproar from the students and professors. Looks like reason prevailed!
- rjacobsen, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Sounds like you know what's going on, users should point out to skype that the supernode mode should have a reasonable default bandwidth cap so Skype does not get a bad reputation.
Supernode has it's uses, so they can't do away with it. A "reasonable default" setting because explaining what it is and getting everyone to adjust it will not happen, also it should be adjustable for those who want to bump it up ... could. - koick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2More description of what it does here too:
http://www.oit.ucsb.edu/connect/skype.asp - helfire, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I work at a small state university and we actually tell people to use skype. We have a lot of international students and they love calling for next to nothing, we also recommend gizmo project.
- gabrielg01, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2VoIP will prevail anyway, no matter how much opposition some organizations will put up. Don't forget there are many more organizations that embrace VoIP.
Speaking of 3rd world countries...their stupidity is like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Here comes (another) revolutionary technology, and because their ignorant and all-controlling governments cannot cope with it, they just decide to ban it. This backward mentality is the cause they are 3rd world countries in the first place. Don't forget that many of these countries also control (in effect block) the regular Internet access of their citizens. - fatdog789, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Yes, because downloading porn, music, and games is far more important the the university using that bandwidth for university services and research....
You're not entitled to download and upload as you please. You share that connection with everyone else on the campus network, so if you're hogging it up, someone else isn't able to use it.
Bandwidth doesn't just grow on trees; it has capacity constraints.
If you want to upload and download as you please, move to an apartment and get your own T3. - etechonline2002, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i think banning skype is the wrong way to go. using skype allows students to save a little money. as well as help on of the worlds best voip network get better. i think the only time you should block it is if there are people hosting 100 people chat sessions with there not going to be.
- tdkyo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Cellphones everyone. Pfff. Undercutting their telecom company is not a reason
- drtsrk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1A shame!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I love how new tech get's squashed because it's so much better than what's currently available. ***** big business.
- averagedesi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Why block skype? There are so many other alternatives.
- misterjangles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You must be new here. To Earth, I mean.
- koick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Prohibited at UCSB:
http://www.oit.ucsb.edu/connect/skype.asp - trekkie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1When I travel to london, zurich, and other countries outside the united states on their dime weeks at a time they don't pay for me to call home and check on my wife & kids. Skype worked nicely and was relatively inexpensive by comparison to other options available. So I used it for that.
- Celeron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1SJSU for the win! Computer engineering major there.
- ricecold, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This includes federal military academies too. They don't go for any p2p stuff because it makes the Department of Defense network vulnerable to attacks much more easily. Sucks but I guess it is a good security to prevent any accidents.
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