Skype

Skype continued failing, with calls dropped every couple of minutes.  I kept getting the message from Skype that I had gone offline which could not be.  It got so bad I asked a geek friend who indicated a website which checks my connection speed.  Bingo.  So I called my ISP which is Time Werner and they fixed the problem remotely.

Lesson to all:  check the connection and the connection equipment when you get dropped calls.  Skype is for high speed connections and if yours is too slow the call will have problems.

I have also noticed that wireless is not well supported by Skype.  

I logged on to Skype and it crashed, and every time I logged on it just crashed.  If I logged on to a different account everything was fine; it was only my account that crashed Skype.  I guess I overwhumped it with so many contacts sending so many files for so many months.  The only way was to erase the histories of students and past lessons.  Now if I have trouble with Skype the first thing I do is check my Internet connection speed.  I use a headset from Logitech which I like, it's better than a webcam with a built in microphone.  

I am writing these postings to you, how's it going?  There is some point beyond which attempting to give a meaningful lesson via our best buddy, yep... good old Skype, yeah, it becomes a waste of time and frustrating and asking the student to repeat because the connection was bad is a real drag.  Sounds a lot like Yike, Skype does, but it crashes so often it's now Yikes.  Anyway, there is a point, a line in cyberspace, a limit; if I can't get a good enough connection to help the student and give a lesson worthy of the price the student paid... guess what:  you throw in the towel and hope for better next time.  I have lost several students due to poor connections and the shortcomings of Skype.  I use MSN as backup but hate having to.  Happy hunting!

yes, Skype would crash or cannot respone anything sometimes, that time it cannot connect any internet. i feel student/teacher need to install mutiple instance message software, when i cannot connect internet by a IM software, i would use another instead of it, but the problem is your student/teacher has not installed the software in their PC/mobile/xPad, we can only install more IM software to adapt for our student/tearcher. 

although i also don't like install mutiple  IM software in my PC/Laptop, but the preference is not same for ervery one, Skype, MSN, AIM, all i don't like, i only use Taobao and i also need to learn English, so i can only install the software.. on ther other hand if your student/teacher from China, i advice you can use Taobao(Alibaba.com, Yahoo held it 40% stock), beacuse more 300 millions users in China. ^_^

Sometimes the problem is not skype itself but the poor connection you have. I use Skype a lot and sometimes it behaves strange, yes, but I wouldn't say that's most of the time. Maybe if you have some other programs running on the back (like transfer of files or P2P) it will keep crashing.... but I (so far) haven't found any other IM service that I could like more than Skype. 

I would guess that the problem is in the computer, not the Skype.

The easiest thing to do is using the audio not video connection. Also I would recommend to scan computer for viruses, worms and malware; remove all the unnecessory applications running on the background; remove all the toolbars in your browser; check available disk space and install all the available Windows updates.

If the computer is not so powerful you can disable a lot of unnecessory Window services.

If you need more details - yell.

Alex.

I just installed Google for chatting with video because my students say it's better than Skype.  Time will tell!

I tried it today and had a horable video quality. Audio was pretty descent though.

On other hand I've been using Skype for many years and it really rearly lets me down. So I guess I'll stick to Skype for now.