SatSig topic:

Tooway and skype

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Jan 24^th, 2010 at 6:17am

Hi,
I am new to this forum and am considering buying Tooway in Cyprus. I have been using Vodaphone GPRS but this has now become unworkable as I need faster internet for business purposes.
One big question for me is the use of Skype. Does it work effectively on Tooway as this will be my main comms link for work and I will be using it for most of the day?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as totally new and green about Sat Internet?
Many thks

Jan 24^th, 2010 at 2:17pm

You are right to ask if Skype will work over Tooway. Eutelsat/Skylogic, who operate the system, indicate that the service is for web browsing and emails and that peer to peer applications may be very slow. So don't raise your hopes too much.

Skype and VoIP are quite demanding applications in terms of needing a steady flow of packets. The bit rate needed is about 35 - 100 kbit/s in both directions. The uplink from your site is the problem as there are many other sites sharing the same frequency so your uplink transmissions may be audibly interrupted and congested. Your uplink is intended for the sending occasional mouse clicks and the uplinking of longer email files, which need not be sent in a hurry or as a smooth stream of packets.

Service providers suggest that Skype may be possible but that you be aware of your traffic flow and be prepared to move to higher tariff if you need more throughput. Read more about Tooway traffic control- how it works. Note that the average bit rate you are allowed goes down when averaged over longer period of time. 1.2 Gbytes over 4 weeks is only 4 kbit/s average.

It would be interesting to hear from users of Tooway regarding their experiences with Skype and VoIP. Please...

Best regards, Eric.

Jan 25^th, 2010 at 8:23am

Quote:

Hi,
I am new to this forum and am considering buying Tooway in Cyprus. I have been using Vodaphone GPRS but this has now become unworkable as I need faster internet for business purposes.
One big question for me is the use of Skype. Does it work effectively on Tooway as this will be my main comms link for work and I will be using it for most of the day?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as totally new and green about Sat Internet?
Many thks

Skype and Voip works "OK", its never perfect (delay) but if you dont have any other option it is "OK" as long you stay within your traffic limmits ! Make sure you have also an alternative way in case quality is poor because bandwidth limits (uplink).

Jan 25^th, 2010 at 11:58am

I have used skype before and it seemed to be fine most of the time. I haven't used it extensively though because of bandwidth constraints. Using skype on ADSL is not always perfect either so if you have the bandwidth, yes you can use skype with tooway. Keep it turned off though if you are not using it as it can eat bandwidth in the background.