Anybody else having a problem with Skype?

**rolfw** · 17-08-2007

First off mine decided it needed to shut down because of a serious error, then I couldn't connect on restart, tried it on a second computer and this is also the same.

**rolfw** · 17-08-2007

Apparently I'm not alone:

UPDATED 14:02 GMT: Some of you may be having problems logging into Skype. Our engineering team has determined that it’s a software issue. We expect this to be resolved within 12 to 24 hours. Meanwhile, you can simply leave your Skype client running and as soon as the issue is resolved, you will be logged in. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Additionally, downloads of Skype have been temporarily disabled. We will make downloads available again as quickly as possible.

Does annoy me that they don't send out this information to members or put it on an obvious place on their site, as i have since removed the old copy and reloaded a new version, plus have spent a couple of hours checking other programs which may be interefering.

**rolfw** · 17-08-2007

Update, they now have a notice on the site, took 'em long enough.

Hello all,

Here’s the latest on the sign-on problem. We’re on the road to recovery. Skype is stabilizing, but this process may continue throughout the day. An encouraging number of users can now use Skype once again. We know we’re not out of the woods yet, but we are in better shape now than we were yesterday.

Finally, we’d like to dispel a couple of theories that we are still hearing. Neither Wednesday’s planned maintenance of our web-based payment services nor any form of attack was related to the current sign-on issues in any way.

We’ll update you again as soon as we can. Thanks for hanging tight.

Please see our Heartbeat blog for ongoing updates.

UPDATED 17 August, 2007 11:00 GMT

***Yeshi*** · 17-08-2007

Skype is one of the most expensive when it comes to calling home/mobile phones..

Used it once and deleted it..

**rolfw** · 17-08-2007

I don't use it for that Yeshi I get that for free on my mobile package, I use it for calling other Skype users, home and overseas (Free and with video if required)), sending messages to other Skype users (Free), sending files to other Skype users (Free) and making the odd call to Australia (Slightly cheaper than my new phone package).

It is a great direct replacement for MSN messaging, without all of the garbage and popups, plus the quality of PC to PC calls are every bit as good as standard long distance calls. Don't like being without it.

PS. I also use it when I'm overseas for making very cheap calls back home.

**Topper** · 17-08-2007

It has been like this for two days now, I have no idea if this is true but I suspect they allowed the recent MS updates to update the servers and all the standard logins no longer work, normally 8 million users on line during the working day the last two days no more than 2.5M. Seems to be taking longer to fix than they anticipated as well. Those MS updates stopped everyone printing to the networked printer at work plus problems using Sage line 50. Bill Gates has a lot to answer for. And yes Skype is a good investment if used properly also the quality of the calls has improved considerably in the last two years. I talk regularly to family in the States and Israel with good video quality

**dig deep** · 17-08-2007

Yes Rolf, it is free

But it opens up a lots of ports

so I stopped using it

Need more security (U know what I mean)

But it is very cheap, working OK but it scares me (nowdays they all do)

So I think I keep on using my cellular

**rolfw** · 17-08-2007

No problem with the ports Dig, I have a firewalled router and full firewall on the PC, so unless anything is invited, it won't get in. To use these ports you have to be on my contacts list and you won't be on there unless I know you well.

I also have a couple of other programs which will prevent anything from outside altering files or registry entries.

You know the old saying "You cannot be too careful"?

Well you can, I ain't gonna live in a bubble.

PS. As a matter of interest, has anyone heard of anyone being attacked via Skype ports? I haven't.

**jimbo** · 17-08-2007

I'm online ok in Skype ...... none of my contacts are though.

**rolfw** · 17-08-2007

Yes, I'm on now, just this second reloaded it.

**dig deep** · 18-08-2007

U are right there Rolf, never heard of it in real life only thru the grapewine

Pehaps it is time to re-install It works rather good

**Channel Hopper** · 21-08-2007

From a newsletter.

Skype is blaming last week’s two-day outage on millions of Windows machines restarting after the installation of Microsoft’s security patches.

The massive number of reboots caused a flood of log-in requests (the Skype default is to login at reboot), causing “a chain reaction that had a critical impact.”

In a note posted on the Skype home page, the eBay-owned company that the peer-to-peer network that powers the Internet phone service has a self-healing component that failed because of a software bug.

[This] event revealed a previously unseen software bug within the network resource allocation algorithm which prevented the self-healing function from working quickly. Regrettably, as a result of this disruption, Skype was unavailable to the majority of its users for approximately two days.

The issue has now been identified explicitly within Skype. We can confirm categorically that no malicious activities were attributed or that our users’ security was not, at any point, at risk.

The Windows Update explanation seems a bit bizarre. After all, Microsoft has been delivering automatic updates (and simultaneous reboots) every month since 2003. Something still isn’t adding up.

Unsure as to how a security issue on MS would affect Mac and Linux users either, but there you go .

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