It seems that Skype ignores my proxy settings unless I am behind a firewall that won't let it through on standard ports. Is this true? :?: I have tried setting the proxy in both Skype connections and in Internet Options/IE. Skype ignores theses settings, based on 0 bytes going through my bandwidth graph.

How can one force Skype to use a proxy server? I need to use this program anonymously.


TIA.

amyl

Tools......>options....>connections.............>select from pull down menu.......>input proxy info......>save

That was no help at all.

If you read amyl's post carefully, both Skype's and IE's proxy setting were changed without luck, so there's no point in telling how to configure Skype.

I'm having the exact same problem.
Because my gateway has port prioritizing, making Skype calls on a direct connection will cause terrible amount of lag. I must squeeze Skype traffic through an SSH tunnel to a remote proxy in order to get a proper signal.
I've set up a local SOCKS proxy on my computer, which sends all incomming traffic to the remote proxy via the SSH connection. Problem is, Skype ignores both its own connection settings and the global Windows IE, and the program crashes if I try to force it by using FreeCap/SocksCap (CPU usage goes to 100% when making a call and system only barely responds to keyboard/mouse input).

I will try see if I can figure something out with my firewall (denying Skype any direct connections), but this is really a huge problem that needs to be fixed.

Ok, I just tried with the firewall trick.
After a few test calls, it finally went by using the local SOCKS server with relatively painless delay.

This is the scenario when Skype's connection is not limited by the firewall:
It seems, whenever I configure a proxy server in Skype, it just gets added to the large list of servers that Skype tries to use every time I log in, make a call etc.
When Skype is started, it tries to contact a long list of servers, including my configured proxy server. There's a small activity on the SOCKS server, but all the main traffic still goes through the other servers. When I make a call, it's like Skype chooses the other server over my local SOCKS proxy, resulting in a really bad connection (because the speed on direct connections is extremely limited here).

When I deny Skype direct connections and only permit the local proxy on 127.0.0.1, Skype first fails to make calls. It still tries all the direct connections, and after a while it times out.
However, after a few failed calls, Skype seems to "learn" that the only good connection is the local SOCKS server, and it start to only use that one when calling. It stops trying to make all the direct connections and thus the call finally succeeds (with a small delay though, since it still tries to contact a few).

When configuring a proxy server in Skype, it should not even TRY to connect directly, and certainly not prioritize direct connections over the proxy when the speed on this one is the only good enough.
I guess the reason why my computer crashes when I try to route Skype through FreeCap, is that the huge amount of connections it tries to make simultaineously during a call overloads the system.

Helges,

Thanks for your attention to my post.

You say, "When I deny Skype direct connections and only permit the local proxy on 127.0.0.1", do you mean by using your firewall to block Skype from specific ports? I don't think my firewall is that clever.

This ignoring of proxy settings is really frustrating, and I suspect it is meant to allow Skype to steal bandwidth from clients...

I'm using this upset in my firewall:

Skype proxy with Jetico FW:

any access network

outbound accept to localhost(remote address) port 80(forwarding to SSH proxy)
outbound accept any (maybe hocked off and then on when calling out first time)
outbound reject any (maybe hocked off and then on when calling out first time)

receive datagrams accept to localhost
receive datagrams accept any
receive datagrams reject any

send datagrams accept to localhost
send datagrams accept any
send datagrams reject any

listening datagrams localhost(local address) any any
listening port any


And it works fine, have to wait 1-4 minutes before any connection to Skype servers on localhost. Jetico FW is setup to block everything except outbound to SSH proxy so even accepting Skype directly is in reality blocked. I think Tiny Personal Firewall works better.