Hi!

I'm getting an odd problem that has started after I installed Skype 3 (but it continues to appear even in newest update of 3.2)

After speaking for some time, anywhere from 2 minutes to 20 minutes, my video suddenly turns blue on both sides and the sound goes (I can still hear and see the other part but they cannot hear me and they se me in blue color). I hang up and re-call and everything works fine again for 2-20 minutes and then it happens again. (except at some occassion when I got the blue screen of death)

No odd things to see in CPU usage

Windows XP (newest up-dates)
Logitech quickcam pro 5000 (newest driver) and camera works otherwise..

Any suggestions?

Questions you need to answer please before we can help as we cannot know everybody’s own setup. Without this information we will not be able to help you very much.

A) Skype version currently installed (Skype->Help->About)

B) What type of PC, Desktop or laptop.

C) Operating System, Version, Patch level (e.g. Windows, XP, Service Pack 1 or 2, etc)

D) CPU Type and Speed

E) Amount of Memory.

F) Type of Internet connection and speed (e.g. dial-up or broadband, 768 down/128 up, etc)

G) Router in use? If so, which model?

H) Firewalls in use? If so, which?

I) Headset in use?

J) Have you BOTH tried a test call to 'echo123' if so, what are the results?

K) Is it a PC2PC, Skypeout or Skypein problem?

A) Skype 3.2.0.152
B) Desktop
C) Windows, XP pro 2002, Service Pack 2 updated with everything usefull
D) AMD Anthlon XP 1600+, 1.4 GHz
E) 768 Mb RAM
F) broadband 12 down & up but in reality somewhat lower especially up.
G) D-link wireless router DWL-2100AP, 108G
H) Windows Firewall
I) No Headset
J) No problems with call to 'echo123'.
K) PC2PC (video call)

Is you router hard wired to your desktop and does it have the latest hardware/firmware installed.

Please provide results requested below when you video goes blue what is you CPU usage at this time and can you check your CPU tempreture with Speedfan.

For version 1.4.xxxxxx, 2.xxxx, 3.xxxx

In your Skype window you will see at the top various tabs.
Click on the one marked 'Tools' which will open a dropdown menu.
At the bottom of this you will see 'Options'.
Click on this and you will be taken to a display which has various headings along the left hand side.
Click on 'Advanced' and then tick the box which says 'Display Technical Information'.
Save.
Now if you rest (or hover) the mouse over the image in the centre of your Skype window you will get a readout of technical information while in a call.
This way we can determine what is happening during your call.

For version 3.2.xxxx
Tools>……….options>………………….advanced>………………connection>………………. tick the box which says 'Display Technical Information'.>………………save

Now please make a call to the following
Echo123
Skype2Skype
Skypeout if you have credit.
When you make these calls you will see this data by hovering your mouse over the "black" or other nice picture/photo of your contact.

For versions 3.1.xxxxx and 3.2.xxxxxx you need to hoover you mouse anywhere within the call panel but NOT on the avatar if you do you will not see the readings we require.

For version 1.4.XXX. to 2.0.0.103
1) Audio in/out
2) Packet Loss
3) UDP status
4) Round Trip
5) Relays
6) CPU usage (Both numbers)

For Version 2.5.xxxxx and above
1) Packet Loss
2) UDP Status
3) Roundtrip
4) Relays
5) CPU Usage. (Both numbers)

Please report back with the results, please do not use screen shots as they are rather hard to see, thank you.

You should also check your CPU temperature with speedfan from here http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php and CPU usage with Task Manager in windows.

You can also test your internet connection here and get quite a lot of information and report back with the results. http://myvoipspeed.visualware.com/

Another thing that you need to check via your ISP provider or there web site if they have one is your Contention ratio, by this I mean how many other people are sharing the same bandwidth as you from the ISP. The lower the ration means a better bandwidth for you which means less packet loss etc. The average ratio was 50 to 1 but now it has come down to 33 to 1.

Contention ratio – describes the maximum number of users sharing the bandwidth of a given backhaul connection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contention_ratio

Competition by users of a system for use of the same facility at the same time. This may also be known as oversubscription. The term contention ratio applies specifically to the number of people connected to an ISP who share a set amount of bandwidth. Example values would be 50:1, for home users (that is to say that 50 people or lines will vie for the same bandwidth) and 20:1 for business users.

Sorry for the late reply. I didn't have the time to check and provoke the system before now.

I am using the wireless connection and now have the latest hardware/firmware installed

At blue screen (or purple screen this time..):
1) Packet loss 0.0% (5)
2) UDP Status local:good remote:good
3) Roundtrip 65ms
4) Relays 0
5) CPU usage 74.3% 29.7%

CPU temperatur 38 C

My voipspeed gets a lot of green dots... 1000 kbps down and up although (variation between 850-1200 through hours of the day and choice of server)

I haven't checked with my ISP yet.

Have you installed the lates DirectX driver from Microsoft which came out in May this year.

Yes I think so - DirectX version 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
(I updated it again anyhow).
I have tried updating drivers, software and so on.
I tried shutting down the powermanagement of USB hub, which didn't help.

Swapping video cams between computers seems to have solved the problem in my case.

Thanks for your feedback, Tobber