Skype to landline for local calls

Forums › VoIP › Skype to landline for local calls

jdb

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#116118 18-Apr-2013 20:28

I've recently started using Skype with naked broadband in the 09 region, and get very poor results on calls to local landlines. That is, calls are dropped after a short time, of the order of a minute, plus the other party has bad audio quality. On the other hand calls to other regions, including international, both to landlines and to Skype clients, work well - in fact impressively well - so the IP part seems good. While there are all sorts of reselling and subcontracting relations involved here, and lots of players who are happy to take your money for promises, I don't want to get too paranoid about someone pulling the plug on competitors. Plus of course I am paying for all of this. Are there problems in general with Skype to landlines in the NZ infrastructure, or is there a known fix for this? I know, spend more money on xyz might work - I mean a fix for Skype.

Thanks for any information,
jdb

AKT

335 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 15

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#801890 18-Apr-2013 20:50

Skype works in the same way for ‘local’ calls as it does for national/international calls. The ‘fix’ for poor calls is only to make sure you have a decent data connection and have updated Skype.

A

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2638
Inactive user

#801894 18-Apr-2013 20:52

Grab a line from 2Talk for $6.90/month and be done with it. Rates are probably cheaper and the technology is standard SIP.

jdb

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#801925 18-Apr-2013 21:55

Thanks for your comments. Just to clarity, I find Skype in other circumstances works very well. I also realise I could drop it and spend more time and money, but hey, is there a geekier fix.

Cheers,
jdb

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
80646 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41030

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#801950 18-Apr-2013 22:34

If you drop Skype you will spend less time actually. You might have to get an ATA device though, unless you want to keep using a softphone on your PC.

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#802025 19-Apr-2013 06:23

Skype is a best effort peer to peer telephony service. It's not a carrier grade fixed line replacement.

Skype interconnects typically take the cheapest possible route for PSTN interconnects, it's not uncommon to routing that hits the PSTN on the opposite side of the world because it's the cheapest option.

colinuu

246 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 59

#802026 19-Apr-2013 06:32

My experience has been the ame as the OP's.

It seems that the PSTN gateway used by Skype into New Zealand is a lot less than pretty average. OTOH, we get results into the UK which are almost as good as a full landline call...

Geekzone

Want to support Geekzone and browse the site without the ads? Subscribe to Geekzone now (monthly, annual and lifetime options).

AKT

335 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 15

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#802038 19-Apr-2013 07:46

Skype interconnects typically take the cheapest possible route for PSTN interconnects, it's not uncommon to routing that hits the PSTN on the opposite side of the world because it's the cheapest option.

I suspect this is correct, but do you know for certain?

I use both Skype and VoIP and haven’t found the issue the the OP has. I haven’t found a difference in calling no matter which country I call. Skype has certainly improved vastly over the years but if you want reliable quality, get and ATA - mine has been as more reliable than my broadband. After the initial setup (10 mins) I haven’t needed to do anything to it for 3 years and I have moved area code 4 times in that period.

If I only called around NZ and didn’t want a foreign incoming line I would have ditched Skype.

A

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#802099 19-Apr-2013 09:58

There are plenty of VoIP providers who can provide numbers in a myriad of countries, often at a similar or cheaper cost than Skype, and often with similar pricing.

As for termination costs I've seen European VoIP providers who can offer NZ mobile calling at a rate that's under the same as the current NZ termination rate but has significant latency. Skype will use providers like this because at the end of the day it's all about the $

coldstone

22 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 10

#802111 19-Apr-2013 10:20

For calls using the SKYPE out service Skype do not have equipment based in NZ or Interconnects to access PSTN or MOBILE networks- hence the calls are routed/sent to the carrier connections they have with Telcos in either SIngapore or at best Australia- as such you use the public internet to ENTER the Skype system and then the call goes through an off-shore country

NOTE: this is for calls to telco numbers not skype to skype calls

So if you call a NZ number (say From Botany to Ponsonby) from Skype to a Local number it goes up through either Singapore or at minimum Australia to get back to New Zealand

The above answers are correct in that if you want quality use a local provider

Note: not only are the calls impacted by the local INTERNET connection but also Internaitonal Bandwidth of your ISP and the Destination called- if you call Singaprore for example on SKYPE out the quaity - all else equal- should be better than calling back to New Zealand

Although i work for a telco the above is my own opinion and information.

coldstone

22 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 10

#802333 19-Apr-2013 15:34

sbiddle: Skype is a best effort peer to peer telephony service. It's not a carrier grade fixed line replacement.

Skype interconnects typically take the cheapest possible route for PSTN interconnects, it's not uncommon to routing that hits the PSTN on the opposite side of the world because it's the cheapest option.

From working with SkYPE as a supplier of voice services they actually use very good routes- reason being is that the quailty is already impacted by the internet/IP access of the customer- Skype use a very good feedback mechanisim and route for quality first- the issue is the routers/switches are usally not in your country so the call may go half way around the world to find access to the PSTN to get to an address across the street- If they dont own the network they cant gaurantee quality.

jdb

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#802543 19-Apr-2013 21:33

Thanks for all the thoughtful comments folks,

I sort of suspected a situation as described by coldstone, from my own past in telecoms. Given Skype's customer service, this is not a situation that anything I do is going to influence. So I guess I'll just have to use a SIP softphone for outgoing calls, and keep Skype, because everyone has it, for PC to PC.