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[swehjo]

Hi,
Since two years we are using Skype to stay in contact with relatives, friends etc in different parts of the world. 85% of the time the connection is ranging from very frustrating to none, even running only voice and no video. 15% of the time it's ok. I've been trying different settings in the router and even got fiber network installed, in vain.

Unfortunately I forgot the easiest test; connect the Skype client directly to modem thereby bypassing the router and see what happens. Now I've done that and it works perfectly even if I take the slow ADSL connection. So, what is wrong with my settings in the DIR655 router, and Skype for that matter? Or do I need to buy a new router? Beside this it works as it should so I hope not...

I think the most relevant settings tested and changed is:

• Skype version: 6.60.106
• MTU: 1468 as recommended by ISP
• Fixed TCP/IP addresses for the Win 7 clients which are running on cable, not WiFi
• Port forwarding in both DIR655 and Skype
• QOS-engine: ON
• SPI: ON
• PPTP: ON
• IPSec (VPN): ON
• RTSP: ON
• SIP: ON
• Wish: ON
• UPnP:OFF in both DIR655 and Skype
• Running on 1.37NA even though I'm in Europe but have tried the European drivers and they made no change
• In Skype the setting to use port 80 and 443 as alternatives is OFF.

The down/up speed with the ADSL modem is 15-20Mb/0,5-1Mb independently if I run via the DIR655 or not. The fiber modem gives me 100-150Mb/100-300Mb if I connect directly to it and 100-150Mb/100-150Mb if I go via the DIR655

[FurryNutz]

Link>

Welcome!

• What region are you located?
• Are you wired or wireless connected to the router?
• Has a Factory Reset been performed?
• Was a Factory Reset performed before and after any firmware updates?
• Was the router working before any firmware updates?

Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

• What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?
• What ISP Modem Mfr. and model # do you have?
• For DSL/PPPoE connections on the router, ensure that "Always ON" option is enabled.

Router and Wired Configurations
Some things to try: - Log into the routers web page at 192.168.0.1. Use IE, Opera or FF to manage the router.

• Turn off ALL QoS or Disable Traffic Shaping (DIR only) GameFuel (DGL only and if ON.) options, Advanced/QoS or Gamefuel.
• Turn off Advanced DNS Services if you have this option under Setup/Internet/Manual or under Setup/PARENTAL CONTROL/Set to>None: Static IP or Obtain Automatically From ISP.
• Enable Use Unicasting (compatibility for some ISP DHCP Servers) under Setup/Internet/Manual.
• Turn on DNS Relay under Setup/Networking. Link>Finding Faster DNS Addresses using Name Bench
• Setup DHCP reserved IP addresses for all devices ON the router. Setup/Networking. This ensures each devices gets its own IP address when turned on and connected, eliminates IP address conflicts and helps in troubleshooting.
• Ensure devices are set to auto obtain an IP address.
• Set Firewall settings to Endpoint Independent for TCP and UDP under Advanced/Firewall. Enable or Disable SPI to test.
• Enable uPnP and Multi-cast Streaming under Advanced/Networking.
• WAN Port Speed set to Auto or specific speed? Some newer ISP modems support 1000Mb so manually setting to Gb speeds can be supported by the router. Advanced/Advanced Networking/WAN Port Speed
• Set current Time Zone, Date and Time. Use an NTP Server feature. Tools/Time.

PF shouldn't be needed for using Skype...Is the check box next to the PF rule checked and enabled?
I recommend disabling PF and enabling uPnP.

[swehjo]

• What region are you located?

Europe/Sweden/Stockholm

• Are you wired or wireless connected to the router?

Wired when Skyping

• Has a Factory Reset been performed?

Yes

• Was a Factory Reset performed before and after any firmware updates?

Yes, according to installation instructions

• Was the router working before any firmware updates?

In general yes, for Skype nope

• Internet Service Provider and Modem Configurations

Glocalnet and TeliaSonera, ISP setup modems as far as I know

• What ISP Service do you have? Cable or DSL?

Glocalnet ADSL
TeliaSonera Fiber

• What ISP Modem Mfr. and model # do you have?

Will come back with that

• For DSL/PPPoE connections on the router, ensure that "Always ON" option is enabled

NOT running PPoE

• Turn off ALL QoS or Disable Traffic Shaping

Will come back with that

• Turn off Advanced DNS Services

Will come back with that

• Turn off Parental control

Is already OFF

• Enable Use Unicasting (compatibility for some ISP DHCP Servers) under Setup/Internet/Manual

Is already ON

• Turn on DNS Relay under Setup/Networking

Is already ON

• Setup DHCP reserved IP addresses for all devices ON the router

Is already done

• Ensure devices are set to auto obtain an IP address.

They do

• Set Firewall settings to Endpoint Independent for TCP and UDP under Advanced/Firewall. Enable or Disable to test.

Will come back with that

• Enable uPnP and Multi-cast Streaming under Advanced/Networking.

Don’t like UPnP idea and hence OFF and will so be. Was ON from beginning and didn’t work then either
Will try to set Multi cast to ON again

• WAN Port Speed set to Auto or specific speed? Some newer ISP modems support 1000Mb so manually setting to Gb speeds can be supported by the router. Advanced/Advanced Networking/WAN Port Speed

Speed is set to Auto.

• Set current Time Zone, Date and Time.

Already set that way

• PF shouldn't be needed for using Skype...Is the check box next to the PF rule checked and enabled? I recommend disabling PF and enabling uPnP.

Port forwarding seems to be the first things to setup if you have problems with Skype as I’ve understood my search for a solution to this. Disabling uPnP (see above as well) and starting portforwarding actually improved the situation slightly. Check boxes are checked and enabled.

I’ll come back as soon as I can with my tests. May take a while though. Any other input during the process is highly appreciated!!

[davevt31]

My wife and kid use Skype all the time.  I have a 655 running 1.37NA.
I do NO Port Forwarding or Virtual Server. QOS is enabled.

Firewall is SPI enabled, UDP - Address restricted, TCP - Port and Address Restricted.  All ALG checked.
DNS Relay is ON, Advanced DNS Services are not checked.

UPnP is enabled. Enable Multicast Streams is NOT checked.

Enable WISH is enabled with all 3 Priorities check and NO rules set.

The UPnP takes care of all the settings for me as I see entries in the logs when Skype is being used.

[swehjo]

davevt31, many thanks for a quick response!

• I do NO Port Forwarding

Here we differ and will probably continue to…

• NO Virtual Server

Same as me

• QOS is enabled

Same as me

• Firewall is SPI enabled

Same as me

• UDP - Address restricted, TCP - Port and Address Restricted

Same as me

• All ALG checked

Same as me

• DNS Relay is ON

Same as me

• Advanced DNS Services are not checked.

Here we differ

• UPnP is enabled

Here we differ and will continue to…

• Enable Multicast Streams is NOT checked

Same as me

• Enable WISH is enabled with all 3 Priorities check and NO rules set

Same as me

• The UPnP takes care of all the settings for me as I see entries in the logs when Skype is being used

And here we differ as per above.


This leaves me with “Advanced DNS Services are not checked” … I think I’ve tried to turn this ON and OFF with no difference but I will try it again. What will I miss if I set it to OFF?

[davevt31]

I would use the UPnP, there is much misinformation around about it.  All it does is open ports when a program requests them and closes them when the program is done, then you don't need to use Port Forwarding entries to make it work.

What Advanced DNS services does it bounce DNS Requests off the D-Link servers, making extra hops in your Internet travels.

[swehjo]

Hi again,
Now I've unchecked "Advanced DNS Services" and that made a huge difference, at least during the two calls we've had since then. I'm going to continue with the other tests that FurryNutz suggested to see if I can improve it even further.

[FurryNutz]

Glad it's working better for you,

Keep us posted.

Enjoy.

[swehjo]

First we start with information that is probably not that interesting in this case since it seem to be the router config that matters:

• ADSL-modem with which I've been struggling up until know: Thomson st510 v6 and ISP Glocalnet
• From now on fiber: Inteno xg6746-f1 and ISP TeliaSonera

None of these I have configured in any way. I believe I'm not "allowed" to.

Today I tested to shut off everything under Advanced QOS Engine, Enable Traffic Shaping as well as QOS engine.

The test result via the Swedish Bredbandskollen.se ("broadband check").
With everything ON I got (down/up, paying for 100/100Mbit):

• 123/20
• 144/56
• 192/59
• 123/6 (very low upload performance during several test runs, but after a new reboot I got the next result)
• 131/35

With everything OFF I got:

• 122/188
• 133/177
• 120/185
• 122/187
• 143/188

1. Any comment on those? Slightly higher download with everything ON and much better upload when everything OFF?!

2. The help file says enable QoS EngineEnable for better performance and experience with [...] other interactive applications, such as VoIP. According to this I should aim for having these setting ON for getting a better Skype connection?!

We'll have a Skype call tomorrow so we'll see if the experience is better due to having everything OFF as it is now.

Except my Port forwarding and UPnP settings I understand it as if the only remaining thing I have to (can?) test according to FurryNutz list is the item "Set Firewall settings to Endpoint Independent for TCP and UDP under Advanced/Firewall. Enable or Disable to test.". Right?!

[swehjo]

Well, the calls went very well. Again. Hard to say if the quality was even better or the same. We are however satisfied with it right now. So, I think I'll stop tweaking the router now. Or can this "Set Firewall settings to Endpoint Independent for TCP and UDP under Advanced/Firewall. Enable or Disable to test" make a huge different?!

It would also be interesting to get some input on my results from the work with the QOS engine in the earlier post!

[FurryNutz]

You can always go back to the other settings if you choose to test Endpoint settings. Should not may a difference.

Glad it's working well for you now. Enjoy.