Skype video quality
-
I have a pfsense box set up. At the moment there are 2 limiters with 2 queues that evenly divide bandwidth between all connected devices.
The issue that I have noticed is that Skype cam quality is degraded (a bit blurry) when I'm having a call between someone on the pfsense network with some one outside of the network.
Not sure if this is a traffic shaping questions but could anyone point me to the direction of where I should look to solve this issue? I have 100/100 up/down on the pfsense network and 10/10 up/down on the other network so I should have sufficient bandwidth to have decent quality video.
-
I use vpn to connect the networks and both skype and my xmpp audio/video are better and more stable.
If skype can't establish direction connections from point to point, it will use some random 3rd party skype users computer as a proxy and their network and bandwidth may suck.
-
I have just tested this again and the quality is still not there. Any suggestions?
-
Isn't the key to skype quality setting a static port and a port forward?
![Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 12.32.36 AM.png](/public/imported_attachments/1/Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 12.32.36 AM.png)
![Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 12.32.36 AM.png_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 12.32.36 AM.png_thumb) -
Could you walk me through the process please? And just in general give a quick explanation concerning this example why I need port forwarding?
-
I really don't know. I don't use skype. But if both ends have a port forward I'm pretty sure you bypass using the third party nodes to forward traffic and you establish direct connections with each other.
http://superuser.com/questions/256810/skype-optimization-port-forwarding-on-a-router
-
Judging by system logs it's the firewall playing tricks.
There is loads of blocks of UDP traffic from pfsense IP to the other network IP with which I was having the call.
-
Sigh.
You usually do not see blocks from the local system to the remote because the firewall rules usually let the traffic out.
Please post a shot of the logs you're talking about. They are probably the remote system trying to connect directly to you and being blocked.
The fix would be to create a port forward on WAN to your local IP address on the port specified in skype.
-
I would rather not post a screen shot because I can't advertise the IPs. But all the logs look like this:
Feb 20 08:49:43 WAN Icon Reverse Resolve with DNS Icon Easy Rule: Add to Block List IP:51893 Icon Easy Rule: Pass this traffic IP2:31731
UDPFeb 20 08:49:43 WAN Icon Reverse Resolve with DNS Icon Easy Rule: Add to Block List IP:51893 Icon Easy Rule: Pass this traffic IP2:31732
UDP
block/1000000103
Feb 20 08:49:43 WAN Icon Reverse Resolve with DNS Icon Easy Rule: Add to Block List IP:51893 Icon Easy Rule: Pass this traffic IP2:31733
UDPand these go on
-
Yeah. If they're on WAN those are inbound attempts.
I feel I have given you enough to go on to get started on making this work.
-
Thank you. I'm really confused at the moment.
I'm still seeing the blocks by the firewall between the two networks, but at the moment there is no call or anything, these blocks just occur for some reason.
-
They occur because the remote system is attempting a connection.
https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/How_can_I_forward_ports_with_pfSense
https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Port_Forward_Troubleshooting -
Thank you I will read about this