Skype Me!
reviewed by Robert Pritchett
Authors: Michael Gough Slaman Abdul Baset, Joshua Brashars, Larry Chaffin, Michael Cross, Dan Douglass, Michael Sweeney, Bill Campbell. http://skypetips.internetvisitation.org/web_pages/skype_me.html Syngress Publishing Booksites: http://www.syngress.com/catalog/?pid=3360 Published: December 2005. Pages: 432 $35 USD, $49 CND, £20 GBP, 31€ EUR ISBN:1597490326 Requirements: A desire to communicate over the Internet by voice. Strengths: This is basically the user’s manual for Skype. Cross-platform. Weaknesses: None found. Skype: http://skype.com/ |
|
Skype Me! By the authors listed above is pretty much a user’s manual for running Skype. The author also has a website, SkypeTips. http://www.skypetips.com More can be found about Skype at http://www.skypejournal.com
When we are doing the Mac ReviewCast, we use Skype and edit it with Audio Hijack Pro.
Be aware that Skype does not use the Voice over IP standards but uses a proprietary peer-to-peer coding scheme instead of SIP or other Internet telephony standards. If that doesn’t bother you and you don’t mind skyping instead of vonaging, go for it.
Skype is one of those “why didn’t I think of it” apps that went from obscurity to becoming purchased for an obscene amount (I wish I could get that kind of money!) by eBay.
I’ve been through 3 revs of Skype since it was made available for the Mac and the latest rev does video, but not for the Mac yet as of this writing. When I first Skyped, I ran network analysis activities and end-to-end links were all literally over the map. I figured there was a security issue and didn’t understand fully the techno logy was based on this peer-to-peer relationship.
That may be a downer for Skype in the Enterprise. IT managers would like to have a warm fuzzy about end-to-end communications and have some control over that process, if possible. The book addresses those concerns and many others as well.
The latest rev needs some work because the phone call audio ring sounds like it is under water and warbles accordingly at least on my Mac. The folks on the other end of the virtual line have no problems communicating with me, nor I with them. I also have a Vonage system and up until I swapped out both the cable modem and the router I had unacceptable experiences with the Vonage system. (It’s much better now.)
One thing I found intriguing is how Skype can be used remotely and there are a number of add-ons as others have grasped the vision of Skype and run with it.
What is even better is that it can interoperate with SIP and H.323. And there are instructions on how to handle security issues and in making firewalls, proxy servers and NAT routers Skype-ready.
The book has 5 parts in 15 chapters covering the expected start, basics and uses, taking it up a notch and using add-ons (and there are not a few!), hardware add-ons (like a telephony catalog, almost), getting into video and mobile, using it in the enterprise, firewall and network configurations, customization and futurizing Skype-enabled devices.
If you want to get into Skype, this is a good place to start.
