[MCN-L] do you Skype?

Fri May 29 11:42:32 PDT 2009

I'm a little confused. Why would Skype need to run down someone's pipe only to jump back out again in a way of utilizing bandwidth for other calls? That seems quite inefficient to take a detour in routing of a telephone call.

Thomas Deliduka
Director of Information Technology
Columbus Museum of Art
480 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
ph 614/629-0345 fax 614/629-0950
thomas.deliduka at cmaohio.org

ART SPEAKS. JOIN THE CONVERSATION

-----Original Message-----
From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu] On Behalf Of David Salovesh
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 11:51 AM
To: Museum Computer Network Listserv
Subject: Re: [MCN-L] do you Skype?

Ad-hoc Skype is explicitly banned here.  It may return someday as an organizational initiative, but we're still trying to figure out what the benefit would be for us.  (We have sponsored phone service and have virtually no international communication requirements, so our economics may not be typical.)

It wasn't always this way - I allowed it for a while.  I originally had to ban it because we were short on bandwidth, and some folks couldn't resist using it in ways that completely overwhelmed our connection.  That led to a temporary suspension of Skype use pending system analysis, improvements, and re-analysis.  After we upgraded our connection I discovered the more troubling property of Skype traffic that led to the current outright ban:

As I understand it, Skype can exist as a "free" service because each user donates spare bandwidth to carrying calls for other users.  For home or home-like use that's probably okay since the bandwidth Skype sees as idle is probably actually so.  In an enterprise or enterprise-like setting, the individual Skype clients don't do as good a job at measuring excess capacity.

My previous service was SDSL at 1.5 mbps, and with 45 people in the office our utilization was over 95% at all times.  My second site users were essentially unable to work, and even main site users were losing patience.  After the upgrade to 10 mbps (metro-Ethernet), my typical utilization went to 20% (peaking at 90%, but only occasionally and briefly - as it should be) and my remote users were very satisfied.  But after installing Skype, even with no active calls and the software sitting "idle", my utilization went back up to 90%.

I searched for workarounds or ways to manage its bandwidth consumption, but it's not really designed for managed operation - or may even be designed to work AROUND management.  It definitely is designed to work around firewall restrictions, so my technological means to block the traffic were somewhat limited.

On the bright side, this sequence of events raised the consequences of installing software without approval from "it'll piss off the IT department" to "you could get fired for it".  ;-)

Dave Salovesh 
Information Technology Manager
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

-----Original Message-----
From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu] On Behalf Of Dowden, Robin
Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2009 10:31 PM
To: Museum Computer Network Listserv
Subject: [MCN-L] do you Skype?

Do you allow Skype in your institution? I've been arguing for its legitimacy as a business tool but our IT department is concerned about misuse and security issues. I'm interested in hearing how/if others are using it, policies, tales of compromised networks as a result of peer-to-peer apps, any relevant or related info you're willing to share.

Robin Dowden
Director, New Media Initiatives
Walker Art Center
1750 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
USA

T: 612.375.7541
F: 612.375.7575
walkerart.org

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