Making Skype work with LnS, what do we do?

I am able to use Skype with LnS and the Phant0m rule-set installed, however, I have a feeling that the quality could be better when video chatting. Are there any best practices regarding Phant0m rules + LnS?

 

Do you see several ICMP packet blockings when using Skype?

 

cleared logs then started Skype and stopped it after a few moments. the attached image is what I see.

 

UDP packets with source port 19348 seems Skype related..., you experiencing slowness connecting to Skype server or something else? If something else, please detail, thanks.

 

my call quality hasn't be great and I feel like it may take a bit longer to sign in than usual. I guess I'm just not sure and I wanted to be coddled haha

 

Create this rule and try logging back into Skype, other things you can try is disable Windows Firewall, Look 'n' Stop doesn't do this automatically.

 

done, thank you.

should i move it down below the "stop UDP broadcasts" rule?

 

Not until you have tested it, does it speed the Skype connecting process up?

 

I think I am getting fewer logs created, it seems like there is still some lagg when Skype home is loading, and it happens at the same time those logs are created. I guess it's something with Skype Home.

 

You forgot the the block / stop sign on newly created rules, you need to change that attribute to make it green.

 

Also on that rule you made, change 'In range A:B' to 'All'

 

think i got it right

seems to connect more quickly and I get few logs created so far.

FYI, i added Skype as an application to the Skype rule, hope that was fine.

 

see the packets with https entries? they are part of Skype, you need to remove the range check to also allow those.

 

alright, i right clicked both https logs and allowed the 443 UDP rule, i then added Skype as the application. Did I do good?

 

The other entries are for NAT Port Mapping, if other Skype connections are slow, create this rule, if you see TCP packets with the same dest port 5351, change the rule IP Protocol from UDP to TCP or UDP

 

Only if you had the one rule to apply to 443, and even better if you have it looking like mine...

 

Regarding NAT Port Mapping
- NAT Port Mapping Protocol (NAT-PMP): http://files.dns-sd.org/draft-cheshire-nat-pmp.txt


In case you are curious

 

Disregarding Skype packets using https port, if the destination ports always above 30000 we could shorten the port range from 5000 - 65535 to 30000 - 65535.

You would have to enable logging on the original Skype rule and monitor for the next few uses.

 

Here’s the Skype importable rules file, to be imported via ‘Import’ button on the Look ‘n’ Stop - ‘Internet Filtering’ screen / Tab. It contains the two Skype rules plus the NAT Port Mapping rule.

I don't have Skype, so I couldn't associate Skype application to Skype Internet rules, you'll have to-do that.

 

thank you very much

Skype definitely loaded much faster but I am getting some logs. I'm starting to understand why some people prefer app based blocking but who really knows what kind of connections are being made. I guess a user wants to allow just enough connections as to allow the app to work properly, i wonder if all these connections are really needed.

 

that is because the dynamic ports isn’t the range 5000-65535, and especially not 30000-65535 but 1024-65535

Updated the Skype importables rules file and attached it to this here post.

 

Locate the rule 'ICMP : Error Messages' and associate Skype application to this rule.

 

.txt file works and eliminated most of the logs


I added Skype to the ICMP rule but it still comes up

 

Yep..

 

still getting the alert