Skype - bandwidth sucking tulip

[alluvial]

Number 2 son keeps using this and it sucks my bandwidth better than a big sucky thing.
Does anyone know if it is simple to block this via the firewall? I've done a quick Google but it seems a bit technical.

[AtW]

That's supernode innit...

[alluvial]

That's supernode innit...

What's that then.

(Ex-mainframe now a BA so assume I'm a thick non-techy)

[AtW]

What's that then.

Information Technology Services

This assume it's not actually your son doing a lot of video "conferencing"... or chat rouletting

[alluvial]

Hang on, found it.
Router connected to the internet has NAT enabled so that should stop the Supernode thingy shouldn't it?

[AtW]

Read the URL above, hopefully it would do the trick - disable HTTP ports which could be picked up using UPNP.

[alluvial]

Read the URL above, hopefully it would do the trick - disable HTTP ports which could be picked up using UPNP.

Thanks, I'll give it a try.
He seems to have it running in the background so he can chat with his mates whilst playing Minecraft. When, after a standup arguement with much shouting and name-calling he turns it off, bandwidth returns to acceptable levels.

Actually, I may just remove the thing from his PC or maybe I'll point the shortcut to a small .exe that pops up a window that says that uncommunicative teenagers that can only speak in grunts, can't keep their rooms tidy and can't understand that they haven't got a right to internet usage have been banned from using the latest version of Skype.

Why are teenagers such little tulips?

[d000hg]

Skype doesn't normally do that. It works well over very low-bandwidth connections in fact, so that's weird.

Have you asked on the Skype forums? Note how much it seems to be eating and go ask there, it's pretty active.

[wim121]

Most routers have a parental control/scheduling where you can block certain sites/ip ranges at different times.

Just google all the IP's for skype, put them in and you can block them during traffic controlled hours or limit the bandwith on it.

What router setup do you have?

[AtW]

Skype doesn't normally do that. It works well over very low-bandwidth connections in fact, so that's weird.

Skype is P2P based, somebody has to act as a supernode to provide all the cheapness...