blocking skype

Is there a way to block skype from the router?

My flatmate is keeping me awake every night until 3-4am talking
extremely loudly with skype.

I have an inventel router with orange.

Thanks

On Mar 9, 1:59 pm, Adam Chapman
<adam.chap...@student.manchester.ac.uk> wrote:
> Is there a way to block skype from the router?
>
> My flatmate is keeping me awake every night until 3-4am talking
> extremely loudly with skype.
>
> I have an inventel router with orange.
>
> Thanks



If you want to know how hard it is to block Skype read this article.
There were claims in the comments section about people being able to
block skype
but I have not seen anything for real. Your best bet would be to start
up some really big downloads on your computer and that will mess up
his ability to talk.

astormchaser
www.netequalizer.com

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...1951130,00.asp

In message
<3c7f10e2-f902-41a7-bb85-e9dbf3b5588f@u72g2000hsf.googlegroups.com> Adam
Chapman <adam.chapman@student.manchester.ac.uk> wrote:

>Is there a way to block skype from the router?
>
>My flatmate is keeping me awake every night until 3-4am talking
>extremely loudly with skype.
>
>I have an inventel router with orange.

Is the internet connection yours, or a shared resource? If it's shared,
then the answer is: you don't.

If it's yours and you are not otherwise compensated, then you are free
to place restrictions. With Skype, the easiest solution is to simply
deny all access during certain time periods, Skype goes out of it's way
to be difficult to block, so the appropriate response is to "pull the
plug" (figuratively or literally, I'm a fan of simply rejecting all
unwanted traffic)

Adam Chapman wrote:
> Is there a way to block skype from the router?

Do you want to stop only skype, or are you cool with stoppping all
internet access after midnight or whatever?

> My flatmate is keeping me awake every night until 3-4am talking
> extremely loudly with skype.

Did you try asking them to keep the noise down? Its usually hte best way
to solve interpersonal problems. Nuking their phoneline will just piss
them off, and one day you'll find a dead mouse in your soup.

Anyway... who owns the connection, ie what name is on the contract?

If you're the contract holder, give your mate a warning and he he/she
doesn't heed it then power off the router at midnight. Many routers
have a "stop internet" button in their Admin GUI, so you could use
that. Worst case, remove the power lead.

If the flatmate is the contract holder, they can do what the heck they
like, its their bill. Tell them you're moving out unless they become
sociable, and tell them you'll warn future tenants of their bad habits.

Adam Chapman wrote:
> Is there a way to block skype from the router?
>
> My flatmate is keeping me awake every night until 3-4am talking
> extremely loudly with skype.
>
> I have an inventel router with orange.
>
> Thanks

Whatever happened to just politely reminding them that there are other
people living there who are being disturbed?

Adam Chapman <adam.chapman@student.manchester.ac.uk> hath wroth:

>Is there a way to block skype from the router?

No. It can be done with specific firewalls that have a blocking
feature, but with your commodity router, it can't be easily done. See:
<http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/skype/block-skype.asp>

>My flatmate is keeping me awake every night until 3-4am talking
>extremely loudly with skype.

The reason he talks loudy is that his earphone volume is probably too
low or his sidetone level (hearing himself speak) is too low or
missing. His brain assumes that if he can't hear himself, nobody else
can. Sidetone level is a problem because Skype and other VoIP service
have none. I've done the trick by constructing an external hybrid and
mixer, but that might be a bit much for most users. It might also be
done in software using the sound card mixer, but I haven't figured out
how to do it.

I've also experimented with a few friends to see if turning up the
earphone and sidetone levels on a cell phone will reduce their
tendency to yell into the microphone. So far, it works fairly well.
However, when the other end of the connection drops out or garbles
slightly, the user will again assume that they're not getting through
and compensate by yelling into the microphone.

I've found that simply explaining this phenomenon to the perpetrator
often results in a substantial improvement in their phone etiquette.
If you want to panic the flatmate, suggest that his yelling into the
microphone might be an indication that he's going deaf.

>I have an inventel router with orange.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Jeff Liebermann"
<snip>
| If you want to panic the flatmate, suggest that his yelling into the
| microphone might be an indication that he's going deaf.

Or a sign of pending impotence. FWIW worked with a friend that chain
smoked.

"NotMe" <me@privacy.net> hath wroth:

>"Jeff Liebermann"
><snip>
>| If you want to panic the flatmate, suggest that his yelling into the
>| microphone might be an indication that he's going deaf.

>Or a sign of pending impotence. FWIW worked with a friend that chain
>smoked.

I don't currently have any friends that smoke. I'm 60 years old and
the ones that smoked are long dead.

About 15 years ago, I decided to do something about the kids that were
smoking. I would drag them for a tour of the local hospital with
pre-arranged stops at lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema, etc
victims rooms. I didn't have to say much as the patients did most of
the lecturing. Batting average for the 13 year olds was about 70%.
The older kids were more resistant to seeing the obvious resulting in
about a 30% batting average. The one's I've met years later have all
thanked me for saving their health.

There's some truth that loud talking is a sign of hearing loss or
neurological damage. One of my friends tends to talk rather loudly
due to some kind of brain damage. It's weird. He says some
whispering sounds exactly the same as someone yelling. We have
various hand signals to advise him that he's talking too loud. My
guess(tm) is that some people have the same problem, but to a much
lesser degree.

I've also noticed that my musician friends all talk very quietly in
person and into the cell phone. I don't know if this is a rule as the
sample is rather small.

I also have some past experience in training roommates and other wild
animals, but that's a bit too far off topic.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Thanks for the responsess, for all those that are saying im harsh, of
course I have tried reasoning with him. Ive even got mad at him many
times in the two months since he moved in.

Action speak louder than words, so if talking to him doesnt work im
going to have to physically lay siege to his connection.

I guess i could just trip the fuse so the router goes off.

In article
<b2c83fd8-1c25-4276-b5bf-a1f234773569@p73g2000hsd.googlegroups.com>,
Adam Chapman <adam.chapman@student.manchester.ac.uk> wrote:

> Action speak louder than words, so if talking to him doesnt work im
> going to have to physically lay siege to his connection.
>
> I guess i could just trip the fuse so the router goes off.

If it's your router and your flat, then just lay down the law; after
midnight, unplug the router and hide it. Or throw him out and find a
different flatmate.
--
W. Oates