Are You a Skype Supernode?
If you run Skype outside of a NAT configuration, you may be passing traffic as a supernode. Skype’s documentation claims the impact of this extra traffic is negligible, but you can prevent your Skype client / connection from becoming a supernode altogether:
- Beginning with Skype 3.0, an explicit switch is provided in the registry settings to allow the disabling of supernode functionality.
- Any computer hosted on a network that is behind a network address translation (NAT) device or restrictive firewall will disable supernode functionality.
- Skype clients behind an HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy will not serve as supernodes.
I’m guessing that most of you are behind a router with NAT, but the University of Waterloo has a fantastic wiki page with further Skype tweaks in relation to the supernode feature.
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5 Comments
Independent Publishing News, e-Marketing Articles, Online Collaboration Reviews by Robin Good
October 24th, 2007
at 11:42am
Chris PirilloAre You a Skype Supernode?If you run Skype outside of a NAT configuration, you may be passing traffic as a supernode. Skype’s documentation claims the impact of this extra traffic is negligible, but you can prevent your Skype client / connection from becoming a supernode
JalenJade
October 24th, 2007
at 12:14am
Some studies have show that if you don’t allow skype to start on boot you don’t qualify as a supernode…
Jeffrey
October 25th, 2007
at 2:18pm
The only thing i got with skype is a problem. My pc stops and crashes when i install it. Thanks for the info, but no skype for me.
HB
November 12th, 2007
at 7:03am
Your University of Waterloo reference contradicts your statement that Skype will not become a supernode if behind a NAT device.
Who is correct?
Thanks
HB
https://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/twiki/view/CF/SkypeConfiguration
Using Skype behind a NAT – note for home users of Skype behind a router
“A firewall that blocks inbound traffic or uses NAT (Network
Address Translation) also won’t stop Skype. When a Skype client starts,
it opens a session with a supernode in the Skype network.
If the client cannot be contacted from the Internet, the supernode will
notify the client when a call comes in?via the open connection. If the
recipient cannot directly contact the sender, the supernode or a relay
agent can then act as a proxy between the two callers. “
John
November 26th, 2008
at 4:20am
Skype has created about 50 NAT sessions+, and since we have 30 users in the building that has killed our Router (somehow a bunch of our users became supernodes, or at least, are opening up a bunch of useless active NAT sessions). The
https://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/twiki/view/CF/SkypeConfiguration
registry fix does not seem to help (perhaps the clients aren’t supernodes, but that many NAT sessions is wrong).