Skype Loophole?

[angermngment]

Get skype in the US... have family set up skype in the US (all day every day), make it so that they call the skype number in the US, and then have it forward to your number in the island?

How much cheaper would that be?

[slevit1]

Get skype in the US... have family set up skype in the US (all day every day), make it so that they call the skype number in the US, and then have it forward to your number in the island?

How much cheaper would that be?

nope, won't work. Everyone here with Skype has a US phone number. It costs $0.02 per minute though, so I think you should be able to afford it. If you forward to a SXM number (like your cell phone), you get charged the normal SXM rates. You don't think that if you can think of it, they've thought of it?

[angermngment]

how do you get it to be 2 cents/minute? Everything ive read seems to lead to 17 cents per minute, plus the fees for having the US number.

Im just trying to figure out how im going to communicate with the US when i get down there.

[slevit1]

how do you get it to be 2 cents/minute? Everything ive read seems to lead to 17 cents per minute, plus the fees for having the US number.

Im just trying to figure out how im going to communicate with the US when i get down there.

Alright, here's how it works:
You pay about $60/year for a Skype In number (a US phone number). When people call you using that number, it costs you nothing and costs them nothing (assuming it's not long distance for them to call that number). However, when you call home, you are using Skype Out credit, which you purchase in $10 or $25 increments. When using Skype, it only matters where you are calling to, not calling from. The rate to call the US is $0.02/minute. However, the St. Maarten rate is $0.17/min. So, if you forward calls to a SXM cell phone, or if your friends/family at home use Skype to call a SXM number, it will cost $0.17.

I usually call or IM my family, girlfriend, or whoever, and tell them to call me back. That way, I can talk as long as I want, and it doesn't cost anything. If I forget to have them call me back and sit on the phone for an hour, it still only costs $1.20

[Nelphus]

I know you already referred me to NetStar to fix this problem, but I have not been able to meet M from netstar in my room at previously arranged times yet so I am seeking alternate help. I took the phone to a friends room with a PC and it started up easily and works fine. I can get the phone to receive an IP and thinks its connected via DHCP but I think there is some setting on my Time Capsule that is preventing complete connection of the phone. Hooking the phone up directly to the second internet jack I have in my room gets me nothing. Closest I have come to connecting is via the additional port on my apple wireless router (time capsule). Perhaps members of the IT committee can help me with this?
(On that note, thank you IT people for getting the internet back up and running well throughout campus)

[slevit1]

I know you already referred me to NetStar to fix this problem, but I have not been able to meet M from netstar in my room at previously arranged times yet so I am seeking alternate help. I took the phone to a friends room with a PC and it started up easily and works fine. I can get the phone to receive an IP and thinks its connected via DHCP but I think there is some setting on my Time Capsule that is preventing complete connection of the phone. Hooking the phone up directly to the second internet jack I have in my room gets me nothing. Closest I have come to connecting is via the additional port on my apple wireless router (time capsule). Perhaps members of the IT committee can help me with this?
(On that note, thank you IT people for getting the internet back up and running well throughout campus)

IT committee e-mail address is AUCmedIT@gmail.com

That's the best way to reach them. I'm not familiar with that particular phone, so I'll have to look into it. I would be surprised if anything on the Time Capsule is preventing it from getting through though. AirPort Express has never given me any issues, and it's essentially the same router, minue HD.

[apple usr]

i actually bought the unlimited calls to US monthly subscription and it is like $10/mo or less, the more months you pre-pay for, the more free months you get. and i got a skype-in number and voicemail to boot. well this is the only way that my wife and i communicate with home and it works great.

[slevit1]

I know you already referred me to NetStar to fix this problem, but I have not been able to meet M from netstar in my room at previously arranged times yet so I am seeking alternate help. I took the phone to a friends room with a PC and it started up easily and works fine. I can get the phone to receive an IP and thinks its connected via DHCP but I think there is some setting on my Time Capsule that is preventing complete connection of the phone. Hooking the phone up directly to the second internet jack I have in my room gets me nothing. Closest I have come to connecting is via the additional port on my apple wireless router (time capsule). Perhaps members of the IT committee can help me with this?
(On that note, thank you IT people for getting the internet back up and running well throughout campus)

try setting a fixed IP address...i saw that worked for someone on a discussion forum.

[TBL2008]

Alright, here's how it works:
You pay about $60/year for a Skype In number (a US phone number). When people call you using that number, it costs you nothing and costs them nothing (assuming it's not long distance for them to call that number). However, when you call home, you are using Skype Out credit, which you purchase in $10 or $25 increments. When using Skype, it only matters where you are calling to, not calling from. The rate to call the US is $0.02/minute. However, the St. Maarten rate is $0.17/min. So, if you forward calls to a SXM cell phone, or if your friends/family at home use Skype to call a SXM number, it will cost $0.17.

I usually call or IM my family, girlfriend, or whoever, and tell them to call me back. That way, I can talk as long as I want, and it doesn't cost anything. If I forget to have them call me back and sit on the phone for an hour, it still only costs $1.20

I'm glad to hear this is the case in SXM but when you are in the UK Skype now knows you are not in the US and charges higher rates for Skype out mins. They also charge a "connection fee" for each Skype out call you make. The connection fee varies depending on what number in the US you are calling. Sometimes the fee is $0.06 sometimes it's $0.25.

[kryptik]

I'm glad to hear this is the case in SXM but when you are in the UK Skype now knows you are not in the US and charges higher rates for Skype out mins. They also charge a "connection fee" for each Skype out call you make. The connection fee varies depending on what number in the US you are calling. Sometimes the fee is $0.06 sometimes it's $0.25.
you can download hotspot shield , it will give you a US ip regardless of where in the world you are, i use it when i travel outside the US so i can still watch tv shows on hulu.com, it should work with skype too. You can get it here AnchorFree (http://anchorfree.com/downloads/hotspot-shield/)

[slevit1]

I'm glad to hear this is the case in SXM but when you are in the UK Skype now knows you are not in the US and charges higher rates for Skype out mins. They also charge a "connection fee" for each Skype out call you make. The connection fee varies depending on what number in the US you are calling. Sometimes the fee is $0.06 sometimes it's $0.25.

Yes, they charge a VAT fee in some other countries. However, the fee to the US should be the same no matter where you are, aside from currency exchange differences and a possible VAT fee.

[Nelphus]

try setting a fixed IP address...i saw that worked for someone on a discussion forum.

fixed IP on the phone itself? I tried that option but I would have to manually enter all the required info - does the Time Capsule hold a single IP statically?

[slevit1]

fixed IP on the phone itself? I tried that option but I would have to manually enter all the required info - does the Time Capsule hold a single IP statically?

any router will hold an IP if the device request it, and it's not already being used.

[Nelphus]

any router will hold an IP if the device request it, and it's not already being used.

now the Time capsule is not even recognized - wireless network out and i'm hardwired in on ethernet...... guess I'll be trying AppleCare tomorrow!

[slevit1]

now the Time capsule is not even recognized - wireless network out and i'm hardwired in on ethernet...... guess I'll be trying AppleCare tomorrow!
What did you do to the poor thing? AppleCare is a good thing.

[nshams]

There's actually a $6.00 plan on skype that lets you call any # in the US & Canada unlimited for 3 months

[slevit1]

There's actually a $6.00 plan on skype that lets you call any # in the US & Canada unlimited for 3 months

...if you're in the US or Canada, which we're not. Although, this will work in the dorms since the dorms have a US IP.

[ZIMAgo]

I know you already referred me to NetStar to fix this problem, but I have not been able to meet M from netstar in my room at previously arranged times yet so I am seeking alternate help. I took the phone to a friends room with a PC and it started up easily and works fine. I can get the phone to receive an IP and thinks its connected via DHCP but I think there is some setting on my Time Capsule that is preventing complete connection of the phone. Hooking the phone up directly to the second internet jack I have in my room gets me nothing. Closest I have come to connecting is via the additional port on my apple wireless router (time capsule). Perhaps members of the IT committee can help me with this?
(On that note, thank you IT people for getting the internet back up and running well throughout campus)

Haha
Ohh NO! Nelphus can't Skype-out because the phone in his "Time Capsule" is malfunctioning! What will he do?

I know! have Future Nelphus Skype-in and and give him the fix (that he later finds on valuemd)

[Nelphus]

Haha
Ohh NO! Nelphus can't Skype-out because the phone in his "Time Capsule" is malfunctioning! What will he do?

I know! have Future Nelphus Skype-in and and give him the fix (that he later finds on valuemd)

How bout tell Past Nelphus, NOT to give Current ZIMago his Skype Phone for gf calling times.... I think I've almost got it ----- I have internet back up and running at least (turns out I had a screwed up IP and needed to renew the DHCP lease?)

[ZIMAgo]

Hey hey hey- Future Nelphus may have the F1 progeny of Future ZIMAgo and his Current Girlfriend to thank for his Future Skype fix

[kemper6036]

now the Time capsule is not even recognized - wireless network out and i'm hardwired in on ethernet...... guess I'll be trying AppleCare tomorrow!

i had a problem like that with my Airport extreme. it was very frustrating but after a few minutes on the phone with apple they were able to point me in the right direction