Skype

[Steff Davies]

Bob MacCallum wrote:
> I thought Skype tried to set up a direct end to end UDP connection if
> possible?  Fallback is through some central servers.
> That's what it says when you display the "technical info".  I am not a
> network expert though (don't know what UDP is for example!)

Having used Skype extensively at a couple of workplaces, I can confirm 
(based on surprise and delight followed by tcpdump) that Skype is, at 
least, clever enough to work out that two clients are on the same LAN 
and do file transfers directly between them. IIRC, when a transfer 
starts between two clients new to each other a few packets go out onto 
the net but thereafter the chat is all on the LAN. We used to use Skype 
a lot as a convenient means of file transfer instead of mailing internal 
SMB links about.

S