Cheaky Skype!!

Heres something you may not know about skype.

In skype you have the option to customise how it connects to skype servers/other people. Did you know, only uses that *IF* you make it..

Yes you read that right. If you specified a https proxy, or socks proxy, theres almost a dead cert it isnt using it, unless, it couldnt contact the world any other way. Thus, if you maybe trying to hide a little from your network admin or just other peoples prying eyes, you maybe sadly mislead!

How to tell what skype is doing:

1. Start->run->cmd
2. netstat -ab
(this will show you ports by program with the program in [xxx.exe] underneath the ports.

Now if you dont see skype connecting to your proxy like you set, that means it successfully made it out irrelevant of your settings.

If you want to force it, Skype themselves had this to say:

"It is normal for Skype to try and establish a direct connection to the P2P network. Skype will use proxy connection method only if direct connection methods fail. When the firewall allows only proxy connections, Skype will use that, but when the firewall is less restrictive, Skype will most probably try and connect directly to the network. This is default behavior.

To force Skype using a proxy connection in your situation you can try to set it via GPO (Windows Global Policy). Skype supports GPO settings.
More information can be found by reading the Network Administrators Guide. You can get it here: http://www.skype.com/security/guide-for-network-admins.pdf"

I tried the GPO.. Oddly, it didnt seem to make any difference! As in fact the doc describes how to set the GPO to have direct access not to block it.

In the end, I resorted to zone alarm. After I had logged my question to skpe it seemed the documentation which originally said it used your IE settings - which also clearly wasnt true as mine had been set to the proxy too, but, it is a thing to be aware of.. Just coz you said how to connect, doesnt mean it actually is!