Today Netgear and Skype announced that Netgear will market a standalone Wi-Fi Skype phone that does not require a PC to run the Skype client software. Along with that, they also announced that Netgear RangeMax MIMO router will be equipped to “optimize Skype”. There are no additional details, but we can infer. Netgear router can help assist the Skype client in NAT/FW traversal. This means that the supernodes do not have to do STUN and TURN functions, minimizing the resource requirements on the supernodes. The router can give priority to Skype traffic as the packets go on the broadband link. This is all well and good. But this also makes it easy for a Skype client behind a NAT/FW to act as a supernode. If that is a concern for you then you need to find out additional details on the specific nature of the optimization. Given that Skype is now ported to embedded devices, non-Skype users need to make sure that the router itself has not become a supernode.
The news item was announced just now and a link to the news story is not available at this time in Skype or Netgear websites.
Posted by aswath at January 4, 2006 02:34 PM
The obvious question is, will the standalone phone be disabled from ever becoming a supernode? If the answer is yes, this could introduce an interesting dynamic into their operational network if the device becomes very popular.
If the answer is no, its a very interesting architectural evolution. They have essentially eliminated the telephone switching network as we know it, pushing all the smarts literally into the edge devices...
Inquiring minds want to know!
Posted by: Frank Miller at January 4, 2006 08:43 PMAs I have argued earlier (http://www.mocaedu.com/mt/archives/000191.html), it is not very expensive or complex for eBay/Skype to deploy their own supernodes.
I don't think Skype has eliminated the switching network. What has been done (not just by Skype alone) is to seperate the "switching" function into two - locating and routing. Skype has managed to run the locating function in the clients and leave the routing function to ISPs.
Posted by: Aswath at January 4, 2006 10:57 PMEqually, what's so wrong with being a supernode? The bandwidth used is minimal (4-10kbytes/sec) and the CPU usage is negligible (3-4% on a 1.5ghz G4 from my observations).
The neat thing about Peer to Peer is that you share your (normally unutilised) bandwidth and CPU so that the thing can operate without central servers. That's how P2P is *supposed* to work. It's not a bug. If you don't want to commit those very negligible resources to the collective, then you can sign up for a pay-by-the-month SIP service where they'll happily provide them for you.
Equally, what's so wrong with being a supernode? The bandwidth used is minimal (4-10kbytes/sec) and the CPU usage is negligible (3-4% on a 1.5ghz G4 from my observations).
The neat thing about Peer to Peer is that you share your (normally unutilised) bandwidth and CPU so that the thing can operate without central servers. That's how P2P is *supposed* to work. It's not a bug. If you don't want to commit those very negligible resources to the collective, then you can sign up for a pay-by-the-month SIP service where they'll happily provide them for you.
LG:
You are right in that P2P requires this kind of participation. You also may be right regarding the usage, because that is what Skype claims. Yes, I could abstain from joining the collective. But Netgear may change that if it runs a Skype supernode, especially a media relay node.
Posted by: Aswath at January 9, 2006 04:45 AMI've been watching the mobility and voice landscape for a few years now. Netgear's skype phone has got at best, about 2 years of useful life till something else comes along. And they are not going to make big bucks out of this because (1) not everyone in the world is on skype just yet, and those who are would want it for free, and (2) they've got a fat chance at beating the smartphones/SmartDAs which will soon come with the same battery sucking wireless technologies as netgear plans to bung in into their phone.
Why does'nt skype just licence out their clients to all the smartphone manufacturers? That way they increase their user base.
And btw with all these VOIP users increasing by the minute, where's all that extra bandwidth coming from?
Vinay
Posted by: Vinay at January 11, 2006 10:04 AMIt will be interesting to find out if the Skype 'optimization' is switched on by default and/or whether it can be used even if you don't run Skype?
Perhaps they are going to require everyone that buys a Netgear router to sign a disclaimer?! I doubt it.
Either it won't make much difference, or there could be a few lawsuits coming Skypes way...