Adam23

Hi guys and girls,

Just a quick Q: is skype legal in Dubai?

I heard that it wasn't...if so then are there any other similar sites you guys use to talk to friends/family abroad?

Thanks in advance!

kittycat1

You need to download it before you enter the country- I find it can be a bit hit and miss sometimes, the video doesn't always work as it is being scrambled- heard a rumour that Du/Etislat are launching their own version of Skype type thing so they decode Skype so people won't be able to use it- don't know how true that is though.

hnd

We've never enabled our webcam - mostly because we don't want to frighten our callers! Seriously, though, webcams use an awful lot of bandwidth and mucked up reception big time so we've also asked callers to turn theirs off, too.

Anyway, they're mainly good friends and family and we know what they look like. And, in our minds they're as young looking as they were when we last saw them, as are we

Bungdit Din

Skype works fine if you have a VPN, but you need one of the faster connections if you want reliable video chat.

If you have Du as your ISP you can use the Skype website and download the software without needing a VPN.

Millhouse

We frequently use skype - PC-PC with video with no problems what so ever. The problem (for us) comes if you try and make a land line call using skype out - then you need the VPN or it just rings then gets cut off.

It is also possible (as of about 2 weeks ago) to access the skype website (on Du at least) and download the program... that said, it is throttled to oblivion and almost impossible to do so. So, again, either download it from a mirror site (or torrent), download and install before you get here or wack on the VPN.

As other posters have said to run the video you need a fast connection - we find this is better without the VPN on. We have used Etisalat and Du and the issues (and solutions) were the same.

Bungdit Din

Weird why they do that... throttle it I mean, rather than just simply block it.

Millhouse

There was a change in law about a month ago (I remember a big thing in the National about it) that Etisalat & Du now no longer have to block VoIP websites, so it's not blocked anymore... but, of course, it's still competition and so it's throttled to death.

http://www.thenational.ae/business/t...p-on-skype-ban