LG Wireless Phone

Skype user & echo problem?

Anyone on here use skype? Is it normal to get a echo on the call. I have high speed broadband and when i call a mobile phone using skype out i get a echo. I am using a belkin wifi phone on skype. Also is there anyone out there who uses skype as a free user who would be willing to let me call them through skype to test the line?. Hope all calls do not echo otherwise its £70 down the drain.

Public Comments

1. This is caused by a delay. Your voice is received later on the other end, and you're able to hear that when the person you're talking to receives this. This is most likely because you're using a wireless device to talk. On a highspeed connection, you should have no problems using a USB headset.
2. There are many suggestions which are available on Skype forum. 1. Use headphones not speakers ( very obvious ) 2. Load latest sound card driver, mute microphone 3. Adjust volume to low 4. Improve bandwidth if you can etc. I have tried all this but it did not satisfy me completely. It reduced the echo but not remove it. I have come to believe that all the sound systems ( sound card, USB phones ) are designed to loop back the sound it receives. You therefore must hear your own voice ( which travels all the way and then comes back to you to your headphone ) . In fact one gets a feeling of " dead " communication if one does not get his own voice. All normal phones work this way. The problem comes arises when there is an appreciable delay in getting your voice back which becomes unnerving. By making all adjustments one can reduce the volume of echo but we cannot eliminate it. The delay is introduced by quality of internet bandwidth. The echo is created by loop back at the other end. My friend always complained of getting echo when he talked to me. Assuming an unavoidable loopback at my end I bought a minituare USB audio adapter ( it is like a sound card on USB ). I plug microphone jack into built-in Realtek card of my notebook and headphone jack into USB adapter. I have configured Skype input from Realtek and output to USB audio. All the complaints of echo have completely vanished. This is not always required. I know in many cases problem was solved by tweaking sound card. And you must understand that even if your voice travels back to you it does not hurt you ( in fact it gives more comfort ) provided it is not delayed. The problem only starts when internet introduces delay. Since you have no control on the quality of bandwidth, only solution remains to avoid your voice travelling back to you. If all other methods fail try what I have done. Spend about 10$ on USB audio adapter. You thus have two sound systems on your PC. Use one for mike and other for headphone. And by doing this you are helping the other guy who is talking to you. He stops getting echo.