SIP vs. Skype, Making the "Open" Choice

techie34290 writes "If you were to make the choice between SIP and Skype for Linux, which one would you go for? Matt Hartley from MadPenguin.org says to opt for SIP. Why? "One tidbit of information that most people are not likely aware of is that when you install the Skype client, it will drain system resources by running as a supernode from time to time. Granted, this is not always the case; however, the very idea of my PC having its resources tied up for someone else's phone call is frankly maddening to me."

Comments

Isn't that the point?

[dizzoug]

The sacrifice you make to have a 'free' phone service is your system resources. Without donating your clock cyles, you would have to pay skype to use servers that they would otherwise have to provide. And yes, if your system can handle it, it will act as a supernode from time to time. It is your choice, but very few things are truly free.

Re:Isn't that the point?

[Vihai]

No, it isn't. No wonder there is no "SIP" server, managed by a "SIP" company.

SIP is a technology while Skype is a service, provided by a single company with a proprietary technology.

The difference is absolute.

You could provide the same exact service Skype is providing with SIP. Did you ask to yourself why there is no such service? Because it would be much harder to lock your customers in with SIP. SIP is already peer-to-peer for what concerns audio streams.

Re:Isn't that the point?

[Sylver Dragon]

I can confirm that this is occuring. I work at a University, and while they do not, technically, ban Skype outright, they might as well. The reason for this is that Skype likes to put computers on our network into supernode mode (considering the bandwidth here, I understand why it happens). The problem is that it starts eating bandwidth like mad, and reduces bandwidth available for other users. So, in order to combat the bandwidth hogging, Skype traffic is throttled at the firewall; it is still allowed to connect and use some bandwidth, but you can forget video conferencing. And before I get any of the "but, but, but...student's rights" type posts: we are a private university, i.e. no public funds; the students have the right to go elsewhere if they don't like it.
Actually, this is a rather timely article, as I am working on setting up a video conferencing room and need to find good free/cheap options.

Success of Skype

[dyefade]

It's getting to the stage now where I know people who say "Skype" when they mean "VoIP/SIP". Admittedly, it's early days in terms of adoption of the technologies, but this is a little worrying. Seems like very few people in the real world have any concept of open standards etc.

the very idea

[thrillseeker]

of my PC having its resources tied up for someone else's phone call is frankly maddening to me

... but I have no problem with tying up someone else's resources when it's for my convenience ... ?

Re:the very idea

[Have Blue]

He'd prefer that the supernode feature be removed entirely and Skype calls only ever consume the resources of the consenting parties directly involved in it.

Supernodes "maddening?"

[cbreaker]

"the very idea of my PC having its resources tied up for someone else's phone call is frankly maddening to me."

Well, boo hoo. It's the way the system works. I seriously doubt any significant system resources would be used up for other people's calls. When you make your calls, it happens to other people. It's a give-pull situation where everyone has to share resources in order for the system to scale with the number of subscribers. Would you rather have nothing?

What a bunch of crap...

[rthille]

Sure, I prefer open solutions, but to say that Skype will drain your system's resources is just crap. A simple consumer firewall between your skype-running PC and the internet will prevent Skype from using your PC as a 'supernode'.

Re:FUCK YOU FREELOADER

[hahiss]

Yeah, totally! That'd be like participating in an online forum as an anonymous coward!

Thanks for the differences; there are even more

[postbigbang]

Thanks for pointing out the obvious thing that people forget. Let me go further and say:

1) Skype is closed and a single metamodel that's been implemented nicely and virally (not that it matters)

2) SIP (and ENUM) are perilously prone, not because they're protocols, but how the protocols are implemented, to shenanigans. SIP is natively text, and ENUM is a DNS method that's prone to spoofing and other problems. For now, Skype wins only because few people know how it works at its deepest levels.

3) Skype isn't as extensible as the SIP/ENUM combination, and it makes one dependent on a single (if diverse and highly peered) network.

4) SIP and ENUM don't care about the service and are largely service neutral (some coming problems, here, though, as it doesn't do nice things like embue codec choices, encryption/authentication means, and other security niceties).

5) Skype is one closed vendor, very few business partners, while SIP is a technological infrastructure that invites whomever to do whatever.