FAQ and Solutions 02 May 2018 TM and copyright 2010-2018 Imagicle spa
Table of Contents FAQ and Solutions...1/11 SkyStone and network security settings...1/11 Upgrade procedure to support Skype 7.32...2/11 How to reinstall Virtual Audio Cables...3/11 The Skype Account channels never login and restart indefinitely...4/11 Some Skype calls never reach SkyStone...5/11 How to monitor SkyStone server events...6/11 How to call a Skype account through direct URI dialing...8/11 SkypeOut calls (i.e. calls to PSTN numbers) fail...10/11 SkypeOut calls to national numbers fail...11/11
FAQ and Solutions SkyStone and network security settings Applies to: Skystone all versions Description: Recommended network security settings to allow skype communication Solution: When planning the implementation of a SkyStone server keep in mind these simple recommendations: SkyStone machine needs to be able to receive and place Skype calls to The Internet without restrictions. The following services/devices and software can severely impair Skype network performance: * Proxy servers * Intrusion Detection and Protection systems (websense, snort, etc) * Content Filtering * Bandwidth Controllers At the Internet side, if behind a Firewall, SkyStone machine should be able to connect to Internet with these ports in outgoing: 80, 443 and all ports above 1024. This is what Skype recommends to have a good Skype communications. You can just leave 80 and 443 open, anyway we are talking about outgoing ports, not incoming. Therefore, this will not lead to any security issues. At LAN side SkyStone Video needs to be installed on the same company Video Conferencing system network or, if this is not possible, SkyStone video needs to be able to freely communicate to the video endpoints through H.323 or SIP. Hence a range of RTP ports (5000-6000) must be open on the firewall to and from the SkyStone Machine. (If there is any between SkyStone and video endpoints) SkyStone uses Skype to communicate with remote Skype instances, so they are using a proprietary procol, as defined by Skype itself. For more information: https://support.skype.com/en/faq/fa148/which-ports-need-to-be-open-to-use-skype-for-windows-desktop?frompage=search&fromsearch In a Internet-DMZ-LAN scenario please refer to: servlet.imageserver?id=015d0000001zbbt&oid=00d200000000dkq FAQ and Solutions 1/11 FAQ and Solutions
Upgrade procedure to support Skype 7.32 Microsoft retired all Skype version 7.15 and earlier. Here is the procedure to upgrade your SkyStone to the latest version, supporting a newer version of Skype. Login with an administrator account on the SkyStone machine. Log in console or with VNC. RDP is not allowed. Accessing the machine via RDP access will cause the upgrade to fail. Make sure you have all Windows update installed. This is mandatory. Download Skype version 7.32.32.104 from Imagicle website: http://www.imagicle.com/skype732 Download SkyStone 2013.7 from www.imagicle.com/getskystone - if you are using SkyStone Video www.imagicle.com/getskystoneaudio - if you are using SkyStone Audio Stop old SkyStone. This will also stop all Skype accounts. Install Skype version 7.32. Remove the old version if requested. At the end of the setup procedure, do not run or login Skype client. When Skype starts, log out and close the Skype client. Make a backup copy of the SkyStone folder without renaming it. The folder must be copied, not moved. Install the new SkyStone package over the existing one, choosing the same folder. During setup, the "Configure SkyStone" tool will be run: you will be asked to update Skype used by SkyStone: answer yes. Press Save to update the configuration, then Exit. Start SkyStone. SkyStone will run the Skype client and enter the login credentials by simulating keyboard and mouse. Do not interact with the desktop during the login phase. Clicking anywhere or pressing any key will result in login failure. The first login of each Skype client can last one minute or more. There is a long initial delay (65 seconds). Dismiss any window that is displayed on top of Skype login window. When SkyStone and all Skype accounts are running and logged-in, confirm the SkyStone API control in each Skype client (if requested). In the main SkyStone window, in the tab "Channel monitor", check that all Skype clients are up and running. If some Skype channel is missing, please double check that SkyStone has the supervision control on that Skype accounts (Tools -> Advanced -> Manage how other programs control Skype). In Skype options, adjust privacy settings to allow calls from anyone, and to automatically receive video from anyone. Apply the setting to all Skype channnel accounts This video shows how to upgrade from version 2013.6 to version 2013.7: https://www.imagicle.com/kb#/kb/how-to-upgrade-skystone-to-version-20137_478.html Known Issues of Skype Ver 7.32 Skype API is not able to receive DTMF tones anymore. SkyStone, relaying on the API, cannot receive DTMF tones too. So you cannot use SkyStone to route incoming calls towards an IVR pilot number where digit selection is required. Workarounds: Route different Skype channels to different destinations Use an IVR which integrates speech recognition FAQ and Solutions 2/11 Upgrade procedure to support Skype 7.32
How to reinstall Virtual Audio Cables Applies to: SkyStone Audio / SkyStone Video version 2013.7 and later Description: Sometimes SkyStone fails to start and the Launcher displays the error "Check VAC failed". There should be 48 VACs but a different number was found. Possible causes: You didn't allow virtual audio cable driver installation during setup You didn't check the flag "Always trust drivers from this author" during setup The machine is slow. SkyStone was started before all the Virtual Audio Cables were created The driver could not be installed How-to reinstall the Virtual Audio Cables: Log onto the SkyStone machine Open a command prompt (running as Administrator) in this folder: <installation directory>\skystone\vac\drivers Type the following command instcmd remove Ensure all windows updates are installed. If they are not, install them and reboot Open regedit.exe and remove the following registry key: For 32bit systems: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Imagicle\VacVersion\ For 64bit systems: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Imagicle\VacVersion Install the latest package you can get from www.imagicle.com/getskystone After the installation, do not start SkyStone immediately. Give the system the time to create the VACs. It could take 15 minutes. This applies only to the first startup after setup. FAQ and Solutions 3/11 How to reinstall Virtual Audio Cables
The Skype Account channels never login and restart indefinitely Applies to SkyStone Audio and SkyStone Video, version 2013.7 or later Description The Skype clients cannot login. After a while, they are restarted, and this goes on forever. Cause Sometimes the Skype clients login process takes a long time. If it takes more tha one minute, SkyStone restarts the client, because it could be hung. Solution Please replace this file with the one attached to this solution: <installation directory>\automation\scripts\skypelogin.aut And restart SkyStone. Please note: When restarting, wait for all the processes to stop before starting SkyStone againwhen the login phase begins, do not interact with the desktop in any way. The login process emulates key pressing and mouse movement. Wait until it is done for all the accounts. FAQ and Solutions 4/11 The Skype Account channels never login and restart indefinitely
Some Skype calls never reach SkyStone Applies to Skystone Audio (any version), SkyStone Video (any version) Description Sometimes you try to call a Skype channel account from a remote Skype client, but the call never rings. Sometimes the call gets through. Cause Privacy settings are preventing the call to be received. Solution For each Skype channel account, adjust the privacy settings like this: Allow calls from anyone Automatically receive video from anyone FAQ and Solutions 5/11 Some Skype calls never reach SkyStone
How to monitor SkyStone server events Applies to: SkyStone Video an SkyStone Audio, 2013.7 and later Description: SkyStone records errors, warnings and information events that may be meaningful for the system administrator. The events are stored in an event log called "SkyStone" which can be viewed through Windows event viewer. Receiving alarm messages via email SkyStone includes a watchdog program, which monitors the event viewer. Whenever an error is recorded into the event viewer, an email is sent via SMTP to a list of recipients. You can enable this feature through the configuration tool, together with the SMTP settings. The events can be also be monitored by a third party external tool. FAQ and Solutions 6/11 How to monitor SkyStone server events
Most useful events Event 1008 The 1008 events report a Voip Engine restart: there was a problem and the process was automatically restarted. Some calls could have been lost, but the system was automatically recovered. Event 20005 If a process (e.g. the Voip Engine) cannot be automatically restarted for 10 times, a 20005 event is issued. Manual intervention is required. Event 40000 The 40000 event reports that the number of channels remains less than what was expected for 5 minutes or more. E.g. you configured 6 channels, but you had only 5 channels, the 40000 event is issued. Which channel was lost, and the number of remaining channels is written in the error body text. This can happen if Skype hangs internally, but continues to respond to Windows messages. It must be killed by task manager to regain functionality. So the meaning of a 40000 even is "manual intervention required" (e.g. to restart a Skype client). FAQ and Solutions 7/11 How to monitor SkyStone server events
How to call a Skype account through direct URI dialing Applies to SkyStone (any version) SkyStone Video (any version) Solution Whenever you create a Skype account using email or mobile number, a Microsoft ("live") account is created in the background. E.g. Email: dev.imagicle1@imagicle.com Hidden live account: live:dev.imagicle1 The latter is the account to be used for URI dialing. To know the hidden Microsoft account, add the contact you want to dial to your Skype client. Then right click it and select "View Profile". FAQ and Solutions 8/11 How to call a Skype account through direct URI dialing
If the displayed account does not include the live: prefix, it is an old legacy Skype account. How to call a Microsoft (live:) account through direct URI dialing You have to replace the live: prefix with live#, followed by @ and the SkyStone server IP address. E.g. you want to reach live:dev.imagicle1 => in your endpoint, you dial live#dev.imagicle1@192.168.1.1 where 192.168.1.1 is the SkyStone server IP address. If the endpoint requires explicit protocol selection, dial sip:live#dev.imagicle1@192.168.1.1. How to call a legacy Skype account through direct URI dialing Do not add the live# prefix. E.g. you want to reach johnsmith23 => in your endpoint, you dial johnsmith23@192.168.1.1 where 192.168.1.1 is the SkyStone server IP address. If the endpoint requires explicit protocol selection, dial sip:johnsmith23@192.168.1.1. Routing In the above example, the call is placed directly from the endpoint to the SkyStone server. If you need to route the call through your PBX: Use the PBX ip address instead of SkyStone IP address Create a suitable route on the PBX to reach SkyStone FAQ and Solutions 9/11 How to call a Skype account through direct URI dialing
SkypeOut calls (i.e. calls to PSTN numbers) fail Applies to SkyStone SkyStone Video Description The called number appears in the Skype client but the SkypeOut call never begins. Cause SkyStone relies on keyboard shortcuts in Skype clients to control the call flow. Those shortcuts are created during skystone setup: Solution Log onto the SkyStone machine Open each Skype client and verify that shortcuts are created. If they are not set, repeat SkyStone installation You may also create the shortcut manually in Skype advanced options FAQ and Solutions 10/11 SkypeOut calls (i.e. calls to PSTN numbers) fail
SkypeOut calls to national numbers fail Applies to SkyStone SkyStone Video Description International calls succeed while national calls fail Cause Since Skype 7.32 was released, you must always use the international prefix, even for national calls. Solution Add the international prefix to all calls. E.g. 02250000 -> 003902250000 FAQ and Solutions 11/11 SkypeOut calls to national numbers fail