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PhotoJim · 01-01-2009, 18:04

Skype only uses your bandwidth if you don't use NAT. If you have a router that assigns you a private IP address (192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x or one other band that slips my memory but is rarely used), then Skype won't use your bandwidth. For security reasons, Windows machines should never have a public IP address (Windows has too many vulnerabilities that get discovered - partly because it's closed-source proprietary software and doesn't have the thousands of programmers poring over it that pore over open source operating systems, and partly because it's the destination of attention for most "hackers" because of its market dominance). So... if you've set up Windows machines behind a router using NAT (which is my strong recommendation), Skype is an absolutely fine solution.

Yahoo Messenger seems pretty reasonable. I have used it for IM for a long time, and it supports video although I've never used it.

	(#2)
PhotoJim (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 389 Join Date: 10 Dec 2006 Location: Regina, SK, CA Country:	01-01-2009, 18:04 Skype only uses your bandwidth if you don't use NAT. If you have a router that assigns you a private IP address (192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x or one other band that slips my memory but is rarely used), then Skype won't use your bandwidth. For security reasons, Windows machines should never have a public IP address (Windows has too many vulnerabilities that get discovered - partly because it's closed-source proprietary software and doesn't have the thousands of programmers poring over it that pore over open source operating systems, and partly because it's the destination of attention for most "hackers" because of its market dominance). So... if you've set up Windows machines behind a router using NAT (which is my strong recommendation), Skype is an absolutely fine solution. Yahoo Messenger seems pretty reasonable. I have used it for IM for a long time, and it supports video although I've never used it. CA: SaskTel, Wind postpaid; Rogers, Bell postpaid iPad flex plans; US: T-Mobile postpaid data, prepaid voice; PureTalk (AT&T MVNO) prepaid voice/data; AT&T prepaid iPad plan Hardware: Too much but notably iPhone 5, iPad Mini Retina LTE, Moto G LTE (N.A. version), iPhone 4. All unlocked.