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Skype no connection after update. What to do if Skype failed to connect

Sometimes users may experience the following error: Skype could not establish a connection. Why is there such a problem with Skype?

The fact is that when launched, after entering the login and password, the program sends data to the server, where information about all users is stored.

If such an account is found, the login is performed, otherwise the program simply does not log into the account.

But the error “The connection could not be established” means that the program cannot contact the server at all - the signal from the program is sent, but does not arrive at the server.

That's why the account menu in Skype doesn't open.

So, we have already figured out what the error “The connection could not be established” means, now it’s worth understanding what to do.

Solution #1. Checking your Internet connection

First you should check whether there is an Internet connection at all. Maybe the problem is not with Skype. This can be done by opening a website in your browser, for example, Google.ru.

If the site does not start, then you should check whether there is enough money in your account to use the World Wide Web or call the technical support of the company whose client you are.

Solution #2. Check program version

Another basic problem is that the old Skype is installed.

To check your version, you need to select “Help” in the toolbar and click on “About Skype”.

In the window that appears, you can see the version (underlined in green in the figure below).

Therefore, you need to try to turn it off, at least for a while.

To do this, go to the same “Control Panel”, where select “System and Security”.

After this, you need to click on “Windows Firewall”.

Now all that remains is to check the boxes “Turn off Windows Firewall” - 2 times (circled in red in the figure) and click the “OK” button.

Now you need to try to launch Skype and if the program again writes: “The connection could not be established,” you can try further methods.

Solution #4. Disabling antivirus

To exclude this option, you should go to your antivirus program and look in the settings, for example, for “parental controls” or other additional functions of the Skype antivirus.

To exclude this option, you should temporarily disable the antivirus - if Skype works with the antivirus program turned off, then the problem is in it.

As for how to disable the antivirus, it all depends on the specific program.

In Kaspersky Anti-Virus, this is done as follows: you need to right-click on the Kaspersky Internet Security icon and select “Exit” (underlined in green in the photo below).

This approach is applicable to almost every modern antivirus.

It is possible that the antivirus automatically added Skype to the list of blocked programs. How to fix this problem?

It all depends on the specific antivirus. If it is possible to reset it, do so. You can also remove the antivirus.

This is done in exactly the same way as described above for Skype.

Solution #5. Router settings

If Skype says “The connection could not be established,” the reason may be in the router settings. To remove this error, you must do the following:

  • Go to the router settings. To do this, type 192.168.0.1 in the address bar of your browser (depending on the router, this address may change, see the information in the documentation).

Advice! You should enter the router settings through the Google Chrome, Mozilla or any other browser, but not through Opera - the settings very rarely work through this browser.

  • Depending on the router, the appearance of this window may vary. If nothing has changed in the router settings before, then the login and password will be the same - “admin”. Enter and click “Login”.
  • After this, you need to find the “Virtual Servers” item. Depending on the router model, this item may be located in different menus. For one of the most popular routers today, DIR-300NRU, the search looks as shown in Fig. No. 12.
    There you need to go to the “Firewall” item in the menu on the left, and then “Virtual servers”.

  • After going to the “Virtual Servers” item, you need to find the “Add” button. We remind you: the names of the lines may vary depending on the router model. There in the “Name” field we write skype or whatever we want (underlined in red in the photo above).
    In the “Port” field (“External port” - underlined in green), write, for example, 4960. Save the received settings. To do this, find the “Save”, “Change” or something similar button on the page.
  • Now you need to open Skype and go to the settings menu there. To do this, go to the “Tools” item in the top menu of the program and go to “Connection problem...”.

  • Here in the “Use port” field we write the port we specified in the router settings. We indicated, as we remember, 49660. Click “Save” (circled in green in the figure below) and try to log in again.

Specifying the port in Skype settings

Skype is one of the most popular programs for communicating people via the Internet. It is used by millions of people almost every day, connecting with their relatives, friends, work colleagues, business partners and so on. Everyone knows that no program is thorough, so such a “monster” can also have glitches, that is, the service automatically generates errors. The most common error that Skype gives is that the connection could not be established.

What is the reason for such problems? As practice shows, there may be a lot of problems and factors due to which the Skype connection could not be established. Some of the problems are minor and therefore can be easily fixed, others require setting up the service, which will also not take much time.

Unsuccessful deletion

Quite often there are cases when, after removing old versions, the program is not completely removed, so files remain on the computer that cause such connection failures. What to do in this case? The answer is quite simple - you need to remove old versions of the messenger from the computer’s memory, and also make sure that the work was completed successfully and all program files were deleted.

The second point is that the version you downloaded must be suitable for your computer’s operating system. After all, mistakes often happen only because of this factor. That is, after installation, the version of the messenger does not “work” with the operating system of the computer device, so Skype cannot establish a connection. There is only one solution to this issue - carefully select the version of Skype, this will help you quickly install the program and use it in the future without problems.

Firewall Settings

It is advisable to check your firewall settings, because it is because of this that Skype very often gives a connection error. If your device operates from a router signal, then you need to check its connection.

You also need to check the settings of the router, as there may be a mode for blocking applications or a setting “ parental controls" Very often, “parental controls” are installed when PC users do not have experience in working with the device, so they can make incorrect settings, as a result, all applications are strictly blocked.

To establish a Skype connection, all these settings must be removed.

If the router is not used. There may be a problem with the firewall. However, you need to remember that the firewall may be built-in or located in other programs, such as antivirus programs. Therefore, to check the connection, it is advisable to temporarily disable your antivirus program. This work will only take a few minutes, so you will not have time to catch the virus, but you will find out whether the firewall is causing the program to fail. If you realize that this is not the case, then you need to check the operation of the built-in Windows firewall, especially for Windows 7, which often causes such problems.

It needs to be disabled, which can be done in the settings. To disable the Windows Firewall, go to the Control Panel, then to the Security System and disable this application. And if this was the only reason, then you will be able to use the application immediately.

Internet Explorer

The next common reason when there is no download server is Internet Explorer. At first glance, this may not be the case, but sometimes this program can also cause a lack of connection. The main reason lies in older versions of the browser, in which the installation content becomes corrupted, causing Skype to display an error. Solving this problem is quite simple, there are only two ways:

  • install Skype version 6.14 and higher;
  • install the latest version of the browser.

Communication program settings

If you have the Internet, and all the settings have already been revised, then there is one more option why Skype is writing an error, these are incorrect settings of the communication program itself. The user may have specified an incorrect communication port or something else. There may also be connection errors if there is a problem in the hardware department of the computer. That is, the microphone or video camera could break, or the user could install the drivers incorrectly. After all, early versions do not always make contact with later ones, so there are software-level conflicts. Another very common problem of failures is the overload of “supernodes”, that is, the directory that the user accesses when dialing is clogged. And if there are a lot of calls to one node at once, then there may be no connection.

Based on this, you can see that the error when connecting to Skype is insignificant and can be easily solved. Therefore, if you encounter this problem, there is no need to be upset. Everything can be solved in a few minutes on your own, without resorting to the services of specialists.

When launching Skype, at the stage of entering your username and password, the error “Connection could not be established” may appear. This error is caused by the fact that the program for some reason was unable to establish a connection to the Skype servers.

The root of the problem, as a rule, lies in the use of an old version or problems with the Internet on the computer.

Today we will tell you what to do if Skype failed to establish a connection and look at all the ways to get rid of this error.

Reasons for the error

The moment you start the program, when you enter your username and password, Skype connects and sends a request to its servers to verify the accuracy of the data. The server, in turn, must send a response request that your data is correct.

If a connection cannot be established between your computer and the Skype servers, the program cannot check your data and the error “Connection could not be established” appears.

The error occurs due to several reasons:

1. You have an old version or your system files are damaged

2. Problems with the Internet on the computer or a problem with the provider

3. Blocking by antivirus or firewall

4. Failures on the company’s servers

Outdated version

This reason is the most common and easiest to correct. Skype developers are constantly releasing updates.

When you send your data to the official servers, not only information about your account and password is sent, but also information about your version of the program. If you are using an older version, you will see the Skype connection failed error.

Solution

The solution is suitable not only for cases when the problem is caused by an outdated version, but also when your critical files are damaged.

Go to the official website and download the latest version of Skype. Run the installation of the downloaded file and try to establish the connection again.

If you can't install Skype, try uninstalling the old version first. To do this, go to Control Panel - Programs - Uninstall Programs. Click on the program and click the “Delete” button.

After deleting, press the Win+R key combination and copy there %appdata%\Skype and click the OK button.

A folder with temporary files will open. Select and delete all folders and files in the window that opens.

Try installing Skype again. In 90 percent of cases, the problem with establishing a connection is solved.

Problem with the Internet on the computer or on the ISP side

Skype requires Internet access to work, so if the Internet is unstable, a connection cannot be established.

Problems with the Internet are usually difficult to miss, since most often they affect the operation of all programs running on the Internet - the browser, instant messengers, and online games do not work.

Solution

Resetting Internet Explorer browser settings

The Internet Explorer browser is an important component of Windows and its incorrect configuration can affect the functionality of the Internet on the computer, and as a result, Skype cannot establish a connection.

Open the folder C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer, right-click on the iexplore.exe file and run as administrator.

Go to the browser properties by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the browser and go to “Browser Options”.

In the browser properties, go to the “Advanced” tab and click “Reset”.

After this, Internet Explorer browser settings will be reset.

Also, it makes sense to update your Internet Explorer browser to the latest version; this may also help solve the problem with the Internet.

The problem is on the provider's side

If your computer does not have an Internet connection or is unstable, then obviously the problem is not with your settings, but with the provider.

First of all, check whether the Internet is paid for. Perhaps your provider has disconnected you for non-payment. If the Internet is paid for, you should call your provider and tell them about the problems with the network to find out the recovery time. Providers have line failures as a result of which customers suffer. You are not required to do anything other than wait for the problem to be fixed.

Blocking Skype by antivirus or firewall

Another reason why Skype refuses to connect may be antivirus software. Antivirus products are designed to protect your computer from threats, but they must be configured correctly. If the settings are incorrect, Skype cannot connect to its servers because it is blocked by antiviruses and firewalls.

This is very easy to check. Disable the antivirus (in my case it is Kaspersky antivirus) by right-clicking on the icon and clicking “Exit”.

In the window that opens, check the boxes next to “Turn off Windows Firewall” and click OK.

Now that the antivirus and firewall are disabled, try launching Skype. If the connection was successful, then the problem is related to the settings of the firewall or your antivirus. Turn your firewall and antivirus back on and read on.

Solution

Setting up Windows Firewall

Go to Control Panel — System and security — Windows Firewall.

Click on the item in the left vertical menu "Allow interaction with applications".

In the list of allowed programs and components, find Skype and check two boxes.

If nothing is found in the list, click on the “Allow another application” button.

In the window that opens, specify the path to the Skype.exe file by clicking the “Browse” button. By default, Skype is installed in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone folder.

After specifying the file location, click the "Add" button.

Kaspersky Internet Security settings

I'm looking at setting it up using Kaspersky Internet Security as an example. It is quite possible that you have another antivirus or firewall installed, for example ESET, or Dr.WEB. The setup in these antivirus solutions will be approximately the same.

Open Kaspersky Internet Security and go to settings by clicking on the gear icon in the lower left corner. After that, go to the “Protection” - “Firewall” menu.

In the KIS firewall settings, click “Configure application rules”.

In the network rules window, find Skype in the list using search. Click the “Allow” button. The rule will take effect immediately.

Failures on the company's servers

Skype is a powerful company owned by Microsoft. It’s extremely rare, but even such companies have failures and problems with servers. The problem with the Skype connection may be due to such a rare case when the company’s servers are temporarily unavailable.

Solution

You cannot influence the situation in any way. Follow the news and wait for the service to restore its operation. Usually such failures last no more than an hour.

We have described all the most common reasons why Skype may write that the connection could not be established. Write your questions in the comments, we will try to help everyone.

Even such well-functioning programs as Skype, which have existed for several years, can fail. Today we will look at the error “Skype cannot connect, the connection could not be established.” Causes of this annoying problem and ways to solve it.

There may be several reasons - problems with the hardware of the Internet or computer, problems with third-party programs. Skype itself and its servers may also be to blame. Let's take a closer look at each source of trouble connecting to Skype.

A common cause of problems connecting to Skype is the lack of Internet or its poor quality.

To check the connection, look at the lower right side of the desktop (tray). There should be an Internet connection icon displayed. With a normal connection it looks like this.

If the icon shows a cross, then the problem may be due to a broken Internet cable or a faulty computer network card. If a yellow triangle is displayed, the problem is most likely on the provider’s side.

In any case, try restarting your computer. If this does not help, call your provider's technical support. You should receive assistance and restore the connection.

Your Internet connection may be of poor quality. This is reflected in long loading times for sites in the browser, the inability to smoothly view video broadcasts, etc. Skype in such a situation may give a connection error. This situation may be due to temporary network failures or poor quality of provider services. In the latter case, we recommend changing the company that provides you with Internet services.

Closed ports

Skype, like any other network program, uses certain ports for its operation. When these ports are closed, a connection error occurs.

Skype requires a random port with a number greater than 1024, or ports with numbers 80 or 443. You can check whether the port is open using special free services on the Internet. You just need to enter the port number.

The reason for closed ports may be blocking on the part of the provider or blocking on your wi-fi router, if you use one. In the case of a provider, you need to call the company's hotline and ask a question about blocking ports. If the ports are blocked on your home router, then you need to open them by performing the configuration.

Alternatively, you can tell Skype which ports to use for operation. To do this, open the settings (Tools>Settings).

Here you can specify the port to use, and you can also enable the use of a proxy server if changing the port does not help.

After changing the settings, click the save button.

Blocked by antivirus or Windows firewall

The reason may be an antivirus that prevents Skype from connecting, or a Windows firewall.

In the case of an antivirus, you need to look at the list of applications it has blocked. If Skype is there, it needs to be removed from the list. Specific actions depend on the antivirus program interface.

When the operating system firewall (aka firewall) is to blame, the entire procedure for unblocking Skype is more or less standardized. Let's describe how to remove Skype from the firewall block list in Windows 10.

To open the firewall menu, enter the word “firewall” into the Windows search bar and select the suggested option.

In the window that opens, select the menu item on the left that is responsible for blocking and unblocking network applications.

Find Skype in the list. If there is no checkmark next to the program name, it means the firewall was the cause of the connection problem. Click the “Change settings” button, and then check all the boxes in the line with Skype. Accept the changes with the “Ok” button.

Try connecting to Skype. Now everything should work.

Old version of Skype

A rare, but still relevant reason for problems with connecting to Skype is the use of an outdated version of the program. Developers occasionally drop support for certain legacy versions of Skype. Therefore, update Skype to the latest version. It will help you.

Or you can simply download and install the latest version of the program from the Skype website.

Connection Server Overload

Several tens of millions of people use Skype simultaneously. Therefore, when a large number of requests to connect to the program arrive, the servers may not be able to cope with the load. This will result in a connection problem and a corresponding message.

Try connecting a couple more times. If this does not work, wait a while and try to connect again.

We hope that this list of known causes of Skype network connection problems and solutions to this problem will help you restore the functionality of the application and continue communicating in this popular program.

Internet messenger Skype is the most popular program for users to communicate online. With its help, you can make voice and audio calls, exchange text messages and files, organize online conferences and even call landline and mobile phone numbers. The main advantages of this program are that it is free, simple and has a high level of security.

But even such a reliable and high-quality tool as Skype cannot guarantee that at some point its operation will not fail. Problems with the messenger are not such a common occurrence, but they still occur. One of the most common is network connection failure. The error that appears is that when logging into Skype, it says that the connection could not be established.

The causes of the problem can be different, related both to global network settings and to the program itself, which happens much more often. At the same time, Skype usually does not connect to the Internet, although there is Internet, and other programs that use it connect perfectly to it. Let's figure out why Skype sometimes writes “The connection could not be established,” and what can and should be done to restore its normal operation. We will move from simple to complex.

Temporary unavailability of the service

It's unlikely, but it could be that your ISP, network administrator (on corporate computers), or even your own firewall is blocking access to Skype domains. Then it is not surprising that the user cannot log into Skype. To exclude this possibility, go through Internet Explorer (!) to the page www.skaip.su/proverit-dostup-k-skaypu and click the "Check" button. The status of all servers should be “Connection successfully established”.

If a connection could not be established for at least one of the servers, this will indicate one of the three reasons listed above.

If everything is in order with the firewall (how to check it below) and Skype still cannot establish a connection, contact your system administrator or your Internet provider's support service for help. We also recommend checking the functionality of the Skype servers themselves on the page www.skaip.su/status-serverov-skayp. The servers must have the “Working” status, otherwise you need to wait until the technicians themselves fix the problems.

Outdated version of Skype

By default, Skype is updated automatically and this is important, since the correct operation of the messenger on the local computer directly depends on server services.

If you are using an older version, at one point the program will not be able to connect to the remote host, and you will receive the error described above. It is not difficult to determine the version you are using, you just need to select it in the main menu Help - About Skype.

There you can also check the availability of a new version of the application.

If your messenger is out of date, go to the official website of the developer and download the current version. Close the broken program and run the web installer. The latest version will be downloaded to the PC and installed immediately, while the old version will be deleted. If installation problems occur, it is recommended to completely uninstall Skype, including the user directory %userprofile%/AppData/Roaming/Skype, and then clean the registry with CCleaner or another similar tool.

Note: Skype folder, more precisely the main.db file in the directory AppData/Username, contains correspondence history. If you don’t want to lose it, create a backup copy just in case, and in general, first try limiting yourself to deleting the shared.lck and shared.xml files.

Outdated version of Internet Explorer

Since Skype desktop uses MSIE components, the connection error may be related to the Internet Explorer browser. It is noted that in some cases Skype does not work and says “check your Internet connection” in Windows with the sixth and seventh versions of IE. For a successful connection, at least the eighth version of the standard browser must be installed on the system. Please update your built-in browser to version 8 or the latest version available for your OS.

Resetting IE settings won't hurt either. To do this, open its properties (via the classic control panel or by pressing Alt and selecting Tools – Browser Options).

Next, switch to the “Advanced” tab in the window that opens and click “Reset.” Before resetting, we recommend checking whether the SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.1, TLS 1.2, TLS 1.0 checkboxes are checked in the same tab. If not, install the birds, restart the browser and check the operation of Skype.

Blocking by firewall or antivirus

If you are using a built-in or third-party firewall, try disabling it for a while.

Restoring the connection will indicate that Skype is blocked by a firewall. Disabling this protection completely for the sake of Skype alone is not the best idea, but you can create a separate rule for the messenger that allows incoming and outgoing connections. You should also check whether Skype is accessible in the settings for allowing interactions between applications and components.

At the same time, it’s worth checking your antivirus’s “loyalty” to Skype and, if necessary, adding the application to its white list.

Action of viruses and modification of the HOSTS file

The cause of the problem may be a common virus that has overwritten the contents of the HOSTS file. Carefully scan the system with an anti-virus program, check if there are any “rogue” servers in the specified file. The HOSTS file is located at C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc, you can open the file itself with any text editor.

By default, the contents of this file should look like the one shown in the screenshot.

If there are any addresses listed below, delete them.

Ports and proxies

If you use IP address spoofing programs on your PC, temporarily disable them or create (if the appropriate option is available) an exception. Users who have previously configured a messenger connection through a proxy should check the validity of the IP address and port. Skype will not work and the connection will not be established if the port is blocked or has low bandwidth. We remind you that proxy settings can be changed on the “Connection” tab in the application’s advanced settings.

For the messenger to work correctly, ports 80, 443, 3478-3481 UPD and 49152-65535 UPD+TCP must be open on the computer. Check them in any online port scanner, for example, 2ip.ru/check-port and, if any of these ports are closed, open it by creating a separate firewall rule for it or a group.

Interestingly, some users reported that the connection was restored when they unchecked the boxes that allowed the use of ports 80, 443 and the upnp protocol. Try this option too.

Router settings

Incorrect router configuration is another reason why the “Connection could not be established” message appears in Skype. The ports may be blocked on the network device itself. To enter the router settings, go to the browser at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, the default login and password are admin/admin. In most routers, the subsection you need is called “Virtual Servers,” but there may be another name. For example, in D-Link it is “Firewall”.

Virtual servers or VPS are a special service that simulates the operation of a real physical server. On a separate computer, it provides complete and independent control over the local network and can be used to set various restrictions, for example, parental controls. In theory, the “Virtual Servers” subsection should be empty. If there are already settings there, try to find out who made them and for what purpose. Perhaps you yourself ordered this service from your provider and forgot about it.

Pay attention to the “External port (end)” parameter. Let's say it's 49650.

So, this value must be specified in the additional Skype settings on the “Connection” tab, namely “Use port [number] for incoming connections.”

If the “Virtual Servers” subsection is empty, you can create your own VPS to resolve the Skype connection error. In this case, we take the values ​​for the start and end external ports from the range 3478-3481 UPD and 49152-65535 UPD+TCP. Select the appropriate protocol.

Perhaps this will be interesting

Above, we looked at the main causes of problems and learned what to do if Skype writes “The connection could not be established.” Most of the tips offered concerned the desktop and portable versions of the messenger, but this program also has a web version that can be used in IE, Chrome and Firefox. It is available at web.skype.com. In general, the web version duplicates the functions of the desktop version, but for it to work correctly you need to install a plug-in. You will be prompted to install it when making your first incoming or outgoing call. If you have Windows 8.1 or 10, don't forget about the universal version of the messenger.