Fone Forum

Back in December 2009, '3' started their enforced upgrades on customers using their Skype service.  See this thread (http://www.foneforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,1089.msg5244.html#msg5244).       ;)

More recently, andy posted reply #23 here (http://www.foneforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,1277.15.html), breaking the news that the same thing had just occurred on his Nokia 6120, and there were various interactions between him and myself on that subject, q.v.       ;)

However, about a week ago, an extraordinary thing happened - in that ALL of my other '3' handsets were also forced to upgrade the version of Skype they were using !          :o

Now I don't know whether this is happening nationally or not, but it certainly happened in the area in which I live. These imposed changes occurred the day after '3' upgraded their network in my area, but I don't know if that was a consequence of the upgrade, or just a coincidence.  I have no way of telling.        ::)

The major change that these enforced upgrades engendered is that ALL of my '3' handsets now display the CLI of the SIM being used - NOT my Skype preset CLI. There are pluses and minuses to this.        ;)

The positive thing is that it is no longer necessary to subscribe to Skype and buy credit - in order to send the 2 text messages that Skype require to preset CLI.
Members who use certain services which had previously required this will find that they can save themselves the £11-25 or whatever.        :)

The negative side of this development is that it is no longer possible to set up various Skype CLI's, and to change your CLI at will by logging in to a different Skypename.        :'(

Just for the record, the versions of Skype that I am now using, *all* of which display your mobile number as your CLI, are as follows:-

Version 3.80.0.2 on a Skypephone S2;
Version 3.81.0.0. on a Skypephone S2;
Version 4.5.0.46 on a Huawei U710;
Version 6.0.0.20 on both an Inq Mini and an Inq Chat;
Version 6.93.0 on my Nokia 6120.

It is interesting to speculate about 3's motives in imposing all of these changes.  Back when the first such imposed change was reported, in December 2009, Mikael thought that '3' might have done inadequate testing before the version 3 was imposed on the Skypephone S2 which had previously used versions 2.
However, now that this policy has become much more entrenched, I find myself thinking alone more Machiavellian lines, and wondering if 3 disliked their customers being able to chose and change CLIs, and have now systematically imposed changes to take that away ?        :-\

What do others think ?        :-\

I have done some testing on a Nokia N95 8GB that I have on my desk with a Three SIM. The phone was originally bought unlocked and unbranded from Ebay. I installed Skype for Three version 2.0.26 onto the phone. Upon testing today, Skype for Three forced me to upgrade to version 6.93.0. I did some testing with a couple of Skype accounts. One has a caller ID set for my main Vodafone SIM and the other account has no Caller ID set. When I logged into Skype for Three using my SKype account without a caller ID set and I made a test call, the number of my Three SIM was presented to the phone I was calling. However when I logged into Skype for Thre eusing the Skype account with a Caller ID set I made a test call and the Caller ID defined within Skype was presented.

It looks to me as if Skype for Three will present the Three mobile number if Caller ID is setup in the Skype account, but it can be overridden if a caller ID is setup in the Skype account.

I shall be interested to know if anyone else finds this to be the case too?

I was fascinated to read your report Mikael, but, alas, I cannot replicate your findings, so the mystery deepens further !        ::)

I too have 2 Skype accounts - one with preset CLI, and the other without.
I decided to test all my '3' mobiles using each in turn.

I already knew that the two version 3's I have on my Skypephones S2s only present my mobile number as my CLI, but I checked to make sure.  Both do.        :'(

I also found the same situation on my version 4.5.0.46 on my Huawei U710.        :'(

I tested a version 6.0.0.20 on my Inq Mini next, thinking this might offer both possibilities as you found on your N95.  Alas no !       ::)

Lastly, I turned to my trusted Nokia 6120.  As this has version 6.93.0 - the same as on your N95 - I fully expected to find the same as you did.  Once more my hopes were dashed.
Both Skypenames presented my mobile number as my CLI alone !        ???

How the same version of Skype can behave so differently on two Nokia handsets I simply do not know.  It puzzles me greatly.  Are there any knowledgeable members here who can throw some light on this enigma ?        :-\

 

I have done some further testing and found my test was at fault! It seems any Caller ID defined in Skype only overrides the number of the phone if you call an international number directly via Skype. However, if a Skype name is called, only the number of the phone ever seems to be passed through. This confirms what Mobaholic has found with his tests