Unable to send file from Mobile to mobile

Hi Team,

I have just installed openfire 4.3.2 for testing purpose and using Spark as out Desktop Client.
I am able to send files using Spark client to spark client however I am not able to send the files when users are on Mobile XMPP clients.

I went through all the possible previous messages but didnt find exact root cause. Can someone please confirm if this can be possible?

Thanks and Regards,
Blason R

This is always tricky as it depends on many things like mobile network, clients, etc. Are you using these mobile clients on the same local network or are they connecting from outside? Which client? Usually file transfer should go from peer to peer without server being involved. You can try enabling proxy on Openfire, maybe it will help. Admin Console > Server Settings > File Transfer Settings (of course you will need to open that port on the server).

Hi there,

So first thing? File transfer can be possible through Mobile to mobiles? And/OR mobiles to Desktop?

This testing on single LAN/Wifi

My Range is 192.168.5.0/24
Server IP is 192.168.5.20
Desktop Client IP is 192.168.5.101
1st Mobile IP is 192.168.5.102
2nd Mobile IP is 192.168.5.103

And Yes file transfer proxy is enabled however while logging in I am using IP address in XMPP client instead of SRV record.

Client can send and receive text messages successfully by file transfer is failing.

Thanks and Regards,
Blason R

What mobile client?

In theory everything should work. Although it is always better to use correct SRV records and XMPP domain to login instead of IP.

Based on my notes i was able to send files between two mobile Conversations clients connected to Openfire server at igniterealtime.org. I think i was also able to send files between Gajim desktop client and mobile Conversations (also connected to igniterealtime.org). Though i wasn’t able to recreate this now. Not with Spark. Spark uses file transfer protocol not supported by Conversations and also has other issues with file transfer in 2.8 versions.

I am using Xmpp-messenger or using Xabber.

Let me setup with SRV record then and see.
So, 2 Mobiles connected from Internet will be able to transfer files using Proxy? Or directly between them?

I think on local LAN Proxy shouldn’t be needed at all. But you can test with and without it. I think having SRV records might improve things. But it also depends on a client. I have just tested with two Android devices on the same LAN via Wifi using Xabber. Although i have connected using IP as a host, but i still used domain name to login. And it wasn’t able to send files between them. No matter the proxy setting. But it took longer to show an error when i have removed HTTP File Upload plugin in Openfire. So, i think that current version of Xabber might only support that way of transfer (which is uploading to a server) and not a direct transfer. Same with Conversations. Even desktop client Gajim defaults to upload and you can choose direct sending only going deeper into menu.

So the setting you specified is relevant to client? Let me search that option then.

BTW then which Android client would you recommend which supports file xfer?

In Gajim if i press the “paper clip” icon and select a file it actually uploads it to a server (Openfire) via HTTP File Upload plugin and provides a link in the chat window. It doesn’t send a file directly. So instead of pressing on the “paper clip” icon i press on the “hamburger” (3 vertical lines) button, expand Send file and select Send file directly. I don’t see such option in mobile clients like Conversations, Xabber. It might be that they only support upload now. Although i think in the past Conversations had an option to send a file directly, but i can’t find such option.

Sending files was never a priority for me, so i haven’t looked into that much on mobile. You can try some clients here https://xmpp.org/software/clients.html I can’t actually suggest any myself. Conversations and Xabber are popular on Android, but as i’ve said it looks that they don’t support direct sending of files.