AIM Direct Connect

In the offical AIM client, it is possible to "directly connect" to someone and send them inline pictures and large blocks of text. DirectConnect is plagued by problems similar to those of FileTransfer (e.g. NAT traversal).

DirectConnect is also called “direct messaging”, “direct IM”, or “direct chat”.

Using Direct Connect

Simply drag an image into your message window text entry area, and then send it, with or without additional text. Adium should prompt the remote user to accept a direct connect invitation (iChat automatically accepts such invitations) and then display the picture inline in both your message window and the other user's message window.

Note that direct connect support in Libpurple, and by extension Adium, is mediocre at best; large images may fail to send, with poor or no error reporting. It is possible for a direct connect chat to 'freeze', leading to one or both parties not seeing messages sent by the other party. Simply close the chat to cancel out of the direct connect, at which point you can reopen a server-based chat with the contact. This is not an optimal situation, obviously, and we hope to improve Direct Connect support in the future.

Improving Direct Connect

Direct Connect uses port 4443. If you have a firewall, opening this port may help. If you have a router, forwarding this port may help.

Direct Connect and AIM File Transfer are interrelated; see File Transfer or Direct Connection Technologies for more details.