Connecting ATAK, WinTAK, and ITAK Clients

Step-by-step guide for connecting TAK clients to FreeTAKServer

This guide walks you through connecting ATAK (Android), WinTAK (Windows), and ITAK (iOS) clients to your FreeTAKServer instance.

Prerequisites

Before connecting clients, ensure:

• FreeTAKServer is running and accessible
• You know your server’s IP address or hostname
• You have generated client certificates (if using SSL)
• Firewall allows connections on required ports

Understanding Connection Types

FreeTAKServer supports two connection types:

Non-SSL Connection

• Port: 8087 (default CoT port)
• Use case: Testing, internal networks
• Security: Unencrypted traffic

SSL Connection (Recommended)

• Port: 8089 (default SSL CoT port)
• Use case: Production deployments
• Security: Encrypted traffic with certificate validation
• Requirements: Server and client certificates

Method 1: Using Data Package (Recommended)

The easiest way to connect clients is using a configuration data package generated by FTS.

Method 2: Manual Configuration

If you prefer to configure manually or can’t use data packages:

Connection Verification

Check Server Logs

Monitor FreeTAKServer logs for connection events:

tail -f /opt/fts/Logs/FTS.log | grep -i "connection"

You should see entries like:

Handling connection data
client update has been sent through queue

Verify in ATAK

• Check the Network Status widget
• Look for green indicator next to your connection
• Your callsign should appear on other connected clients’ maps

Test Communication

1. Send a chat message to “All Chat Rooms”
2. Drop a marker on the map
3. Other connected clients should receive both

Troubleshooting

Connection Refused

Ensure the CoT ports are open in your firewall:

# For firewalld
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=8087/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=8089/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

# For ufw
sudo ufw allow 8087/tcp
sudo ufw allow 8089/tcp

Certificate Errors

Common SSL issues:

• Certificate expired: Regenerate certificates with longer expiry
• Wrong password: Verify certificate password matches configuration
• Missing CA: Ensure server certificate package includes CA certificate

# Generate certificates with 2-year expiry
with AtakOfTheCerts() as cert:
    cert.bake("username", "user", expiry_time_secs=63072000)

Client Not Visible

If clients connect but don’t see each other:

1. Verify client sent presence CoT (check server logs)
2. Ensure clients are on same channel/network
3. Check server routing configuration
4. Verify no IP filtering is active

iOS ITAK Specific Issues

• ITAK may require certificates in specific format
• Ensure background location permissions are enabled
• Check iOS VPN settings don’t interfere

Configuration Reference

Server Ports

Service	Default Port	Environment Variable	Description
CoT Service	8087	FTS_COT_PORT	Non-SSL CoT traffic
SSL CoT Service	8089	FTS_SSLCOT_PORT	SSL-encrypted CoT traffic
Data Package	8080	FTS_DP_ADDRESS	HTTP data package service
SSL Data Package	8443	FTS_HTTPS_TAK_API_PORT	HTTPS data package service
API	19023	FTS_API_PORT	REST API

Client Certificate Paths

FreeTAKServer stores certificates in:

/opt/fts/certs/
├── ca.pem              # Certificate Authority
├── ca.key              # CA private key
├── server.pem          # Server certificate
├── server.key          # Server private key
├── server.p12          # Server PKCS12 bundle
├── Client.p12          # Default client certificate
└── clientPackages/     # Generated data packages
    └── username.zip

Public Server Connection

To connect to the FreeTAKTeam public server for testing:

Server Details:

• Address: 137.184.101.250
• Port: 8087
• Protocol: TCP (non-SSL)

Configuration Package:

Download the pre-configured data package from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IK1LfPN13EWikHaMyOuDDwIerNGz-Wli/view

Import using ATAK’s Import Manager.

The public server is for testing only. Do not use for sensitive operations.

Next Steps

• Configure SSL/TLS for secure production use
• Set up Data Packages for sharing maps and files
• Configure Federation to connect multiple FTS instances