# Byte-range requests **URL:** \ **Category:** Mongrel\ **Created:** [November 8, 2007, 7:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/byte-range-requests/119592 "2007-11-08T07:44:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/equinox86)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 7:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/byte-range-requests/119592/1 "2007-11-08T07:44:18Z")
I’m trying to sent a file to the iphone (which requires byte-range request support) using the rails send\_file method. However, this fails, I think because of mongrel. I think so because if I send the iphone a file handled by nginx, it plays it fine. But then when I serve the file with rails the iphone can’t play it. Any ideas? Alex ---
**Author:** ![equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/equinox86)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/byte-range-requests/119592/2 "2007-11-08T18:06:31Z")
On Nov 8, 2007, at 10:43 AM, Pete DeLaurentis wrote: > I know that Lighttpd + Apache support X-Send-File, although I’m not > sure about nginx. It does, though it’s inexplicably called X-Accel-Redirect. [http://wiki.codemongers.com/NginxXSendfile](http://wiki.codemongers.com/NginxXSendfile) [http://blog.kovyrin.net/2006/11/01/nginx-x-accel-redirect-php-rails/](http://blog.kovyrin.net/2006/11/01/nginx-x-accel-redirect-php-rails/) -Nate ---
**Author:** ![equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/equinox86)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/byte-range-requests/119592/3 "2007-11-08T17:44:17Z")
Hi Alex, Check out the x\_send\_file plugin. When you use this to send a file, it just sends the location on disk to the web-server (in a special HTTP header). The webserver then looks up the file + streams it down to the client. I’ve noticed a huge speed boost after switching to x\_send\_file. Since you observed that files sent by nginx work on your iPhone, this would allow nginx to do the heavy lifting for you. I know that Lighttpd + Apache support X-Send-File, although I’m not sure about nginx. Hope this helps, Pete ---
**Author:** ![equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/equinox86)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/byte-range-requests/119592/4 "2007-11-08T20:26:21Z")
Thank you for the clarification! ---
**Author:** ![equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/equinox86)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/byte-range-requests/119592/5 "2007-11-08T20:24:01Z")
On 11/7/07, Alex E. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I’m trying to sent a file to the iphone (which requires byte-range > request support) using the rails send\_file method. However, this > fails, I think because of mongrel. I think so because if I send the > iphone a file handled by nginx, it plays it fine. But then when I > serve the file with rails the iphone can’t play it. The other suggestions about using x\_send\_file or the equivalent are the answer, but just to clarify, Mongrel does not currently support byte-range requests. We have discussed adding support for that, however. Kirk H. ---
**Author:** ![equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@equinox86](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/equinox86)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/byte-range-requests/119592/6 "2010-05-14T18:09:40Z")
Pete DeLaurentis wrote: > Hi Alex, > > Check out the x\_send\_file plugin. When you use this to send a file, > it just sends the location on disk to the web-server (in a special > HTTP header). > > The webserver then looks up the file + streams it down to the > client. I’ve noticed a huge speed boost after switching to x\_send\_file. > > Since you observed that files sent by nginx work on your iPhone, this > would allow nginx to do the heavy lifting for you. > > I know that Lighttpd + Apache support X-Send-File, although I’m not > sure about nginx. > > Hope this helps, > Pete > Hi, is it possible to http-stream seekable mp4 videos with > X-Accel-Redirect? Or do I need to add some plugin or other stuff as > well? I am targetting the new html5 tag and the iPhone. Cheers,