IB Suggestions & Improvements

The only use I can see for the Auto Logoff Time feature is to conserve bandwidth for IB. However, as an IB broker client also using IB as a feed, this has been at best an increasing annoyance, and at worst, destructive to my charts.

One workaround to this is to set/reset the Auto Logoff to a time during the day when neither US futures/equities or Forex trades (ie, 5pm-6pm ET). However, in order to preserve chart data integrity without the nuisance of refreshing, I have to be around to reconnect, which isn't always the case.

Another thing I tried was to AutoLogOff during the IB Forced Server Disconnect. However, of late this time has been a moving target, being somewhere between midnight and 01:30am ET, and lasting between 30 seconds and 45 minutes. Again, I'm not always around to reconnect.

This brings up the corrolary to Auto Logoff, which is Auto Reconnect. Why is something so vital left to third parties to correct? Yes, temporary reconnects happen when IB feed is involuntarily lost, but an Auto Reconnect is needed for the AutoLogOff and the IB Forced Server Disconnect events.

If there are other workarounds to these events, I am completely open to exploring them. Otherwise, please consider this a suggestion for TWS improvement.

best regards,
Ana Maria
 
Quote from o10maximus:

How about just keeping TWS online for starters.
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Besides mining data, what benefit are you getting which outweighs the security risks of not having a forced logout each day?
 
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Quote from Dr._Bob:

I would like to see the OPEN price in TWS.
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I also would like to have an option to see the OPEN price in TWS.
 
Quote from def:

Besides mining data, what benefit are you getting which outweighs the security risks of not having a forced logout each day?
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In the old days when all trades were initiated by a human, there was no other benefit. Now that you have automated systems, you need to stay logged in for trading, not just for data. People leave their computers on and don't want to have to babysit the system. If you have the API work through the GUI, then you have to have a way to keep the GUI up without human intervention. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of automation
 
Quote from j_medved:

In the old days when all trades were initiated by a human, there was no other benefit. Now that you have automated systems, you need to stay logged in for trading, not just for data. People leave their computers on and don't want to have to babysit the system. If you have the API work through the GUI, then you have to have a way to keep the GUI up without human intervention. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of automation
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24 hours a day - unattended? that would be a tiny minority at best. Even then, logging in/out takes less than a minute and I'd argue that it wouldn't be too prudent to leave a system unattended w/o checking in on it often.
 
I am just passing on the comments we constantly hear from our users. No, most do not leave it unatended like that. However, the ones running automated systems tend to generate far more commissions, so its best to keep them happy :)
 
Quote from j_medved:

I am just passing on the comments we constantly hear from our users. No, most do not leave it unatended like that. However, the ones running automated systems tend to generate far more commissions, so its best to keep them happy :)
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perhaps true but I'd venture to guess that 99.9% of those complaining about the 1 logout per day are mining for data as opposed to running automated systems. more importantly, the log out is a security measure.
 
Sorry to see you view the request for "no forced logout" as a complaint. FWIW, I "mine" data for about 5 symbols. The load on the system from my "mining" is probably minor, all things considered.

It was only last month that I went to IB as a feed source. FWIW, I have had a continuously running data feed (Esignal or Quote.com) for over 5 years and whatever the odds, I have yet to have any sort of problem on the PCs I run.

A compromise might be perhaps a limit on the number of symbols "mined", or perhaps a "smart" Logoff/Reconnect if there are no symbols trading 23 hours, such as the Euro. It is the Euro in particular, as well as index futures such as the YM, which trades from 20.10ET, for which the two log-off/reconncect events are most troublesome.

Again, please view client comments as requests for consideration rather than as "complaints". It makes us more likely to recommend IB to other traders, if that matters at all.

best regards,
Ana Maria
 
Quote from amg:

Sorry to see you view the request for "no forced logout" as a complaint. FWIW, I "mine" data for about 5 symbols. The load on the system from my "mining" is probably minor, all things considered.

It was only last month that I went to IB as a feed source. FWIW, I have had a continuously running data feed (Esignal or Quote.com) for over 5 years and whatever the odds, I have yet to have any sort of problem on the PCs I run.

A compromise might be perhaps a limit on the number of symbols "mined", or perhaps a "smart" Logoff/Reconnect if there are no symbols trading 23 hours, such as the Euro. It is the Euro in particular, as well as index futures such as the YM, which trades from 20.10ET, for which the two log-off/reconncect events are most troublesome.

Again, please view client comments as requests for consideration rather than as "complaints". It makes us more likely to recommend IB to other traders, if that matters at all.

best regards,
Ana Maria
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perhaps not the best choice of words but I think my statement is valid as it was addressing jerry's statement. Please keep in mind that Esignal is a data provider who charges clients for the data they provide. IB is a broker providing execution services. We just happen to provide great data at no additional cost beyond exchange fees. I don't know of any other brokers offering the depth of product and system up time (23hrs 55 minutes per day) as IB. This is not a simple feat. One of the considerations is security and at this time, it has been determined that the forced logout per day is a security measure that should be in place. That doesn't mean the request for 24 hours data w/o intreruption will not be considered. You do raise some good points and as we do take into account client feedback when making decisions. Thus I wouldn't rule anything out.
 
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