Ib Tws Down
- Thread starter laocoon
- Start date
I am assuming you contacted the help-desk and they are trouble-shooting for you. (I doubt that posting here will help you).
If you'd like, you can email the helpdesk your account number and the TWS logs, add mg101 into the subject line, and I'll have someone track it down.
2nd day in a row that I experienced multiple disconnects. Today's big one occurred 10 minutes before market close -- needless to say, an inopportune time. I don't know if it's server issues or this newest client, which I just upgraded to.
Seriously thinking of downgrading TWS version.......August is supposed to be slow, where these types of systemic problems shouldn't occur. What's gonna happen after Labor Day ???
Seriously thinking of downgrading TWS version.......August is supposed to be slow, where these types of systemic problems shouldn't occur. What's gonna happen after Labor Day ???
Thanks for the scoop, NBBO. Yes, been away for several months, and I come back to this....arrggghhh !!!
I also have seen a thread that says that IB does not send their backfill data over alternate channels (from their trading traffic), nor does it throttle it (i.e., provide it with lower priority).
I love the feature (I really do), but if this is causing bog-down on the server side and its outlets (and causing resultant outages), then that is not a good thing, and perhaps they didn't think through the implementation in totality.
In any event, AAARRRRGGGGHHHH !
I also have seen a thread that says that IB does not send their backfill data over alternate channels (from their trading traffic), nor does it throttle it (i.e., provide it with lower priority).
I love the feature (I really do), but if this is causing bog-down on the server side and its outlets (and causing resultant outages), then that is not a good thing, and perhaps they didn't think through the implementation in totality.
In any event, AAARRRRGGGGHHHH !
Quote from DTK:
Is your phone broken too?
Better question is "why no backup plan" when something like this happens?
So it's great while everything is roses and you're saving hand over fist in commissions, but you want all out with a little problem like this? Do you take the same attitude with your relationships? You must have some really awsome friends who have never let you down... or have a high turnover rate.
Now there's a solid plan.
Well DTK, if there is one thing that history tells us is that man does not learn from history. "This time it is different" yeah right.
Although I do commiserate with all involved here, both traders and IB, I think that from all the postings here one can sense panic, frustration and other feelings running high. Understandably, but I cannot help wondering what kind of contigency plans there are in place at the traders end.
I am so glad to have had the privilege of working with bali_survivor (my mentor and neighbour) who instilled on me to get my infrastructure right. Some people ridiculed him for that but I value the wisdom of it. I even have backups in another physical location.
First step in my contingency plan was to stop trading for the day and now (since symptoms seem to be a bit more difficult to pin down) I am going to take an unscheduled vacation until the end of next week. Lets see what the state of the nations is by that time.
Yes I know that I loose some trading but positions have been offset and losses accumulate faster than profits so I'll go and sit on the sidelines, ehhh beach.
And to all those traders here I suggest: Use this as a lesson to go over your contingency plans and try to see where the weaknesses are in your trading environment and what you can do about it. Better late than never. I know most of you are upset with IB but at the end of the day these things can (and will) happen and you have to be prepared for it. Do not expect that this is the only time it happens, the internet is an inherently unstable environment over which IB has little or no control. IMHO it is only going to get worse as time goes by. You are expecting far too much reliability from the internet and frankly I am amazed how reliable it works todate.
Here some items to consider for your contigency plan:
- two laptops, identical and rotated on a monthly basis (build in backup power, easy to move, one is in a safe when not used (burglary)
- ADSL and modem dialin to two ISP's
- mobile phone with IR connection to PC, can dial up ISP and get internet connection through that if landline is down (can also be used to phone backup broker, make sure it is charged and working) And this is why I am so fond of IB: I do not need a high speed connection like the others, I can trade on 19K connection....no need for ADSL.......
- IB as broker with emergency numbers for HK, Europe and US programmed in speeddialer
- Second broker in Singapore
- off-site backup of all software, connection details, passwords, account details etc. I am having a "ready to roll" installation in case all else fails (ie I have a completely configured and up to date installation under VMware. I can go to a shop, get another computer and 10 minutes later I am up and running)
- position trading and not be dependent on a time critical execution of my trades (I have tested and up to three minutes delay on my fills do not impact my intraday trading performance. On the longer term trading I can have up to half a day to get the order filled and not suffer)
- trade a symbol that is easily offset in another country (eg a currency, the bonds, an index)
- backup data feed from another source (delayed is fine in my case)
- do not upgrade both machines at the same time, let one machine run the new stuff for a month first
- do not rely on "server based" software, have standalone software instead (that is why I use TradeStation 2000i)
- and above all: try to minimize the "single point of failure" and create redundancy. Later you'll be glad you did.
oh, before I forget: If you are having serious losses do not blame IB, you yourself are to blame for not planning (and setting yourself up) properly for contingency. And going to another broker is not going to be the solution: they'll have just as much problems, if not more. Particularly if one sees the attitudes of other internet service providers, including the telco's.
All the best, I am going to enjoy my break.
Sherlock
As this is the first time that IB have ever admitted that the problem might be with them I suggest they investigate this issue where there is a disconnection from the server side and subsequently you have to log back in and restore your settings.
This is what happened to a number of users with the recent faults at IB end but just as importantly I have had this a number of times and noticed this coincides with market moves. I suspect that this is at the IB or HK internet infrastructure end. I have previously been told dismissively by IB that HK infrastructure is fine but both KIWI and I have noticed packet loss and latency right before IB servers. Just another case of the customer automatically being wrong.
Holmes, you are right, but IB clearly have very inadequate contingency plans and backup routines in place. The impression I get is that IB IT dept is either very incompetently run or placed under unworkable constraints. All I can say is that for a company touting itself as one of the largest brokers in the US they are woefully inadequate in this area. I have worked for large brokers and they have contingency plans in place, as do I, (almost identical with your list).
The other thing worth noting is that an institution could not care less about broker or counterparty performance being A OK under normal market conditions. They know that what really matters is how they perform when somethuing hits as it can mean the difference between profit and wipeout. This is when it matters. If you have never been in a dealing room let me tell you that if something hits the dealerboard lights up like a disco lighting system and things get very frantic. I often read comments (I suspect from bucket shop shills) about how the X platform is stable except of course under big moves - this is the antithesis of how a professional dealer looks at things.
This is what happened to a number of users with the recent faults at IB end but just as importantly I have had this a number of times and noticed this coincides with market moves. I suspect that this is at the IB or HK internet infrastructure end. I have previously been told dismissively by IB that HK infrastructure is fine but both KIWI and I have noticed packet loss and latency right before IB servers. Just another case of the customer automatically being wrong.
Holmes, you are right, but IB clearly have very inadequate contingency plans and backup routines in place. The impression I get is that IB IT dept is either very incompetently run or placed under unworkable constraints. All I can say is that for a company touting itself as one of the largest brokers in the US they are woefully inadequate in this area. I have worked for large brokers and they have contingency plans in place, as do I, (almost identical with your list).
The other thing worth noting is that an institution could not care less about broker or counterparty performance being A OK under normal market conditions. They know that what really matters is how they perform when somethuing hits as it can mean the difference between profit and wipeout. This is when it matters. If you have never been in a dealing room let me tell you that if something hits the dealerboard lights up like a disco lighting system and things get very frantic. I often read comments (I suspect from bucket shop shills) about how the X platform is stable except of course under big moves - this is the antithesis of how a professional dealer looks at things.
I have figured it out.
IB is in the process of stress testing their systems for the upcoming torrent of selling.
IB is in the process of stress testing their systems for the upcoming torrent of selling.
I restored my ability to log in by using a historical settings file and am now getting the issue with Button Trader claiming API socket is not connected (when it is checked).
Seems there is no open port which suggests server side issue Anyone know if there is a fix for this ? (Not that I am going to be trading through IB for a long time - if at all)
Seems there is no open port which suggests server side issue Anyone know if there is a fix for this ? (Not that I am going to be trading through IB for a long time - if at all)