IB Trader Workstation - FAQs

The Login box includes the checkbox Use/store settings on server. Check this box to have TWS automatically save any session changes to the server, and use that saved version the next time you log in from any PC.

If you are not yet an IB customer, use the TWS demo. If you are an IB customer, you can open a paper trading account, which allows you to use the full range of IB trading facilities in a simulated environment using real market conditions.

Visit the Paper Trading page for more details.

First, be sure that you are logged into the correct version of TWS; i.e. If you read about a feature in the TWS Beta notes, you must log into the TWS Beta version to use it. To find features within TWS, use the "Help/Ticker Lookup" search box in the upper right corner of both Mosaic and Classic TWS.

The nightly log off is required for maintenance and cannot be disabled. However, you can modify the log off time from the Lock and Exit page of Global Configuration.

Find margin information for options on the Options tab of the Margin page.

Order types are defined in the Order Types matrix.

You need to set the timing to "Allow order to be activated, triggered or filled outside of regular trading hours." You can define this setting from the Timing section of the Order Preset for a specific asset type, or on a per-order basis from the Time in Force field checkbox "Fill outside RTH.". If outside regular trading hours is not available for the specific order you are submitting, you will not be allowed to populate the checkbox.

https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/software/tws/usersguidebook/specializedorderentry/about_combination_orders.htm

TWS Quickstart for an overview for the Mosaic interface.

You can record mouse-click shortcuts for specific order creation and transmission commands, such as buy, sell, transmit and cancel and many others. See the TWS Users' Guide for details.

See the Trailing Stop order page and the TWS Users' Guide for details.

The TWS settings file is named tws.xml and is located in a subdirectory of c:\Jts. Search (CTRL F) the c:\Jts directory for the most recently modified file. TWS Log files are named log.day.txt (e.g., log.Wed.txt) and are located in the c:\Jts directory.

Commission structures are described in detail on the Commissions pages, sorted by instrument type.

For up-to-date information on market data and allocation examples, see the Market Data Display page.

TWS runs on Windows, MAC and Unix operating systems. To ensure that you have an adequate Internet connection and proper system requirements to run TWS, please see the Minimum Requirements details,

Yes.

Find download instructions and the necessary files on the Installation Instructions page.

If you have a slower computer or Internet connection, we recommend that you use the standalone version of TWS.

• The standalone requires that you manually update to newer versions of TWS.
• To use from multiple machines, you must install the standalone separately on each machine, and you must set the TWS login setting toUse/store settings on server.

If you use the browser-based version, you can access TWS from any internet PC, and do not have to manually update to get the latest version. Both require that you install the minimum recommended version of Java..

Go to the Java Upgrade Instructions page and select the Windows or Mac operating system. Follow instructions for upgrading the Java plugin. Note that if you want to upgrade to a newer Java version, you must first remove the existing plugin and then install the upgraded version.

The beta release is a pre-production version of an upcoming release that allows you to actively trade while you test new features. You must deliberately elect to use the beta at your own risk when you log in. Since the beta is under construction until production release, we welcome your input on its performance. The beta will be promoted to production after it has been tested both in-house and externally over a specified time period. Please note that although the software is "in beta," you are still trading your IB account and are responsible for all transactions.

The login page includes links to both the beta and production release notes. These notes briefly describe new features that have been added and problems that have been fixed.

If you are running the standalone version, the update wizard will automatically check for TWS updates each time you log in to your computer. You can also manually check for updates from the Start menu by selecting Programs and then Startup and clicking Check for TWS Updates. Customers running the browser-based version can get the most recent production release by selecting Trader Workstation Latest from the Login menu.

First, uninstall TWS by going to add/remove programs and removing TWS. You can then reinstall TWS from the TWS Software page.

You will receive this message for one of the following reasons:

• You are not entering the proper username (check to be sure the Caps Lock key isn't on)
• Your account has not been set up yet
• You've entered your password incorrectly more than 10 times

Instant help resources include the TWS Release Notes, TWS Users' Guide, and both live and recorded feature webinars. If you still cannot find an answer to your question, contact Customer Service.

IB has two distinct departments that handle specific types of TWS questions:

• Customer Service deals with everything involving trading, accounts, funding and execution. See the Customer Service page on the IB website for contact details.
• The Technical Assistance Center (TAC) can help you with issues concerning your connection to IB and problems with the software involved. To help you more quickly, please:
  • Call while you are experiencing the problem;
  • Have your computer turned on and ready to troubleshoot;
  • Have your account information ready.

In the US, call 877-442-2757 during regular business hours for support.

You can also email us at tac@interactivebrokers.com. Please include the following information:

• Your username and account number
• A detailed summary of the problem
• A timeframe of when the problem occurred or occurs.
• Detailed system specifications if possible, including:
  • The Windows version you are using.
  • The type and version of browser you are using, including cipher strength. For example, Internet Explorer 7.0 or Firefox 2.0.0.13.
  • The brand names of any Network Interface Cards installed in the computer.
  • Your processor generation and speed.
  • The amount of memory installed in your computer.
  • The type of Internet connection you are using.
  • Any other troubleshooting you have done on your own or with our staff.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a way of automatically assigning IP addresses. If your DHCP server is assigning a private address (addresses which are not associated with the Internet) the server may be doing NAT (Network Address Translation) to get to the outside Internet Depending on the particular configuration, the router or server may be trapping requests from our server to your computer.

TCP/IP is the basic protocol from an Internet service provider. This, along with DNS (Dynamic Name System) and basic socket access are all that is required for a "functioning Internet connection" and for running TWS software.

NAT (Network Address Translation) is one of the basic components behind home routers (and some professional private routers). Done properly this should be transparent; the address on the outside should translate to your internal (non-Internet) addresses without your PC knowing the specifics of the routing.

Extraneous network adapters and drivers which are not connected, are inoperative or unnecessary should be removed from your system. These can cause unpredictable network behavior.

• AOL and other proprietary adapters may work fine if you have the service and are actively using it. If, however you are not using the adapter, it may be configured improperly and has been known to cause connectivity issues.
• NDSWAN and other VPN adapters can be problematic if they are not in use. PPPOE (Point to Point Protocol Over Ethernet) may be used in some DSL or Cable connections; if it is not used, it may cause problems with the connection, and should be removed.
• Client for Netware Networks and IPX/SPX are protocols used in corporate Novell Networks. If this protocol is not needed, it should be removed.
• NETBEUI is a Microsoft Protocol that, as above, may be in use in a corporate network. If it is not in use, it is better to remove this adapter

Latency due to physical distance from your ISP, routing within your ISP's network, packet loss and many other factors can affect the reliable operation of your TWS. Please review the connectivity troubleshooting tips below to test the quality of your connection.

The Ping command will test the quality and latency of your connection. If it shows 4 round-trip reports without a reply (does not say not found, timed out, etc.) your connection is healthy. To use this, type ping gw1.ibllc.com at the command prompt. A healthy ping should look as follows:

If the ping results show excessive latency (>500ms), timeouts/packet loss, or no replies, a network problem exists between you and the IB network.

The tracert command is used to isolate routing issues. This will show you all of the "hops" from your connection to our network. A timeout, indicated by "*" or time above 200, indicates a slow or dead hop and may be a problem. Over 15 hops can also be a problem.

To look at a traceroute, type tracert gw1.ibllc.com at the command prompt.

The following are sample traceroutes. Included is an explanation and suggested course of action. This traceroute is an example of a healthy connection. The ping times and the number of hops are low (lower is better). No course of action required.

This is an example of a marginal connection. The ping times and number of hops are fairly high, but the connection should still be usable. Contact your ISP to see if this is a common occurrence. If this is what you can expect, you may want to shop around for another provider. Higher times indicate line latency (slowness) and the high (17) number of 'hops' results in a higher potential for outage, in the event that one of the providers involved experiences a problem.

The next example shows a network outage. The connection fails between hop 8 and 9. In the event that this occurs, you should contact your ISP and give them this information. These types of outages are very obvious and are the easiest for an ISP to troubleshoot.

The last example is possibly the hardest to troubleshoot and the most frustrating. The occasional timeout (marked with *s) appears several places in the traceroute. This indicates that intermittent packet loss is taking place. These types of errors are elusive and may not have been reported yet. Contact your ISP about this issue.

Not for TWS. IB does support HTTP proxies for WebTrader, but this application has limited capabilities.

IB supports proxies that can emulate open sockets.

Create a snapshot of your computer screen and e-mail it to IB.

1. Launch the window that you want to capture, and press Alt + PrtScrn (Print Screen). You can't tell, but you've just captured a picture of your screen.
2. Open a new MS Word document, put your cursor on the page and select "Paste."
3. Name and save the file, and send it to IB Customer Service as an attachment, along with a detailed verbal description of your support issue.

Try logging in and testing with another computer that you know works (with the same account) to see if the problem is the same on both computers.

If you have multiple Accounts, try another one of your accounts on your machine. If you don't have a second account, try using our demo system, or having a friend try their account on your machine will help to determine if there is a common issue among accounts (or systems) and where that problem may be.

Trying both systems may indicate that the problem is with a component installed on your computer or somewhere else.