Let's say I'm running an automated trading system, and I need to be notified instantly if my cable connection drops out. Preferably with a long and loud audible alert of some kind. The kind that will wake up a person in a deep sleep. Can anyone recommend a piece of software or hardware that would allow this to happen. Or possibly suggest a sensible solution that I could build myself. Thanks, Runningbear
You could wite a simple program that pings your brokers gateway every X seconds. If no response or if ping time is greater than Y then take action (eg. loop into an alarm that doesn't shut up until you manually reset it). maybe you can ask alphie to write it for you, seems like he has lots of time on his hands until he starts to trade
Time is a commodity seldom taken advantage of and often ignored. Why chase the Zebra when I can wait in the bushes and have the Zebra come to me? Runningbear, I can write that. PM me.
Take a lok at http://www.bb4.com/ just found it through Google. I would even think that there are more solutions out there which do what def has described. I have never used such a software. However, when running an ATS it is an advantage to have a second PC (lets call it "Big Brother") that monitors your trading PC (and if possible your account / portfolio). The ATS should continually sending status messages (including ping times to you broker) to the Big Brother and if the values in the messages are bad (e.g. large ping times, connection lost, etc.) or the messages even fail to arrive or the account value drops to a predetermined limit, the Big Brother starts a SomethingGoesAwry procedure. This could include Playing alarm sounds Calling you on your mobile phone Restarting your ATS PC Closing positons Locking your account ... Big Brother could use a dialup, wireless or cell phone connection for that and even more sophisticated would be located in a different location maybe in the house of relatives or, for real worst case scenarios, in another city, country, continent...
Thanks for that guys, I found a program called Autoping that looks like it would do everything I need, however when I go to download it, it appears it's no longer available for download. As for the big brother computer idea. That is quite possible, as I have three machines running already. For the moment, I only need to be alerted by the computer from within my own house, so no need for messages to be dispatched to a mobile or pager. Thanks for the offer to help out with the software Aphie. I may take you up on it. I will track down a copy of Austping first though and see if it is any good. Thanks, Runningbear
Anyspeed will do what you want. I just hook a .wav file to the alarm that goes off when the speed goes to 0. http://www.pysoft.com/
Thanks for that Cash. It was exactly what I was looking for as it allows me to select the .wav file I can use for the alarm. Runningbear