Hey guys, I hope someone will be able to help me. For over a year I am trying to figure out how to use IB TWS software at work, but nothing works.. It just goes in a loop with trying to connect error. I am using Windows 7 and I am not admin at my work laptop. So ok I figured out that our company is blocking certain traffic etc. What just came to mind last week was, I could just connect through my mobile phone and bypass company internet entirely. This for sure should work. Well, it does not. It did work for ThinkorSwim software, but I only use it for some analysis. I trade at IB and I would much rather use TWS. I was really surprised at why connecting company laptop to my mobile phone internet (private phone) does not solve the problem.. Could it be that they are blocking things at network card level? Is it windows firewall? But in this case if connection is through cell phone, firewall should be bypassed right? Can anyone thing of a solution? Other than remote desktop, which would mean I have to have home computer on all the time. VPN would probably also not work, because you need admin privileges for installing software. Besides this costs.. I tryed to ping the servers from company internet and all packets got dropped, then I tried when I connected through sell phone and it worked. But still, I cannot connect. thanks for any help guys
Most likely your company laptop has certain ports blocked on the Windows installation. Could be the Win firewall, could be 3rd-party firewall software. But that is probably why you can't connect when on that laptop...The actual connection wouldn't matter as the laptop itself is doing the blocking.
Not meaning to sound banal here, but have you considered getting an inexpensive laptop just for TWS to bring with you to work and using your phone? Laptops are so darn cheep these days.
Well this would be very complicated to do. I sit at the office with other people, but ok this is not the major problem. What is is the fact that my boss comes to the office regularly during the day. I would have a very difficult time to explain to him why I have another laptop at my desk. Mobile phone is just to small to make analysis from.. I use it to view trades or to close them if I need to urgently. I also use Webtrader from IB, but both are very limited. I guess remote desktop is my only solution. Should be cheaper than bringing another laptop and also because we use docking stations I can work with large monitor in this case too.
Tell your pointy-haired boss that having a second laptop makes you twice as productive, and he should give you a raise.
You mentioned that you're using a connection outside of your company network and it still doesn't work. That would mean your ISP is the same and it's blocking the connection for some reason. There's really no other explanation here. Since you're using a 3G/4G connection with your own laptop/phone/whatever, your company network is irrelevant. Try contacting your ISP.