Running multiple API spreadsheets simultaneously with TWS

I am not a developer, just a mere excel power user.
I find myself needing to run both of IB's ActiveX and DDE spreadsheets (standard API templates) simultaneously. The former to retrieve real-time margin requirements with the WhatIf function, the latter for Account Information, order entry, etc...

Now things become really slow whenever I open 2 different instances of excel to run those 2 spreadsheets simultaneously. I am obliged t do so (I think) as we are not allowed to run multiple TWS sessions for the same account on different PCs.

Is there any possibility of sorting this out with hardware? Can one have different CPUs running on a same computer, with an MS Excel session solely tapping into the resources of each CPU?
My PC is quite old, but I have already upgraded the RAM to 16GB.
Happy to look into any other suitable configuration to sort this out.
Thank you.

 

you can try to get both spreadsheets to connect to a single TWS
They connect to the same socket each using a different client ID
Upgrade to a more modern PC. You can get a 2nd hand machine that is a real workhorse cheap these days

 

You may be right, but I already get the 2 sheets to connect to the same TWS with the same client ID but using a different sockets.

Do you think a computer upgrade would fix that?

 

1. try easy stuff first, try changing tws virtual memory
2. use ib gateway, Tws lags like crazy once u have other windows like charts or news open.
3. upgrade hardware after trying above

 

1)Virtual memory was set at 800 by default. now doubled.
2) how do I used IB Gateway with the standard API spreadsheets? I have not needed to use it so far.

Thanks again.

 

you have to configure the sockets n ports in ib gateway, similar to what you did in TWS
everything else is the same
think of it as a version of TWS without the ugly graphics

 

Can I run gateway and TWS (with ugly graphics ) on 2 separate PCs, under the same credentials simultaneously?
That will solve my problem....

 

if using the same account I don't think so. You can try it but 1 login will likely force the logoff of the other.
You can't even run demo and live on different PC because of live market data issue

 

no. there is one api socket used for tws

 

Is there any possibility of sorting this out with hardware?

Probably NO. Excel DDE, ActiveX etc are all pretty slow. You can try to reduce the overhead in the Excel by using the minimum, but that is probably where the bottle neck lies. Excel connections are best for where speed is not required.