Using 2 ISPs to ensure 100% uptime, possible?? Is it possible to use 2 ISPs to ensure 100% uptime? If so, how? 1) Do I need to buy a dual-WAN router to use 2 connections (1 as main; the other as backup)? What dual-WAN router should I buy? How much? Is there any wireless dual-WAN router available (I would like to have wireless connection for non-trading purposes)? My budget is about US$100. I'm not sure if it's enough. I want my router to support ASDL/VDSL/optical fiber connection. 2) If I don't go for dual-WAN router method, what else can I do to use 2 ISPs to ensure my computer 100% uptime? Letting 1 computer to have both connections all the time would be fine. But I would like all my computer have such protection, if possible and is not costly to implement? 3) Let's say I have 2 ISPs connection and one fail. Will my broker software like IB TWS disconnect? Is the computer fast enough to switch so I can still keep logged in? If not, how long do I need to reconnect to IB TWS? Do I need to do anything manually to switch connection? Thanks a lot.
Only if the 2 ISP have separate infrastructure. Some of the ISP services are renting the lines from major providers. i.e. the names maybe be different, the companies maybe independent, but the lines are the same.
I know your budget is only 100 bucks.. and this is prob not the answer you are looking for, but I just got a cheap laptop with a sprint wireless card. Not sure if you can run tws at the same time, but for my purposes, if i ever have a blip with my isp..... I just move over to the laptop. Only used it twice this year.. prob for a total of 10 minutes but it's a life saver.
Most cable or dsl internet providers offer free 56k connection of several hours per month or more. Thus, if your main connection (cable or dsl) goes down in the middle of a trade... Log on to via the 56k modem and close your positions and don't trade again until your cable or dsl is working again. I myself have cable and dsl with my dsl as backup. The cost of having a backup is much less than having a nice profitable trade turn into a losing trade or seeing a stopless losing trade become a big loser. That's also why we should all use stop/loss protection because the internet IS NOT 100% perfect. All it takes is one big blackout in a trader's area due to a thunderstorm lightning strike to turn a losing trade without a stop into a blowup trading day if the market moves strongly in a parabolic price action. Mark
I have DSL and my office is only three blocks from the CO. I also have a sprint USB card for backup if the DSL goes down. Nothing will actually get you to 100% but if you use DSL, Cable, and a wireless card your going to get as close as you possibly can. Dont foget other issues like your power going off. If you dont have a gas generator you may want to think about getting one. They are cheap and can also keep your fridge cold. To use cable as a back up for DSL AND you have dynamic IPs for both its pretty simple. 1. you have your wired/wireless router connected to the DSL router. 2. You have your computers connected to your wired/wireless router. 3. run as normal until the DSL goes down. 4. Upon the DSL going down you turn off YOUR router and disconnect it from the DSL router. 5. you connect your router to the cable router and turn your router back on (or replug it in ) 6. you may or may not have to reboot your computer(s) but normally would not have to. 7. Pray or hope as the case may be that the cable is not down as well (unless its a MAJOR storm in your area you should be ok. if the storm is big enough to knock out both then get your ass to cover ASAP) 8. for extra super duper redundancy you can add a sprint USB card for your laptop/desktop to connect. (these are also great when on the road and you can have your wife drive while you trade) I hope this helps and best of trading to you
Xincom has some good load balancing routers for this purpose, not quite in your $100 budget though, you can find them on amazon.
Can't find a link but supposedly there's a ~$500 router out there that has seemless integration from two connections - when one drops, the second is used, instantly with 0 downtime. 56k is an OK backup but the reality is even a few seconds or minutes without connectivity can become a blowout "black swan" event. If you're long and another 9/11 comes along do you really want to be dialing up? Do you even want to be unplugging and replugging in your router while you wait for your computer to recognize the new connection?
So in your case, you have wired and wireless connection. You probably only use wired connection to trade. You are on the wireless connection acting as a backup only just in case if problems occur. Hmm... If both wired and wireless connections are provided by the same ISP, will the wireless be down too when the ISP is having problems with the wired connection. And wi-fi connection is generally much slower. I don't know if it will cause some delays or problems. If $100 budget is not enough, how much do I need for a normal dual-WAN router? As long as it does what I want (provide a failsafe connection), I would settle on this router. I don't need any advanced features. Apart from dual-WAN router solution, what other methods can I consider too which can achieve the same thing? What I want to do is I want to switch over to the another connection as fast as possible. I can manually switch over to another connection (eg my other ISP or 56k dail-up) but it takes some time (connection -> login -> close positions). If there are other solutions which can occur (close to) zero second switch-over or seamless connection, I'm willing to invest on it. Otherwise if it can't be faster than manually call a broker or switch manually to close trades, I don't bother. This thing will probably happen about 2-5 times a year. Some precautions are required.
I used to have Time Warner cable as my primary with SBC/Yahoo DSL as my back up....I have dropped the SBC/Yahoo DSL back up and also now use a Sprint broadband wireless card when needed (plus, then I can have the wireless capability any time with my laptops as needed).
So I would buy two single-WAN routers and both are on all the time, isn't it? Some questions about this setup: 1. Is it possible to login to two services at the same time? Or if I login to one ISP in the same window, I can't login twice? 2. If blackout occurs, isn't it possible the computer can switch over for me automatically. If not, what exactly do I need to do? Do simply switch on one router and connect to 1 ISP at one time. IF blackout occurs: Step A: Press the "off" button of router 1 Step B: Press the "on" button of router 2 Step C: Type username/password to connect to ISP B. Step D: Type username/password to connect to your broker's (eg IB TWS) The delays are still long as far as daytrading goes. Is there any way to shorten/eliminate some steps? I want to keep the delay as close as 0 second if possible.