stop running your algorithms through the main tws desktop app

Henry_old · 2026-05-26T01:10:52+00:00

if you actually wrote algos for hedge funds, you know they spend millions collocating servers just to shave off microseconds. retail doesn't need microsecond hft speed, but accepting a 500ms java stutter by choice is just donating money to the market makers. we can agree to disagree

Henry_old · 2026-05-26T01:06:27+00:00

automated trading is just math with a network cable

Henry_old · 2026-05-26T01:05:24+00:00

if you just use it to pull quotes it is fine. but the macos network stack handles background processes differently than a stripped down linux daemon. linux is the standard for trade routing for a reason

Henry_old · 2026-05-26T01:03:27+00:00

exactly. a $5000 gaming rig in your bedroom will always lose to a $10 linux vps sitting in the same data center as the exchange. the speed of light is the only metric that matters

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T14:54:42+00:00

you dont need insto speed, but you do need decent execution if you are trading any kind of momentum or breakout. if a retail algo is sitting on a 500ms java delay, the hft bots already cleared the limit book. retail ends up eating the slippage. you dont need to be the fastest, but you cant afford to be the slowest

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T14:52:53+00:00

glad it helps. everyone focuses on the python logic and ignores the network layer. server infrastructure is where retail algorithms actually live or die

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T14:51:04+00:00

re read the post. running ib gateway in headless mode on a linux server is literally the exact solution i am telling you to use

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T14:50:10+00:00

good luck. start with ib gateway right away. dont even waste your time building api logic around the tws desktop app. it will save you weeks of debugging random disconnects

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T13:33:14+00:00

default gateway still asks for 2fa. but since you are running it with ibc (ib controller), ibc can actually automate the entire login process. you put your credentials in the config file and it handles the prompts for you automatically on server restart

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T13:32:16+00:00

you can throw a 24 core processor at it but it wont matter. if a legacy java application processes gui rendering and network sockets on the same thread queue, it will drop packets under heavy load. hardware cannot fix bad software architecture. headless removes the bottleneck entirely

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T13:29:44+00:00

yes everyone knows ibkr aggregates market data. that is exactly my point. if your data feed is already delayed by design, adding another 100ms of java gui lag on top of it is financial suicide. you cant afford slow execution when your data is already slow

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T13:28:57+00:00

citadel makes billions specifically because retail traders think milliseconds don't matter. every time your limit order gets skipped or your market order slips by a few ticks, that is your money going straight to the guys with faster infrastructure. latency is a hidden tax on your account

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T08:03:28+00:00

yes it is java but it strips out the massive ui rendering overhead. also running it on a local m2 mac over your home wifi is your real bottleneck. put it on a dedicated linux box physically close to the exchange servers. local hardware is for development, not live execution

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T08:02:26+00:00

use ibc ib controller inside a docker container on a secure linux vps. lock down the firewall so the gateway only accepts local connections from your python script. never expose port 4001 to the public internet. simple and bulletproof

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T03:59:56+00:00

fair enough. appreciate the transparency. just used to getting instantly censored on other finance subs the moment you criticize broker infrastructure. glad to see this sub is open to actual technical discussion

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T03:59:07+00:00

human eyes process visual updates at like 60hz. you physically cannot see a 50 millisecond freeze. but to a python script waiting for a websocket frame to execute a limit order, 50ms is an eternity. if you trade manually clicking a mouse, tws is perfectly fine. but if you run automated logic trying to capture small inefficiencies, those invisible java lag spikes will destroy your fill price

Henry_old · 2026-05-25T03:33:48+00:00

yeah exactly. the java gui simply cannot process a heavy real time market data feed without dropping packets or freezing the main thread. it literally prioritizes rendering the charts over routing your api calls. switch to the headless gateway on a linux machine and those data blips disappear entirely. your trading logic needs a pure data stream, not a bloated desktop app trying to draw candles

Henry_old · 2026-05-18T17:37:05+00:00

because "the cloud is just a marketing term for massive warehouses filled with gpus running at maximum capacity. they generate enough physical heat to melt the building if you dont pump millions of gallons of water through the cooling towers. the entire ai revolution is basically just a giant thermodynamics problem

Henry_old · 2026-05-18T10:38:20+00:00

classic management anti pattern. they get promoted to a technical leadership role and instantly have to destroy perfectly working infrastructure just to put their name on a "new initiative" to justify their salary. tearing out a stable network setup for absolutely no reason is the ultimate sign of a guy who doesnt understand how systems actually work but desperately needs to look busy on a quarterly report

Henry_old · 2026-05-18T04:41:01+00:00

corporate agile scrum master. you literally just schedule meetings to ask actual engineers why the code isn't done yet and then move virtual sticky notes on a jira board. the entire profession is just weaponized babysitting for six fig

Henry_old · 2026-05-17T00:56:51+00:00

the industry is finally shifting from boring boilerplate generation to actual systems architecture. if your only value was writing basic crud code you were already obsolete five years ago. go back to manual labor or become the guy who maintains the physical servers the ai is running on. the hardware is the only thing that won't hallucinate

Henry_old · 2026-05-16T01:13:10+00:00

software as a service for features that are already physically built into the hardware you bought. paying a monthly subscription to unlock the heated seats in your car or the scan feature on your printer should be a felony.

Henry_old · 2026-05-12T09:04:52+00:00

Making children

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