How to check and solve connectivity issues affecting the Trader Workstation (TWS)
Background:
The Trader Workstation (TWS) software needs to connect to our gateways and market data servers in order to work properly. Connectivity issues affecting your local network or your Internet Service Provider network may negatively affect the TWS functionality. In this article we will indicate how to test your connectivity using an automated connectivity test web page.
How to test the connectivity using the automated "IB Connectivity Test" web page?
1) Click on this link: http://www.interactivebrokers.com/cgi-bin/conn_test.pl
2) Please wait until all the tests have been completed and results have been displayed. If you see "Success" as outcome for all tests, your connectivity to IB Servers is reliable at the present moment. No additional connectivity troubleshooting or configuration should be needed.
3) If you see "Fail" as outcome for one or more test/s, please click on the link "Fail" itself in order to display the "IB Network Troubleshooting Guide". That section will help you conduct some manual tests to identify the cause of the failure.
Note for Corporative environments and Proxy server users: the automated "Connectivity Test" page may return misleading results in case your machine is accessing the Internet through a Proxy server. This usually happens if you are connected to a company network. If this is your case, we kindly ask you to contact your Network Administrator or your IT Team and ask them to perform a manual connectivity tests towards the destination servers indicated in the table on the top of the IB automated "Connectivity Test" web page itself. The manual connectivity test should be conducted using destination TCP ports 4000 and 4001. Should they prefer to have the server list in another format or should they need to set up the firewall / IP Management rules, you can forward them this page.
IB TWS Companion App for Apple Watch
Overview:
Interactive Brokers takes our intuitive and ergonomic mobile trading platform to the next level by providing you a companion app for the Apple Watch.
Background:
The companion app is designed to display information when a user has logged in to the IB TWS app on their iPhone. It will work in both the Live Trading and Read Only Modes but does not support active trading. This companion app is only available for informational purpose only.
Table of contents
- What does the app do?
- Requirements
- How is the app installed?
- How do I confirm the app installed?
- How to check your glances?
What does the app do?
At 'glance view' the app will display the following information; Amount of FYI Notification, Account Number, Daily P&L, Net Liquidation Value, Number of Open Orders, Number of Trades Executed, Excess Liquidity and number of Positions you currently own. It will also display the time when it has fetched the information from your iPhone.
Example:
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Requirements
- Must have iPhone 5s or greater, using iOS 9 or later.
- Must have the IB TWS app installed on your iPhone (version 8.14 or greater)
- Must have your Apple Watch paired to your iPhone (refer to: Set up your Apple Watch for directions)
- Must have watchOS 2 running on your Apple Watch.
Important: The Apple Watch applications are only 'companion' apps. This means they are not installed directly on the watch itself, but rather are a function of an application already installed on your iPhone.
How is the app installed?
1. Install the latest version of the IB TWS app on your iPhone.
2. Pair your Apple Watch to your phone.
3. Launch the Watch app on your phone.
4. Scroll down on the main screen until you see your list of apps, locate the IB TWS app and Tap on it.
5. Enable Show App on Apple Watch and Show in Glances by swiping the slider to the right (green).
6. After the top slider is set to green, you will see a text informing you that the app is being installed. At this stage the phone is sending the application to your watch per Bluetooth. This might take a short moment (approximately 30-60 seconds.) Once completed the companion app has been installed.
Note: Once enabled it will 24 hours before P&L shows up on the watch after activation.
How do I confirm the app is installed?
On your Apple Watch click on the crown to access your Home Screen, you should now see an icon for the IB TWS App.
Note: Tapping on this icon does not launch the app’s functional screen. It merely displays the information on how to enable the Glance View.
How to check your glances?
To display the 'Glance' view swipe up on the watch face to a glance, then swipe left or right to see all active glances (There is no need to tap on the IB TWS App (1), if so it will only display directions (2) on how to enable Glance view.)
As an alternative if you don't want to swipe through your active glances, you can hold the crown, ask Siri (1) 'Show the IB TWS glance' (2) then let go of the crown.
Refer to Glances on Apple Watch for more details.
How to install Java on a Linux computer
Overview:
This article will walk you through the process of installing the official Oracle Java platform on your Linux machine.
Background:
There are many Linux distributions available and many of them come with one or more Java platform/s pre-installed. In the vast majority of the cases the Java platform which comes pre-installed on a Linux machine is not the official Oracle Java, but another one such as OpenJKD or IBM Java.
The Trader Workstation has been developed on the official Oracle Java platform and shows the most stable behavior and the best performances when run by the official Oracle Java process. Therefore we recommend to all the Linux users, who want to run the Trader Workstation, to install the official Oracle Java platform and set it as the preferred Java environment to be used by the operating system.
For the purpose of this guide, we will divide the Linux distributions nowadays available into three big families:
- APT based Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Mint) - those distributions use the Advanced Packaging Tool to fetch and install software packages in a semi-automatic way, resolving and taking care of dependencies.
- RPM based Linux distributions (Suse, OpenSUSE, Red Hat, CentOS, Fedora, Oracle Linux) - those distributions allow the installation of software packages (.rpm files), which contain the binary files to be installed on the system and an integrated dependency checker script. The .rpm packages allow a simplified and smooth installation of software without requiring a deep knowledge of the system.
- Other Linux distributions - those distributions may or may not use a specific package manager but all of them allow the installation of software using the source code package (.tar.gz) through a series of command to be issued on the Terminal.
How to install the official Oracle Java on APT based Linux distributions
The most simple way to install Java on Ubuntu or Mint is using the webupd8 repository. This method will install the latest version of JDK 8 and the JRE 8 browser plugin. The supported versions are: Ubuntu 15.04, 14.10, 14.04, 12.04 - Linux Mint 17.1, 17, 13
For details, please refer to: http://www.webupd8.org/2012/09/install-oracle-java-8-in-ubuntu-via-ppa.html
a. On your Linux machine, open the "Terminal". If you need help with accessing and using the Terminal, please refer to: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal
b. Become root, by typing su on the Terminal and entering the super user password. Instead of becoming root, you can choose to use the sudo feature (which gives your user the root privileges for a single command). If you want to use sudo, just add sudo before each one of the commands you will enter in the Terminal. You will be requested to enter the sudo password.
c. Add the webupd8 repository by tiping add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java Follow the instructions on the screen. You should be asked to press [ENTER] to continue. Once done, the repository will be added.
d. Type the command apt-get update
e. Enter the command: apt-get install oracle-java8-installer The process will download and install automatically the required packages along with their dependencies. Once the command has completed, the Oracle Java platform will be ready to be used.
Should you prefer to have control of all the phases of the installation, instead of relying on the APT facility, please refer to the instructions on this page: http://www.wikihow.com/Install-Oracle-Java-JRE-on-Ubuntu-Linux
How to install the official Oracle Java on RPM based Linux distributions
a. On your Linux machine, open the "Terminal". If you need help with accessing and using the Terminal, please refer to: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal
b. Become root, by typing su on the Terminal and entering the super user password. Instead of becoming root, you can choose to use the sudo feature (which gives your user the root privileges for single commands). If you want to use sudo, just add sudo before each one of the commands you will enter in the Terminal. You will be requested to enter the sudo password.
c. Create the folder /usr/java by issuing the command mkdir /usr/java. If the directory already exists you will see a message indicating that. In this case you can proceed directly to point d.
d. Go to the page https://www.java.com/en/download/linux_manual.jsp
e. If you have a 32 bit system, download the file "Linux RPM" . If you have a 64 bit system, download the file "Linux64 RPM". In either case, please instruct your browser to save the file in the folder /usr/java or move the file to that foder once it has been downloaded.
f. Go back to the Terminal and move to the /usr/java folder by typing cd /usr/java
g. List the content of the folder by typing the command ls -la You should see the file you downloaded. It will be called jre-XuYY-linux-ARCH.rpm (where X is the Java family, YY the update number and ARCH will be i586 for 32 bit installer and x64 for 64 bit installer)
h. Launch this command to perform the installation: rpm -ivh jre-XuYY-linux-ARCH.rpm Obviously you need to use the real file name, for example jre-8u65-linux-x64.rpm
Once the installation has been performed, the Oracle Java should be ready to be used. Usually a system restart is not required on Linux machines. In case you see warning or error message/s during the installation, please check their content and search the Internet for possible solutions. Most of the time the warning/error messages maight refer to missing dependencies (this means that another package needs to be installed before you can install Java) or to unsufficient privileges (this means that you are launching the command with a regular user instead of "root"). If you cannot find the proper course of actions to overcome the issue, please refer to the support documentation or forums for your current Linux distribution.
How to install the official Oracle Java on other Linux distributions
If your Linux distribution does not support RPM or APT package managers, the installation of Oracle Java can be performed manually in this way:
a. On your Linux machine, open the "Terminal".
b. Become root, by typing su on the Terminal and entering the super user password. Instead of becoming root, you can choose to use the sudo feature (which gives your user the root privileges for single commands). If you want to use sudo, just add sudo before each one of the commands you will enter in the Terminal. You will be then required to enter the sudo password.
c. Create the folder /usr/java by issuing the command mkdir /usr/java. If the directory already exists you will see a message indicating that. In this case you can proceed directly to point d.
d. Go to the page https://www.java.com/en/download/linux_manual.jsp
e. If you have a 32 bit system, download the file "Linux" . If you have a 64 bit system, download the file "Linux x64". In either case, please instruct your browser to save the file in the folder /usr/java or move the file to that foder once it has been downloaded.
f. Go back to the Terminal and move to the /usr/java folder by typing cd /usr/java
g. List the content of the folder by typing the command ls -la You should see the file you downloaded. It will be called jre-XuYY-linux-ARCH.tar.gz (where X is the Java family, YY the update number and ARCH will be i586 for 32 bit installer and x64 for 64 bit installer)
h. Launch this command to perform the installation: tar zxvf jre-XuYY-linux-ARCH.tar.gz Obviously you need to use the real file name, for example jre-8u65-linux-x64.tar.gz
i. Once done, enter command ls -la You will see the folder /usr/java/jre1.X.0_YY (where X is the Java family, YY the update number)
l. The Java executables are now present in the folder /usr/java/jre1.X.0_YY/bin
m. Now check which is the symbolic link used by the system to access the java executables by entering the commands:
which java - you will receive an output similar to this: /usr/bin/java From now on we will refer to this path as javasympath.
which javac - you will receive an output similar to this: /usr/bin/java From now on we will refer to this path as javacsympath.
which javaws - you will receive an output similar to this: /usr/bin/java From now on we will refer to this path as javawssympath.
Unless your are launching the java applications using the full path (for example /usr/java/jre1.X.0_YY/bin/java ...), you would need to tell your system which java executables should be used when a generic java command is issued. In order to to this, you can either update your alternatives files (if your system supports them) or the symbolic links. Here below you can see the instructions, according to your system:
- If your system uses the alternatives files:
n. Issue the following commands, paying attention to make the necessary substitutions .
update-alternatives --install javasympath java /usr/java/jre1.X.0_YY/bin/java 1
update-alternatives --install javacsympath javac /usr/java/jre1.X.0_YY/bin/javac 1
update-alternatives --install javawssympath javaws /usr/java/jre1.X.0_YY/bin/javaws 1
- If your system does not use the alternatives files:
n. Issue the following commands, paying attention to make the necessary substitutions .
ln -sf /usr/java/jre1.X.0_YY/bin/java javasympath
ln -sf /usr/java/jre1.X.0_YY/bin/javac javacsympath
ln -sf /usr/java/jre1.X.0_YY/bin/javaws javawssympath
How to fix the error: "Library dbcapi.dll cannot be loaded"
Background:
TWS users may receive the following error message upon configuring TWS to use the eSignal data feed:
This error may appear for the following reasons:
Issue A - You are not using the 32 bit version of TWS and/or eSignal:
The 32-bit versions of both TWS and eSignal have to be installed for the integration to work. In the section below you will find the instructions for installing the 32-bit TWS. Should you need assistance with the installation of the 32-bit eSignal, we suggest you to contact the eSignal customer support.
Issue B - There is an incompatibility with the file C:\Jts\dbcapi.dll:
To use 32-bit eSignal version 12, an incompatibility with the C:\Jts\dbcapi.dll file must be fixed. This involves copying a file from the eSignal installation and renaming it to dbcapi.dll.
Note: On certain systems you will need to apply the fixes for both issue A and B. If you applied the fix for issue A (or if you are already sure you are using the 32 bit version of both platforms) and you are still receiving the error message, then please apply as well the fix for issue B.
Instructions to resolve issue A
Installing 32-bit TWS
Please open the page http://www.ibkr.com in your browser and perform the steps below:
1) Click on the LOG IN button at the top right corner of the page.
2) Under the section TRADER WORKSTATION, click on TWS Latest. .png)
3) On the next page, click on the link Download for Other Operating Systems.
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4) Click on the item Windows 32-bit.
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5) Make sure that the description under the DOWNLOAD button has changed to "Windows: 32 bit". Click now on DOWNLOAD. .png)
6) Launch the downloaded file. The Trader Workstation installation will start. At this point you may see the warning message "Trader Workstation latest is already installed...". Ignore this warning and click on the button Next > to continue the installation.
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7) Your "Trader Workstation" Desktop icon will be automatically updated. You can now launch the 32-bit Trader Workstation by a double click on that icon.
If you have launched the 32-bit TWS and the 32 bit version of eSignal but you still receive the same error message, please follow as well the instructions below
Instructions to resolve issue B
Replacing dbcapi.dll for compatibility between 32-bit TWS and 32-bit eSignal 12
To correct an incompatibility with the dbcapi.dll file, we will replace that file with another version of it taken from the eSignal installation folder. Please follow the steps below to perform the substitution:
1) Navigate to C:\Jts and rename the file dbcapi.dll to dbcapi_old.dll
2) Navigate to the directory where 32-bit eSignal 12 is installed (most commonly C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Interactive Data\DM)
3) Copy dbcapi_vc8.dll from that directory into the C:\Jts directory.
4) Move to the C:\Jts directory
5) Right click on the dbcapi_vc8.dll file (now in the C:\Jts directory) and select rename. Type dbcapi.dll as the new filename. .jpg)
6) TWS is now ready to accept the eSignal data feed.
How to opt back into the Secure Login System
Overview:
Clients who participate in the Secure Login System (SLS) program on a partial opt-out basis may expose themselves to risks and are therefore subject to certain restrictions (e.g. ability to trade Pink Sheet and OTCBB stocks). Considering these factors along with the protection benefits afforded through a complete SLS protection, you may decide to fully opt back into the Secure Login System. The following article provides the step-by-step instructions for accomplishing this.
Background:
Please notice that in order to modify the security settings, your user needs to have the proper access rights. In case your user is not allowed to change the security settings, the system will show you a notice and will point you to the user which has such rights.
In order to opt back into the Secure Login System, please proceed as follows:
1. Open your browser and go to the web page www.ibkr.com.
2. Click on Login > Account Management
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3. Enter your credentials and complete the authentication using your security device
4. From the left side menu, click on Settings > User Settings. Then, within the Security box, click on the whee(Configure) icon next to Secure Login System1
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5. You will see a box titled "Secure Login Settings". Within that box, click on the wheel(Configure) icon
6. Select the radio button next to "I want to always use my Secure Login Device when logging in" and click on Continue
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7. You will receive a confirmation that your settings have been updated. Click on OK to finalize the procedure
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Notes
1. If you are using the Classic version of the Account Management, click on the top menu Manage Account, then Security >Secure Login System > SLS Opt Out. There select the radio button to Opt Back In on the line correspondent to your user.
References
- See KB1131 for an overview of the Secure Login System
- See KB1943 for instructions on requesting a replacement Digital Security Card+
- See KB2636 for information and procedures related to Security Devices
- See KB2481 for instructions about sharing the Security Login Device between two or more users
- See KB975 for instructions on how to return your security device to IB
- See KB2260 for instructions on activating the IB Key authentication via IBKR Mobile
- See KB2895 for information about Multiple 2Factor System (M2FS)
- See KB1861 for information about charges or expenses associated with the security devices
- See KB69 for information about Temporary passcode validity
How to install the TWS API Components on Mac / Unix
NOTE: If you have already agreed to the API License Agreement please start at Step 3 below.
Instructions
- Click directly on the button below to access the API software download page.
- This will direct you to Interactive Brokers API License Agreement, please review it.
- Once you have clicked "I Agree", refer to the Mac / Unix section to download the API Software for your o.s.
- This will download twsapi_macunix.n.m.zip to your computer.
(where n and m are the major and minor version numbers respectively) - Open Terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T on most distributions)
(On Mac press Command+Space to launch Spotlight, then type terminal and press Return) -
Navigate to the directory where the installer has been downloaded (normally it should be the Download folder within your home folder) and confirm the file is present.
$ cd ~/Downloads
$ ls
- Unzip the contents the installer into your home folder with the following command (if prompted, enter your password):
$ sudo unzip twsapi_macunix.n.m.zip -d $HOME/
- To access the sample and source files, navigate to the IBJts directory and confirm the subfolders samples and source are present.
$ cd ~/IBJts
$ ls
Legacy Instructions - API Version ≤ 9.71
Note: IB only offers API Version 9.72+. In the event you already have an existing legacy version and need to install it, please refer to the directions below:
- locate the file twsapi_macunix.n.m.jar on your computer.
(where n and m are the major and minor version numbers respectively.) - Open Terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T on most distributions)
(On Mac press Command+Space to launch Spotlight, then type terminal and press Return) - Navigate to the directory where the .jar file has been located (normally it should be the Download folder within your home folder) and confirm it is present.
$ cd ~/Downloads
$ ls - Extract the contents of the .jar file into your home folder.
$ jar xf twsapi_macunix.n.m.jar -d $ HOME/ - To access the sample and source files, navigate to the IBJts directory and confirm the subfolders samples and source are present.
$ cd ~/IBJts
$ ls
Additional Information
You can as well refer to KB2222 for video instructions on installing the Legacy API Components on a Mac.
How to restore TWS settings from external storage
Overview:
This article outlines the procedure for restoring TWS settings from an external location, example external hard drive, USB or other file location.
To restore TWS settings from an external source:
1. Log into TWS
2. Click on File and select Settings Recovery
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3. Select Custom and click on Ok
4. In the Look in field click on the drop down menu and select the directory where the TWS settings file is stored, example; If the file was located on the Desktop you would scroll to Desktop as shown below 
5. Once you are in the directory containing the settings file, select the settings file, example tws.xml and click on Open.
6. In the Open settings confirmation window select Open without reporting problem
See KB3146 for instructions on overcoming the "Downloading settings from server failed" error
See KB2320 for instructions on transferring settings from one user to another
See KB2282 for instructions on how to transfer settings from one computer to another
How to transfer TWS settings from on user to another
Overview:
This process allows the TWS settings from one user to be exported and then imported to another user.
This article applies to:
- Platform(s): Windows, Mac, Linux
- TWS Build(s): 936 or later
To transfer settings from one user to another:
1. Log into TWS with the user whose settings you would like to export:
-
Navigate to 'File' and select 'Save Settings As'
- In the 'Save Settings As...' window, select the drop down arrow and choose a directory/location where you want to save the settings file, example; 'Desktop'.
- Provide the file name of your choosing and click on Save
2. Log into TWS with the user in which you would like the settings imported:
- Once logged into the second user Navigate to 'File' and select 'settings recovery' or 'Open settings file'
- Select 'Custom' and click on 'Ok'
- In the 'Look in' field select the drop down arrow and navigate to the directory of the settings file you saved from the first account.
- Select the settings file and click on 'Open'
- Select 'Open without reporting problem'
See KB2323 for instructions on how to restore TWS settings from external storage
See KB2282 for instructions on how to transfer settings from one computer to another.
See KB3146 for instructions on how to overcome the "Download settings from server failed" error
How to transfer TWS settings from one computer to another
Overview:
This article applies to:
- Platform(s): Windows, Mac, Linux
- TWS Build(s): Build 936 and Above
Background:
Store settings on server allows clients the ability to store their Trader Workstation (TWS) settings/configuration on Interactive Brokers (IB) servers and retrieve them at anytime from another computer. This feature allows you to transfer settings from the same user on two different machines, but not between different accounts/users.
'Store' Settings on Server:
To transfer settings from one computer to another for the same username you will need to enable the option Use/store settings on server:
1. On the computer which currently has your settings, log in with the Use/store settings on server option unchecked on the login window
2. Once you are logged in, enable this function:
- If you are using the Classic layout, navigate to Edit >> Global Configuration >> Lock and Exit and check the box Use store settings on server
- If you are using the Mosaic layout navigate to File >> Global Configuration >> Lock and Exit and check the box Use store settings on server
3. Select Apply and OK.
4. Click on File -> Save Settings.
5. To Exit the application navigate to File and Exit.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above operation will only save one copy of the TWS settings on the server. The serve does not store any backup copies.
'Use' Settings on Server:
On any computer (on which you want to use the same settings as above): Login with the Use/store settings on server option checked on the login window. This will download the settings, which you previously saved on our server.
See KB2323 for instructions on how to restore TWS settings from external storage
See KB2320 for instructions on transferring settings from one user to another
