Time-outs connecting to IB on new network with Win7

[adamus]

Just arrived in Berlin with my laptop that happily runs NT7 latest version + IB on my home network in London. However here in Berlin I bought a mobile broadband USB stick and hooked it up andf although everything appeared to be fine with the internet - i.e. surfing, email, even IB TWS works fine with quotes and charts, NT7 won't connect.

It sits there for a minute and more and then returns with a connection failure:

2011-12-22 13:56:46    Connection    IB Sim: IB.Adapter.MessageLoop A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to re(Panic)    
2011-12-22 13:54:23    Connection    IB Sim: Primary connection=Connecting, Price feed=Connecting

I know NT7 has to connect via IB TWS API, but I can see that IB TWS has connected fine.

I have set up the wireless broadband network as a Home network like my LAN at home in the Windows 7 configuration.

I can't think of anything else to do to sort this out or identify the problem. I suspect it is quite basic. Can you give me advice?

Thanks

[NinjaTrader_Matthew]

Hello,

Can you please clarify what build of TWS you are using? The current version of NinjaTrader requires TWS 917.8.

I look forward to assisting you further.

[adamus]

Build 911 and Java 1.6.0_26

I know you recommend 917 and I tried to download that but the install program refused to recognise that I've got Java 1.6.0_26 on my computer, so I left it alone. If you tell me I have to install TWS build 917, then this is my next problem: why does the install program say I have Java build '0' (obviously an error since I'm running build 911) and how can I correct it?

[NinjaTrader_Matthew]

Hello,

You should still be able to connect using TWS 911 and it is not required to upgrade.

Please ensure you have configured the TWS API settings exactly as per our connection guide.

The following link will take you to a page that details the steps required for creating a connection to Interactive Brokers and specific connection configuration information.

Click here to take me to the Interactive Brokers Connection Guide

Lastly, please make sure that you have enabled the TWS API Configuration to allow a connection. This can be set in TWS by going to Configure--> API--> check "Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients".

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

[adamus]

Hi Matthew,

all is correct according to the docs and the setup was working with my normal network connection in London - it's just not working now with the new connection I just set up here in Berlin - and I didn't change anything in IB TWS or NT7.

What did happen though when I started IB TWS is that Windows asked me if I wanted to allow IB through the firewall - so I said yes and IB works - quotes and charts. Obviously IB TWS API doesn't though, because NT7 gives me this time-out.

[NinjaTrader_Matthew]

Hello,

Are you sure you have outbound rules setup for NinjaTrader?

Do you have this new network connection setup as a 'private' or 'public' network?

[adamus]

I set the new network to be 'private'. What do you mean about the outbound rules setup for NT?

[NinjaTrader_Matthew]

Hello,

I meant from your Windows Firewall - does the NinjaTrader.exe have a rule setup to allow incoming and outcoming connections?

Now that you have set this to private, did you get any prompts to allow/deny access to NinjaTrader?

[adamus]

OK I just disabled the firewall! Made no difference, unless I have to do something like reboot...

[adamus]

Admission of guilt - I had an IP address in the NT7 IB connection config, which until now had made no difference, but now I removed it and changed it to localhost and it all worked fine. So, mea culpa - but the problem should have arisen years ago when I originally started using this connection for localhost instead of the server at that IP address. So there's something flakey in your connection's error handling or warning messages - should have told me the config was a problem months ago.