Back-up Internet Options??

[jrp_1982 10]

Hello,

 

At the moment i'm doing my trading off a normal BT broadband line, which is more than adequate for my swing/positional style of trading. However, very occasionally it does cut out, and i was wondering if anyone could advise me on possible internet back-up solutions?

 

I'm considering getting a dongle in order to trade off my laptop if i'm not at home which could solve the problem of a faulty home line as well, as i need to zoom in on my charts which my phone app isn't capable of doing. Does anyone have any good/bad experience of using dongles?

[Pipsqueak 10]

Hi

 

I am from South Africa, so I am not sure if this applies. But I pretty much do the same thing. I have a desktop with broadband Adsl at home and run a laptop with a dongle when not at home.

 

In our case here the dongle does get faster speeds sometimes, but is not as stable a connection as the line at home. Depends on what you are doing. Here our wireless networks are prone to dropping connection.

 

Its a 3G network so it connects differently and gives priority to whomever is connected first. What I usually do is I run teamviewer on the laptop and control the desktop. Don't know if this helps. I still prefer hardlines over wireless though

[Pipsqueak 10]

On the other hand a very simple solution is to run the platform on a server like commercialnetworkservices.com I think they about 30$ a month and you can access that from anywhere.

[shmeesh 10]

If you live in the U.S., you can get a Verizon MIFI wireless router.

Up to 4 individuals can logon to the router at once if needed, plus the connection is secure.

The device costs around $60 and usage plans vary. I get 5Gig for $60 a month. Not quite as fast as broadband, but I can comfortably run IB, TradeStation, MS Outlook and a web browser without slowing down the router. Also seems to work just about everywhere in the U.S. - I've never found a dead spot yet.

[ns6 10]

Check out Amazon's EC2.

[Tradewinds 12]

I have a Verizon wireless 4G MiFi 2200. Here is a review of it:

 

Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot Review - Cell phone and smart phone accessories - CNET Reviews

 

It is a secure connection, and requires a password to log in. There is an option to automatically sign in after the first time you have entered the password.

 

I have never had my connection drop. But the review points out that your connection is dependent upon how good the signal is at the location where you are using it.

 

So, when looking for a wireless internet connection through a cell phone signal, I suggest that the most important consideration is what company has the best signal in the locations where you will be using it. Especially if your priority is a reliable connection to enter and exit a trade.

 

Just by doing a web search, you may find a web site that compares Internet Service Providers in your area.

[jdevron 10]

A dual router and UPS is the best solution. Linksys is a popular manufacturer of them.

A dual router offers redundant internet access. Typically you will have intrernet services from both a DSL connection from the phone company and a cable cnnection from your cable TV provider. The dual router multiplexes those data streams together giving you potentially twice the bandwidth when they are both working. If either the DSL or the cable connection goes out, the other one will still support your trading. It is seamless. There is no loss of data when either of the two internet sources goes out. I reccommend to get an uninteruptable power supply (UPS) as well. Plug in your computer, DSL modem, cable modem, and dual router into the UPS. That way you can still trade if power to your home goes out. This configuration offers the most reliability.

[jrp_1982 10]

Thanks for all your replies, i'm going to have a look into the options that were mentioned. Much appreciated!

[jackb 10]

Is your laptop equipped with wireless? Do you have a wireless router on your desktop? Chances are that someone in your neighborhood has an unsecured broadband wireless router connection that you'll see upon doing a scan with a wireless device. This approach has the added benefit of being fairly inexpensive...i.e., free.