Connect to Interactive Brokers

Tented gets quotes, positions and order routing from Interactive Brokers through the API of Trader Workstation (TWS) or IB Gateway running on your computer. Without that connection the chain is empty and nothing can be sent. Once connected, Tented redials by itself if the link drops, so you can start it before you log in to TWS.

TWS or IB Gateway

TWS is IB’s full trading platform. IB Gateway is a lighter IB program with no trading screens that exists only to serve API connections. Tented works with either; the difference to you is the port number.

Real-time quotes need an IB market data subscription for the product. Without one, Tented falls back to delayed data and says so in the status bar.

How traders use it:

• Run Tented beside TWS all day. Leave Connect at launch on: Tented dials TWS when it starts and keeps redialing every 5 seconds until TWS answers.
• Paper first. Click the 7497 (TWS paper) or 4002 (Gateway paper) tile to model and send orders against your paper account before going live.
• Watch the chip and the status bar. A green IB chip means quotes and orders flow. Amber items on the status bar (Delayed data, Connection lost, Lines near the cap) tell you the numbers may not be live.
• Keep the pre-open gap in mind. On SPXW, RUTW and VIX options, prices hold their 09:25 ET values until the open, so do not read a 09:28 P&L as live.

Articles:

• Set up TWS or IB Gateway: enable the API and set the connection in Tented.
• Market-data lines: what a line is, who holds them and the allowance.
• Connection status: the connection chip and auto-connect.
• Delayed and frozen data: data warnings, the pre-open hold and a dropped connection.

If something is wrong, see Waiting for IB and No quotes in the chain.