Change Timeout Duration for ERR_TRADE_TIMEOUT

[chipdude]

Is there any way to change the duration that the terminal will wait before it times out with ERR_TRADE_TIMEOUT error status? That duration is extremely long, 3 minutes and 18 seconds, according to another thread in this forum. This is far too long, especially if it keeps the Trade Context jammed all during that time. If the server hasn't responded in 30 seconds it isn't going to respond in the next 3 minutes, and I want to start handling it as an error right away.

[brewmanz]

chipdude:
... If the server hasn't responded in 30 seconds it isn't going to respond in the next 3 minutes ...

Can you show us the statistics or evidence to back up this statement?

[chipdude]

Unfortunately, I didn't save the logs. But the story behind this problem is:

A while back I created a trading system that operated similar to FAP Turbo. It was a counter-trend trading system that operated during the overnight period. I was using FXCM as a broker. On a demo account everything worked like clockwork, but on a live account the server was "losing" 40% of my trade orders, and the ERR_TRADE_TIMEOUT would occur. Since this was the least busy time of day, one would not expect this type of error to be due to excess load on the server or the network. ERR_TRADE_TIMEOUT errors were not occurring during the high volume times of day. My suspicion is that the broker deliberately set up their system to drop a percentage of orders, as an anti-FAPTurbo measure. It was on the basis of months of experience that I found that if the server didn't respond within 30 seconds that it wasn't going to respond at all.

I no longer trade this type of system, and I certainly have not remained with FXCM, but having the ability to control the ERR_TRADE_TIMEOUT duration is still valuable.

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As an aside, here is a good way to determine if a broker has their system configured to make FAP Turbo a losing system:

Dump some of their data to a CSV file and load it into Excel. Get the same data from another broker, one that uses "straight through" or ECN on their back end. Now compare the tick volumes between the two of them. If the tick volumes are noticeably fewer during the times that FAP Turbo trades (compared to the ECN data) then the broker is modifying their data to reduce the price excursions that FAP trades.

This is a recommended test for every trader whether they trade FAP or not. It reveals whether the broker is taking active measures to ensure that their clients lose money. I would then expect similar practices in other parts of their operation.