Multiple TWS Instances

If you have accounts that require separate TWS logins, you’ll need to run multiple TWS instances on different ports.

Account IDs in These Screenshots

The account IDs in the screenshots below use Obfuscate privacy mode, which replaces real IDs with sequential placeholders such as U00000000 and U00000001. Set it under Settings > Account ID Privacy; a fresh install starts in Mask mode instead. See Rover Settings.

When to Use This

This applies when:

• You have accounts under different IBKR logins
• Each login requires its own TWS Desktop instance

Step 1: Configure TWS Ports

Each TWS instance needs a unique port. Configure them in TWS:

TWS Instance	Login	Port
TWS #1	user1	7496 (default)
TWS #2	user2	7497
TWS #3	user3	7498

In each TWS:

1. Go to File > Global Configuration > API > Settings
2. Set the Socket Port to 7496, 7497, 7498, etc.
3. Click OK

See TWS Configuration for detailed setup with screenshots.

Step 2: Configure Rover

Click + Add TWS App once per TWS instance, set that group’s Port to match the instance, then click + Add Account to add the accounts reached through it. The result is one group per TWS instance:

TWS App / Account ID	Account Name	Host	Port
TWS App 1		localhost	7496
U00000002	KIDS_COLLEGE	localhost	7496
U00000001	IRA_1	localhost	7496
U00000003	IRA_2	localhost	7496
U00000000	INHERITED_ROTH	localhost	7496
TWS App 2		localhost	7497
U00000004	GROWTH	localhost	7497
TWS App 3		localhost	7498
U00000005	INCOME	localhost	7498

This is the same table as in Multiple Accounts, just with three groups instead of one. Each bold TWS App row is a TWS Desktop session identified by its Host and Port, and the accounts indented below it connect through that session. A group can hold one account or many: here TWS App 1 carries four, while TWS App 2 and TWS App 3 carry one each.

Key Points

• One TWS App per instance. Each group’s Port matches the Socket Port set in the corresponding TWS instance
• Accounts inherit their group’s connection. An account row shows the same Host and Port as the TWS App above it
• Up to 32 accounts per instance. Each TWS instance supports 32 accounts; Rover manages the connections automatically
• All TWS instances run on localhost in this example. To reach TWS on another machine, set that group’s Host instead — see Multi-Machine Setup

Step 3: Test, Save and Start

1. Ensure all TWS instances are running and logged in
2. Click Test in each account row; the View column reads PASS and Result shows the connection detail
3. Go to File > Save (Ctrl+S)
4. Click Start Account Analyzers

The groups stay in place once the analyzers are running, with the setup columns replaced by the live %, Data Flow, and Status columns. Check the status bar to confirm every instance came up: it reads Accounts 6/6 when all six analyzers are connected. A short count (Accounts 5/6) points at one account — check its Status and the TWS session behind its group.

Step 4: Launch OptionsRealTime

Click the Web UI button at the top of Rover, or open any browser on your network and type the address shown on the button. For example: http://MyMachineName.local:5000

All accounts from all TWS instances are available. Select one, several, or all. Charts, metrics, quotes, tables and reports update based on your selection.

Accounts from every TWS instance are listed together in the selector on the left, shown here by name and color-coded consistently across every view.

Multiple Windows, Multiple Monitors

Because of the browser-based architecture, you can open OptionsRealTime in as many windows as you need, on any machine on your network. Reports on one screen, charts on another, quotes on a third.

What’s Next?

Multi-Machine Setup
Run OptionsRealTime on a different machine than TWS