Launching cTrader VPS for Trading Forex
Setting up a Virtual Private Server for trading forex might sound scary and overly technical. But actually, getting started with the VPS service is very simple. Most forex VPS providers make it very easy, provide clear instructions and offer support.
To establish a connection to a VPS from your computer, you need two things;
- A Windows remote desktop connection. Every VPS provider will give installation files. These files are used to set up a remote connection.
- An email with your credentials from the forex VPS vendor you selected. The email has all the relevant information such as server address, your username and password.
Once installed, the remote desktop connection is accessible from your Windows Start Menu. When you launch it the first time you should copy and paste the server address, username and password into remote desktop connection. Now you are logged in to the remote desktop, on the connection menu there is a local resources tab. Inside this tab, there is a button which will allow you to locate your drive where the VPS installation files are present.
In the remote desktop connection menu, there is an option which lets you save your VPS connection to into a file. By doing this, you don’t have to follow all these steps each time you want to connect to your VPS.
Setting up a VPS on cTrader
cTrader is one of the leading forex trading platforms and is offered by brokerage firms around the world. Now you have your VPS ready, all you have to do now is install cTrader before you can start trading. Installing cTrader is done through the remote desktop in the same way you would do on your own PC. If your VPS came with cTrader preinstalled, it’s recommended check for the latest updates and bug fixes.
Recommended VPS Provider for cTrader
cTrader has a list of recommended VPS service providers which work best with the platform. However, we can recommend the following three providers;
If you want to know more about the VPS provider, you can check our previous article Best Forex Trading VPS for cTrader.
System Requirements cTrader VPS
A cTrader VPS runs on specific system requirements. Usually, you will pick the number of resources provided by your server. cTrader allows its user to choose a VPS service with light system requirements.
The minimum requirements for using a VPS with the cTrader are:
- Processor: Dual Core CPU
- Memory: 2 GB
- Operating System: Windows 7 or above
- Internet Speed: 50 KB per second
It should be noted here that these are the minimum requirements and for the best performance cTrader has provided recommended settings. These are:
- Processor: Dual Core or above
- Memory: 4 GB
- Operating System: Windows 8.1 and above
- Internet Speed: 100 KB per second
cTrader VPS Data Centre Location
cTrader servers are located in London. More specifically they are located in the Equinix LD5 data centre. Any VPS that is also located in London will also have very low latency. It doesn’t necessarily need to be in the same exact same data centre. Even though a VPS based in other parts of the UK or in for example the Netherlands can still yield good results in terms of reducing latency, the best options are to choose London where possible. This will eliminate the location barrier and a VPS will have the same speed.
Choosing the Right cTrader VPS
Like any other subscription service, VPS providers have different subscription plans. The plans can go as high as $50 and as low as $10. The longer the duration you commit to, the more money you could save. Annual plans are usually the best value for money. Some brokers like RoboForex even offer a free VPS to their clients. Before purchasing, you should always check the advice and offers from your broker as well as the requirements which are needed for the trading platform to perform at it’s best.
