Broadband describes a range of connection types to the internet. In general, broadband is a dedicated connection that allows for a transmission rate of at least 256Kbps (kilobits per second). This includes DSL and cable TV, though not typically ISDN. Broadband will provide a faster, more consistent connection than dial-up access. Speed and consistency are both important to ensure full functionality for RealTick, therefore when available Broadband is a better choice for RealTick users.

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The best way to research the availability of ISPs in your area is by visiting www.thelist.com. Once you have the names of some providers, look for information about them. Make sure that the connection is fast enough and consistent enough to use RealTick. If possible, try to get a test connection and examine the actual speed and stability of the line. To do this, run a ping test. Larger, national companies are often of higher quality than smaller operations, though this is certainly not always the case.

As consistency and speed of connection are important to ensure satisfactory performance of RealTick, a reliable ISP is strongly recommended. Before contracting with a service provider, ask if they have local lines in your area that can consistently provide access at 256Kbps or better without disconnects.

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If you intend to use RealTick heavily, looking at Level II data or many charts, you will need something better than dial-up. A 56K dialup connection is the minimum speed to use RealTick. Moderate to heavy users require a faster, more reliable connection.

While dial-up connections do provide for basic RealTick functionality, users should expect that performance will be significantly less than the equivalent system running with a Broadband connection. In other words, those who plan to utilize more than a chart or two and perhaps a MarketMinder should consider broadband or risk serious handicaps relative to those with more robust connections. 

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A firewall is a security device used to restrict access to a network by blocking certain port ranges or types of traffic. If you are behind a firewall and want to use RealTick, ports 80, 443, and 1838 must be opened up to outgoing and incoming traffic. If you plan to receive market data in an environment that does not allow for the use of these ports due to firewall restrictions, RealTick will not work.

Firewalls may also prevent you from downloading certain files from the Internet. If you have a firewall and are experiencing trouble downloading the installation file for RealTick, try the FTP download option.

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File Transfer Protocol is a common method of moving files between two Internet sites. FTP is a special way to login to another Internet site for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files. There are many Internet sites that have established publicly accessible repositories of material that can be obtained using FTP, by logging in using the account name anonymous, thus these sites are called anonymous ftp servers.

An FTP file to be used to install RealTick is available on our download page. 

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A gateway represents the connection from a subnet to a larger network. In other words, all traffic from one internal network must pass through a gateway before leaving the network. This gateway interfaces with a router (which directs network traffic) and a switch (which provides that path into and out of the gateway) to allow access to a network from outside, and vice-versa.

If a user is having difficulty using RealTick due to network problems, the source of the problem is often at the user's gateway, which must be addressed by the ISP or the LAN administrator. 

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The most common meaning of "Cookie" on the Internet refers to a piece of information sent by a Web Server to a Web Browser that the Browser software is expected to save and to send back to the Server whenever the browser makes additional requests from the Server.

Depending on the type of Cookie used, and the Browser's settings, the Browser may accept or not accept the Cookie, and may save the Cookie for either a short time or a long time.

Cookies might contain information such as login or registration information, online "shopping cart" information, user preferences, etc. When a Server receives a request from a Browser that includes a Cookie, the Server is able to use the information stored in the Cookie. For example, the Server might customize what is sent back to the user, or keep a log of particular user's requests.

Cookies are usually set to expire after a predetermined amount of time and are usually saved in memory until the Browser software is closed down, at which time they may be saved to disk if their "expire time" has not been reached.

Cookies do not read your hard drive and send your life story to the CIA, but they can be used to gather more information about a user than would be possible without them.

RealTick uses cookies to establish user identity. Firewalls must be configured not to reject cookies. 

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Internet Protocol Numbers are sometimes called a dotted quad. A unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, such as: 165.113.245.2.

Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number - if a machine does not have an IP number, it is not really on the Internet. In addition, most machines have multiple Domain Names that tend to make it easier for people to remember.

Machines need not have a dedicated IP in order to connect to a RealTick server. However, if using a non-routable IP, RealTick must be configured to access the internet through a proxy server.

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