![\"At](\"https:\/\/www.tradingheroes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/trading-vps-computer.jpg\")
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A reader emailed me and asked if I could recommend a quality\/affordable Metatrader VPS (Virtual Private Server) service.<\/p>\n
There's one that I recommend here<\/a>.<\/p>\n But there is also an alternative that some people may not be aware of.<\/p>\n …and it can save you quite a bit of money, over the long run.<\/p>\n In this post, I'm going to tell you what a VPS is for, the benefits and drawbacks and a cheaper (and almost as effective) alternative.<\/p>\n Then I will show you exactly how to set up this DIY VPS solution.<\/p>\n Let's do this…<\/p>\n A virtual private server is an installation of Windows that is running on a hosting company's server.<\/p>\n Just like a website is hosted at a hosting company, you can also host an installation of Windows at a hosting company.<\/p>\n Then you can login to your virtual computer from any other computer with internet access and use the VPS machine like it was a computer sitting at your desk.<\/p>\n This is useful for people who run Expert Advisers (EA), alert indicators<\/a> or any automated trading programs in Metatrader.<\/p>\n Since the VPS is running 24\/7, the EA will always be available to take trades.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n If you choose a VPS that is near your broker, you may benefit from faster connection speeds.<\/p>\n Using a VPS is also very helpful if you have an indicator in Metatrader that gives trading alerts.<\/p>\n You can use it to send you a text message<\/a> or send you an alert in the Metatrader app<\/a> if you have a smartphone.<\/p>\n The advantage of using a VPS is primarily the uptime.<\/p>\n You do not need to worry about power outages at your home or your cable internet going on the blink again.<\/p>\n The downside is that it costs some money every month and it can really eat into your trading profits, especially if you are trading a small account.<\/p>\n As we will see, the cost can really add up.<\/em><\/p>\n Let's get down to numbers.<\/p>\n A DIY Metatrader VPS can save you as much as $720 per year.<\/p>\n How did I come up wth this number?<\/p>\n If you look at this chart from Earn Forex<\/a>, there can be a wide range of prices when it comes to purchasing a VPS service.<\/p>\n At the high end of the spectrum is a VPS that costs $60 per month.<\/p>\n That's where I get the $720 per year figure from.<\/p>\n If you are on a budget, that can be pretty steep…can we do better?<\/p>\n We sure can…<\/p>\n I'm going to teach you how to keep a computer running at your home that:<\/strong><\/p>\n Of course, this may not be for everyone.<\/p>\n My forex trading VPS alternative assumes three things:<\/strong><\/p>\n If any of the above are an issue for you, then a hosted VPS<\/a>\u00a0may be a better solution.<\/p>\n But if you are OK with the above, let's get started.<\/p>\n This will be the only cost that you will incur.<\/p>\n Although it will cost some money up front, you won't have to worry about high monthly fees later.<\/p>\n I recommend a netbook because they:<\/p>\n I was able to get a Asus Eee PC 900 series netbook on eBay for $85, including shipping.<\/p>\n It is actually in really good condition.<\/p>\n The only downside is that the top cover is lavender (not shown).<\/p>\n You could also get a newer Windows tablet or laptop that can run MT4.<\/p>\n I use it to run my Metatrader indicators with alerts.<\/p>\n This is a super low end example, but you can scale up from here.<\/p>\n Here is a picture:<\/p>\n Here are the specs on this little guy:<\/p>\n Let's compare that to a typical VPS (I wasn't able to get specs on the $60 VPS, but here are specs from another host at a similar cost):<\/p>\n So the VPS is much more powerful, but do you really need all that power?<\/p>\n In my experience, not really.<\/p>\n If you are just running Metatrader, you do not need a lot of disk space, memory or processor power.<\/p>\n However, if you will be running multiple EAs at once, you should buy a slightly more powerful computer.<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a really bare bones system, but if you want something more powerful, you can spend a couple hundred and still get a really good laptop.<\/p>\n It would still be a huge savings over a high end VPS server.<\/p>\n I have used a netbook in the past<\/a> and really liked it, but there were just too many limitations to use it as my primary computer, so I switched to a Mac<\/a>.<\/p>\n But it's perfect as a VPS alternative, especially when you can get one for as cheap as I did.<\/p>\n So install MT4 on your computer and you are good to go!<\/p>\n You can also consider buying a mini computer, but you'll need to hook it up to a monitor.<\/p>\n One way that you can do this is to setup a free account with NO-IP<\/a>.<\/p>\n NO-IP basically allows your remote computer to securely find your netbook from outside your home network.<\/p>\n You just install a small NO-IP program on your netbook and when you are on the road, you can login to your netbook just like it was on your local network.<\/p>\n Just use the Remote Desktop Connection feature in Windows and you are all set.<\/p>\n But before you are able to do that, you need to do one more thing…<\/p>\n Your home router will have to be setup to allow the connection to your netbook, remotely.<\/p>\n This may seem a little complicated at first, but it is not actually that hard.<\/p>\n Just follow the guides that NO-IP provides<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you do not feel comfortable doing this yourself, then I would recommend finding a more tech savvy person to help you.<\/p>\n Now setup MetaTrader on your new server to send alerts to your mobile device.<\/p>\n If you don't have an alert indicator, then you can still send trade notifications to your phone or tablet.<\/p>\n This will allow you to easily monitor your server and make sure that it's working.<\/p>\n The obvious alternative is Windows Remote Desktop<\/a>. They have a Mac app that you can use to connect to your at-home VPS.<\/p>\n You do not need step 2 and 3 above if you're only going to access your server from your home network.<\/p>\n But it's a good idea to setup remote access in case something goes wrong and you're away from home.<\/p>\n If you cannot Windows Remote Desktop Connection, you can also use a VNC program like UltraVNC<\/a>.<\/p>\n It is also free, but if you have Windows, it can be less complicated to use Remote Desktop in instead of UltraVNC.<\/p>\n There are programs like TeamViewer, which allow you to connect to your home computer while you are on the road.<\/p>\n I have not used TeamViewer for trading, so I cannot give you an honest review of it.<\/p>\n So that is how you can save $720 per year on a VPS system and get a system that can work almost as well.<\/p>\n Again, this might not work for everyone, but it can be a significant cost savings over a hosted solution.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are still in doubt about what to do, give both solutions a try for a month and see what works best for you.<\/p>\n If the netbook solution doesn't work for you, you can always sell it to someone else on eBay.<\/p>\n Just be sure you get a good deal when you buy, so you don't lose money later.<\/p>\n Make it a good trade. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Again, the only downside with this solution is that you are relying on your home internet connection and power source, which may or not be reliable.<\/p>\n Therefore, when you have the budget to upgrade your Metatrader VPS solution, I would highly recommend going with this VPS host<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhat is A VPS and What is it For?<\/h2>\n
The Savings<\/h2>\n
![\"VPS](\"https:\/\/www.tradingheroes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/vps-cost.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Forex Trading VPS Alternative<\/h2>\n
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Step 1 – Buy A Netbook or Cheap Laptop<\/h2>\n
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![\"asus-vps-alternative\"](\"https:\/\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3826\/9364096440_4a0e09a238_o.jpg\")
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Step 2 – Sign Up For NO-IP<\/h2>\n
![\"Forex](\"https:\/\/www.tradingheroes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/no-ip-for-forex-trading.jpg\")
Now that you have a PC to run Windows and Metatrader, you will need to be able to log into the netbook while you are on the road.<\/p>\nStep 3 – Set Up Your Router<\/h2>\n
Step 4 – Setup MetaTrader to Send Alerts (Optional)<\/h2>\n
Remote Connection Alternatives<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n