forex-scalping.com

A power cut, a frozen terminal or a dropped connection can leave positions open and unmanaged. For a scalper, a few minutes can be an eternity.

Preparation reduces the damage. Stops and targets should always be attached to orders at entry, held on the broker's server, not on the local machine. A stop that exists only in the trader's head, or in a script on a laptop, vanishes with the connection.

A mobile app logged into the same account provides a backup. Knowing the broker's phone number and having it saved allows a quick call if everything else fails.

A second internet source, such as a phone hotspot, covers outages. A small battery backup keeps the router and computer alive through brief power cuts.

Practising the recovery procedure once, when nothing is at stake, makes it automatic when needed.

What is the backup plan here if the main platform dies mid-trade?

I had this happen during a storm last year when the power dropped right after I'd entered a USDJPY scalp. My inverter kept the laptop on, but the router died, so I was staring at a frozen chart with no idea where price was. Luckily the stop and target were on the broker's server, and when I got back online through my phone the trade had already closed at the target.

That experience made me take the boring setup seriously. I now keep the mobile app logged in on a second phone, I have a cheap hotspot plan that only exists for emergencies, and the router sits on a small battery pack so a short cut doesn't take the internet with it.

The step most people skip is the practice run. I actually tested switching to the hotspot and closing a demo position from my phone on a quiet afternoon. The first time took me almost two minutes of fumbling, which is far too long in a live trade.