Broker latency · MT4 / MT5
A VPS for IC Markets: the latency, measured
Traders on IC Markets buy a VPS for one number — the ping between the terminal and the trade server that fills the order. Here is what our servers measure, how to read the number yourself inside MetaTrader, and the parts of it a hosting advert usually leaves out.
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Latency from our servers to the trading hubs
Round-trip ping from each of our servers, measured on the server itself with ICMP, to the same reference host in each hub. This is the part we control: the distance between your terminal and the market's infrastructure.
| Our server | London | Frankfurt | Amsterdam | New York | Measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lille | 6.8 ms | 8.3 ms | 8.5 ms | 75.5 ms | |
| Paris | 8 ms | 10.5 ms | 10.7 ms | 75.2 ms |
IC Markets ping from our servers
Every row says how it was measured: a ping read inside the connected terminal, or — when the terminal reports n/a, which MT5 does when it has no ping to show — a TCP round trip from our host to the trade server address the terminal was talking to. The two are never mixed in a row without saying so.
| Server name | Our server | Median ping | How measured | Measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ICMarketsSC-MT5-3 | Lille | 10.2 ms | TCP to trade server · 194.164.176.x | |
ICMarketsSC-MT5-3 | Paris | 7.7 ms | TCP to trade server · 194.164.176.x |
Why some rows say TCP instead of a terminal ping
A MetaTrader terminal does not always report a ping: it shows n/a, and in that case its own API returns the sentinel 10000000. For those accounts we measure a TCP round trip from our server to the trade server address the terminal was connected to — the same path and the same destination, measured from outside the terminal. The address block is printed in the row so anyone can verify it, with the last octet masked: what matters is whose block it is, not which host to aim at. It must belong to the broker or to MetaQuotes, not to a website CDN.
Europe or Asia? Check before you pay anyone
This is the one thing worth checking before you buy a VPS in Europe for a broker account, ours or anybody else's:
- A trade server in Europe (London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt) gives a single-digit ping from our servers. That is the case these servers and this pricing are built for.
- A trade server in Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong) gives roughly 170–190 ms from Europe. If your account is there, a European VPS is the wrong tool and we would rather tell you before you pay than have you find out after.
- How to check: open the MetaTrader Journal and read the line that starts with "connected to" — it names the server and the IP. Or read the server name on the account card in your broker's client area and ask their support which data centre it is.
- What to do if yours is in Asia: ask the broker whether the account can be moved to a European server (it usually depends on the country your account is verified in). If it can't, host near Asia instead — the extra 180 ms costs more in slippage on a busy EA than a cheaper European VPS saves.
Which server are you on?
IC Markets names its servers after the account type and region, for example ICMarketsSC-MT5-2 for a live account or ICMarketsSC-Demo for a demo. MetaTrader shows the server name in the login dialog and in the bottom-right corner of the terminal window.
How to read your IC Markets ping in MT5 or MT4
- MT5. In the terminal window, the bottom-right of the status bar shows the current ping in milliseconds, next to the connection state. The same number appears under the connection menu when you right-click that corner.
- MT4. Hover the connection icon in the bottom-right of the terminal window: the tooltip shows the ping to the trade server. There is no ping column elsewhere, so look at that tooltip.
- On the VPS. Do it inside the terminal that actually runs on the VPS. A ping measured from your home PC says nothing about the server that runs your EA.
- Over time. Ping moves: it depends on the route, the broker's own load and the hour. Read it a few times before you judge, and compare like with like — same server, same time of day.
Why the distance still matters
- On a connection in Southeast Asia, a round trip to a London trade server is roughly 170–200 ms, and every order, modification and stop happens inside that window. From our servers it is a single-digit number to London.
- It matters most where you repeat it: grid and basket EAs fire dozens of orders, and each one waits for the round trip. It matters least for a swing EA that trades twice a week.
- Latency does not fix a bad strategy. It removes one avoidable source of slippage — that is the whole promise, and we would rather say it plainly.
Before you order a VPS for IC Markets
- Any broker works: you log in with your own account, exactly as on your desktop. We are not a broker and never hold your funds.
- MT5 EAs compiled for AVX2 need the Paris server. On the other server an AVX2 .ex5 fails with error 568 — recompile with the AVX or X64 Regular target, or pick Paris when you order. MT4 .ex4 files are not affected.
- The terminal runs 24/7 and opens in any browser, on a laptop or a phone. No Remote Desktop, no VNC app, no IP or Windows password.
- A Trading VPS starts at $3.60/month for one terminal, with EA upload, TradingView webhooks and MCP access included.
Trading forex and CFDs on margin carries a high risk of loss. Ping is a hosting measurement, not a performance or profit claim.