ip rules

FTMO IP Detection Rules

A public-information guide to FTMO IP and account-security considerations focused on transparency, legitimate access, and rule verification.

By Alex MLast verified August 28, 202629 minute read
Trader reviewing automated trading compliance checklist
Trader reviewing automated trading compliance checklist

What FTMO IP detection rules mean for a responsible trader

The phrase FTMO IP detection rules is often entered into a search engine as though there were a single technical threshold that could settle every access question. That framing is not reliable. An internet protocol address is a network identifier observed when a device reaches an online service. It can offer context about a connection, but it is not a complete biography of the person behind the keyboard. Residential providers reassign addresses, mobile carriers share infrastructure, offices route many people through gateways, and hosted servers produce addresses associated with data centers. A sensible compliance review therefore begins with the person, the account, and the authorization for access, not with guesses about a secret detection formula.

This guide does not claim to know FTMO's private security methods. It does not describe how to avoid a review, make two operators look like one, or disguise a location. The reliable public starting point is the current FTMO Terms and Conditions listed below. Those terms may be amended, and an account can be governed by a particular version, product, platform, or agreement. Read the document that applies to your registration and check the dashboard for current notices. If your planned access pattern raises a question that the published language does not answer, contact FTMO through an official channel before trading. A forum answer or an old support screenshot cannot safely replace a current answer about your account.

Separate three ideas that online discussions regularly blend. First, network security asks whether a login appears legitimate and whether credentials may have been compromised. Second, account control asks who actually makes or implements trading decisions. Third, trading compliance asks whether the activity itself fits the applicable program conditions. A familiar IP address cannot make unauthorized management acceptable. An unfamiliar address does not, by itself, prove wrongdoing. Only FTMO can explain how its current rules apply to facts submitted by an account holder. Your practical job is to maintain a truthful arrangement that you can describe clearly, rather than trying to predict which technical signal might receive attention.

Begin by writing a plain access statement. Identify the named account holder, the devices that person controls, the usual type of connection, the trading platform, and any personally administered VPS. State whether automation runs and who can change its settings. List every other person who could view a screen, recover a password, open a remote session, or submit an order. If that list reveals an outside operator, passing service, shared credential, or vendor with continuing control, stop. Do not attempt to solve an account-control problem by changing a connection. Ask the firm whether the exact arrangement is allowed, and remain inactive when permission is uncertain.

An honest access statement is useful even when nothing unusual has happened. It creates a baseline for noticing a stolen password, an obsolete remote desktop account, a forgotten terminal installation, or an integration that still has authority. It also helps distinguish a normal change, such as moving from home broadband to personal mobile data, from a material change in who controls the account. Keep the statement private because it may contain security details. Record categories and dates rather than unnecessary secrets. Never place passwords, recovery codes, or full identity documents in a general compliance note.

The official terms are the authority cited here for FTMO-specific obligations. This article deliberately avoids asserting an unpublished limit on addresses, countries, devices, or connection changes. Where FTMO publishes a help article or gives you a written response that is more specific, compare it with your controlling agreement and retain the date. Ask follow-up questions if two official statements appear inconsistent. Until the issue is resolved, the conservative choice is not to place new orders. That pause is ordinary risk governance, not an admission of misconduct.

Core principle: Use secure, personally controlled access and disclose genuine facts accurately. Never organize a connection to hide the actual operator, residence, travel, account relationship, or source of trading decisions.

Read the official FTMO material before relying on summaries

The FTMO Terms and Conditions linked in the sources are the primary firm document for this article. Open the current page directly rather than relying on a quotation copied into a video, social post, vendor page, or discussion board. Confirm that you are reading terms relevant to your relationship and note the date of review. Legal and operational language can change, and product labels can be updated. This guide was verified on the source date shown below, but verification is not a promise that every sentence remains current when you read it. Recheck the official source before acting.

Read definitions first. Words such as customer, account, platform, service, credentials, and prohibited conduct may carry a defined meaning that differs from casual usage. Next, read provisions concerning registration, identity, account use, security, third-party access, trading behavior, suspension, review, and termination. Do not extract one sentence about a technical feature and treat it as blanket permission. A platform may support an EA or remote connection while the surrounding method of control creates a separate issue. Likewise, a secure connection does not settle whether copying, account management, or coordinated activity is permissible.

Create a source note with four fields: document title, exact URL, date accessed, and the narrow question being researched. Summarize the answer in your own words, then preserve the relevant official wording for personal reference where lawful. The purpose is not to construct a defensive dossier after a problem. It is to make a careful decision beforehand. If the wording depends on an account type, phase, platform, or region, include that context. A statement about another firm's program should never be imported into an FTMO decision, and a statement about one FTMO offering should not automatically be extended to every other offering.

Support questions work best when they describe facts without seeking a loophole. For example, explain that you will travel between named countries during specified dates, that only you will operate the account, and that you expect to use a named device or personally controlled VPS. Ask whether FTMO requires advance notice or another step under the current agreement. If an EA is involved, state where it runs, who owns or licenses it, who adjusts it, and whether any external signal or copier participates. Do not ask how many changes can occur before detection, which address is least likely to be reviewed, or how monitoring can be defeated. Those questions point away from compliant conduct.

Preserve a complete support exchange rather than a cropped sentence. Conditions and qualifications matter. Record the ticket date and account category, but protect ticket numbers and personal data from public posting. A response to someone else can be informative, yet it may rely on facts that do not match yours. The safest direct evidence is a reply from an official channel to an accurate description of your intended setup. Even that reply should be reconsidered after a material configuration or policy change.

The MetaTrader 5 User Manual is listed as a technical source, not as authority for FTMO permission. It can help a trader understand terminal behavior, automated trading controls, platform records, and operational security. It cannot amend FTMO's terms. The CFTC and NFA sources provide general investor education and risk context. They do not decide an individual FTMO dispute, endorse a prop firm arrangement, or provide a legal conclusion about your jurisdiction. Treat each source according to its role: FTMO for FTMO's published terms, platform documentation for software operation, and public regulators for broad educational cautions.

Whenever a rule remains ambiguous, write down what is known, what is unknown, and what action is paused. This simple distinction prevents an assumption from becoming a supposed fact. The unknown might be whether a particular hosted environment is acceptable, whether travel requires notice, or whether an outside analytics service receives too much access. The paused action might be a login, installation, trade, credential grant, or payout request. Resume only after current official information addresses the material uncertainty. No deadline or trading target justifies inventing permission.

Secure workstation showing expert advisor settings
Secure workstation showing expert advisor settings

Home, mobile, office, shared, and travel networks

Ordinary people change networks throughout a normal week. Home broadband can fail, a phone can become a hotspot, an office connection can route through a company gateway, and a hotel can place guests behind shared infrastructure. These examples explain why an IP address should not be treated as a perfect identity marker. They do not establish what FTMO currently permits. Check the official terms and ask FTMO about a planned pattern when it could be material. The compliance objective is a secure and truthful account, not a perfectly unchanging technical identifier.

For home access, secure the router and trading device with supported updates, unique passwords, and appropriate multifactor authentication where offered. Avoid leaving a trading terminal available to household members. If two people in one residence independently hold accounts, each should maintain separate credentials and personal control. Do not assume that a shared household connection is approved or prohibited based on an online anecdote. Describe the relationship and shared network accurately to FTMO and request current guidance. Never coordinate stories or alter a network merely to make account relationships harder to understand.

Mobile data is useful during a legitimate outage or journey, but convenience should not erase basic checks. Confirm that the device is yours, the login page or application is authentic, and no unknown remote-control software is active. Public Wi-Fi deserves extra caution because network operators and nearby users may present security risks. Prefer a connection you administer. If urgent market exposure exists, use the platform's supported controls carefully, then review account history after reconnecting. Do not place discretionary trades simply because you feel pressure to demonstrate activity while traveling.

An office or university network may be administered by an organization and shared by many users. It can also restrict ports, inspect traffic, or change its external route. Before using such a connection, consider whether organizational policy permits personal trading activity and whether the device is genuinely under your control. That employment or campus question is separate from FTMO compliance. If software administrators can enter the machine, do not pretend that the environment is exclusively personal. Choose a legitimate private setup or ask FTMO what information it needs. This article cannot determine workplace policy or local law.

Travel introduces several facts at once: physical location, time zone, device custody, connection provider, and possibly residence or identity information. Prepare before departure. Review the current FTMO agreement, verify recovery methods, record official support contact details, and decide whether trading is necessary during the trip. If you ask support, provide expected countries and dates without mischaracterizing tourism as relocation or relocation as tourism. Where immigration, sanctions, tax, employment, or financial law may matter, consult a qualified professional. Neither an IP address nor this educational page provides a legal answer.

Hotels and coworking facilities often use captive portals and shared addresses. A legitimate stay does not justify weak credential practices. Do not save platform passwords on a communal machine, install a terminal on a business center computer, or accept unsolicited help from staff. If a personal device is lost, revoke sessions and change credentials through supported processes. Notify FTMO when its instructions or the circumstances warrant notice. Keep a factual incident timeline including the loss, protective action, and official communications. Avoid speculative statements about what a security system did or did not observe.

Unexpected routing can occur without a user's intent. Internet providers may reassign addresses, corporate systems may route traffic through another region, and geolocation databases can disagree. If an official prompt questions a genuine change, answer with verifiable facts. A provider invoice, travel booking, or device security record may help explain context if FTMO requests appropriate evidence. Share only through an authenticated official channel and disclose no more sensitive information than required. Never fabricate a document, edit metadata, or ask another person to confirm a false account.

A practical network decision has three possible outcomes. Proceed when the connection is secure, personally controlled, and clearly consistent with current instructions. Pause and ask when a legitimate change creates uncertainty. Stop and remediate when credentials, identity, or device custody may be compromised. This framework is intentionally independent of rumors about detection sensitivity. It remains useful whether a firm reviews one signal or many, because it centers the conduct that the account holder can actually control.

Using a VPS for reliability without disguising identity

A virtual private server is a remotely hosted computer. Traders may consider one for continuity, stable power, or proximity to trading infrastructure. Those operational purposes do not create an exception from account rules. Before deploying a VPS, verify FTMO's current position for the exact program, platform, and proposed use. This article does not assert that every VPS provider, location, configuration, or account arrangement is accepted. Obtain written clarification where the official material does not plainly cover your facts.

Start with ownership and control. The named trader should establish the hosting account, protect its billing and recovery channels, administer authorized users, and understand which applications run there. A vendor-managed installation can quietly become third-party access if vendor staff retain credentials or remote authority. Ask the provider who can enter the server, under what support process, and whether access is logged. Infrastructure administrators may necessarily have technical powers, but a trading software seller should not receive ongoing operational control merely for convenience. Explain any material arrangement accurately if FTMO asks.

Choose a location for legitimate service quality and lawful availability, not to represent a false residence or conceal travel. A server address says where network traffic exits; it does not move the account holder or change personal facts. Do not use location switching, chained proxies, identity masking, or shared operator credentials to create a misleading record. This guide intentionally provides no configuration steps for evasion. If the desired workflow depends on FTMO misunderstanding where or by whom activity occurs, the workflow should not be used.

Harden the server before installing a terminal. Apply operating system updates, use a strong unique administrator secret, enable supported multifactor controls, restrict unnecessary services, and remove default or former user accounts. Keep remote desktop software current and review sign-in records for unexpected access. Back up configuration information without copying live credentials into insecure storage. Security controls reduce compromise risk, but they do not prove compliance. The controlling questions remain whether FTMO permits the arrangement and whether the account holder retains genuine authority.

Document the deployment in ordinary language. Include hosting provider, region, activation date, operating system, platform installation, authorized administrator, EA versions, and planned maintenance. Do not publicly publish the host address, machine name, passwords, or account number. Record why the VPS is necessary and what event requires shutdown. Useful stop events include an unexplained login, expired software license, unexpected order, failed update, unresolved support question, or loss of account-holder access. A prewritten stop condition helps prevent convenience from overriding judgment.

Shared hosting deserves careful review. A provider can assign addresses used by multiple customers, while some services offer dedicated resources. Neither label automatically determines FTMO compliance. Ask FTMO about the actual arrangement if sharing matters under current instructions, and ask the host accurate technical questions. Do not purchase a supposedly clean address or rely on marketing about avoiding flags. Such claims are not official authorization, may be misleading, and encourage attention to appearances rather than secure personal operation.

Maintenance creates temporary access questions. A host technician may request system information, an EA seller may offer remote installation, or a friend may volunteer to fix a terminal. Protect the trading account first. Use documentation and screen sharing without control where suitable, remove account credentials before general technical work, and never allow another person to place or manage trades. If hands-on support is unavoidable, obtain FTMO guidance in advance and limit permissions. Afterwards, rotate affected credentials and verify every authorized user, service, and scheduled task.

When retiring a VPS, close the terminal, remove stored credentials, revoke remote users, export only records you legitimately need, and follow the provider's secure deletion process. Update your access inventory so an abandoned host is not forgotten. Review the platform for active sessions and unexpected orders. A cancelled invoice alone does not prove that credentials disappeared. This final step is part of responsible account custody and makes later questions easier to answer honestly.

Risk management notes beside a trading platform
Risk management notes beside a trading platform

EAs, hosted terminals, HFT labels, and account control

An expert advisor is software capable of analyzing information and, when enabled, performing trading actions in a compatible platform. Its existence does not answer who controls an account or whether a strategy complies with FTMO's current terms. Review the agreement for the selected account and obtain official clarification for the precise automation workflow. The MetaTrader manual can explain platform functions, but technical availability is not firm permission. Treat those two questions separately every time.

Describe automation from signal origin to final order. Identify where data enters, what logic makes a decision, where code executes, which account receives the instruction, and who can alter parameters. Include cloud dashboards, webhooks, copy utilities, license servers, remote panels, and vendor support channels. A tool called an EA can still depend on an outside person. A tool called an indicator can still transmit information. Labels are less useful than a factual map of permissions and control.

Keep credentials with the account holder. Do not send platform passwords, recovery codes, remote desktop secrets, or identity materials to an EA seller. A commercial license to use code does not confer authority to trade somebody's account. Conversely, purchasing software does not prove that its methods satisfy FTMO rules. Read both agreements independently. Preserve the invoice, license scope, software version, checksum where available, and release notes. These records identify what you installed; they do not excuse prohibited behavior or guarantee eligibility.

High-frequency trading, latency strategies, arbitrage labels, and other technical categories are frequently discussed imprecisely. This page does not declare any category allowed or forbidden under every FTMO program. Consult the current official list of prohibited or restricted practices and ask support about observable behavior when classification is uncertain. Describe order frequency, holding logic, data source, platform interaction, and dependency on pricing or execution differences. Do not seek a less visible implementation of conduct that may be disallowed. Renaming a strategy cannot change what it actually does.

Automation needs conservative risk controls independent of its entry logic. Define maximum intended exposure, position count, per-trade risk, session stop, connection-loss behavior, and manual disable procedure. Reconcile those controls with the current FTMO loss and trading conditions rather than applying a generic formula from this article. We intentionally state no current percentage, reset time, or product-specific threshold here because the official rule for your account must be checked. Leave reasonable distance from a boundary and disable operation when a calculation is uncertain.

Software updates alter facts. A new build can change order comments, timing, symbol mapping, volume rounding, stop placement, dependency access, or network connections. Read release notes and compare permissions before deployment. Test only in an environment where testing is permitted, without assuming historical behavior predicts future operation. Record the version and configuration that you actually use. If an update requires a vendor to log in remotely or makes the strategy impossible to explain, postpone installation and seek a safer support path.

A hosted terminal may continue running while the trader sleeps or travels. Continuous execution does not transfer responsibility away from the operator. Establish monitoring for rejected orders, duplicate positions, disconnection, abnormal exposure, license failure, and unexpected configuration changes. Monitoring should support risk control, not provide another person with power to manage the account. If personal supervision is impractical, reduce operation or keep the system off rather than delegating intervention informally.

Trade copiers require their own analysis. Consider who owns every source and destination account, where decisions originate, whether multiple people receive identical instructions, and who can stop the master process. Never infer permission from the fact that copying software connects successfully. Ask FTMO about the exact ownership and control facts under its current terms. Do not place an external master behind a VPS to obscure the origin of decisions. If support does not clearly authorize the proposed structure, do not activate it.

A responsible automation record should be understandable without source-code expertise. It should say what activates an order, how size is determined, what ends exposure, who changes settings, which network services are contacted, and how the tool is stopped. It should also identify unknowns. This description helps the account holder ask a precise rule question and recognize when a vendor relationship has become practical account management. It is not a performance claim, backtest, approval certificate, or legal opinion.

VPS access and account security documentation
VPS access and account security documentation

Third-party services, credentials, and remote support

Third-party access is an account-control issue before it is an IP issue. A passing service, signal operator, account manager, software installer, coach, or friend may connect from a different address, but changing that address would not make the access personal. The central facts are who holds credentials, who decides or implements trades, and who can alter risk. Review FTMO's current terms for restrictions that apply to those facts. Do not give access first and seek approval later.

Passing services deserve direct scrutiny because their advertised task may involve completing an evaluation for the purchaser. This article does not assess any provider's results, price, refund record, or legality. It makes no pass-rate claim and offers no testimonial. Ask FTMO whether the described allocation of control is permitted. If a provider asks for a trading login, recovery channel, identity document, remote desktop credential, or ability to place orders, do not proceed without explicit current authorization. Marketing language cannot amend your agreement with FTMO.

Signal services range from general education to instructions copied automatically into an account. Map the actual workflow. A chat message that the trader independently evaluates differs operationally from a connector that sends orders without review, yet either arrangement can raise program questions depending on current rules. Avoid assumptions. Tell FTMO whether signals are individualized, whether software executes them, whether other customers receive the same trades, and whether a provider can adjust positions. Use the official answer, not the vendor's interpretation.

Remote technical support should use the least privilege needed. Start with written documentation and verified support channels. Remove sensitive files from view. If screen sharing is necessary, prefer observation while the account holder performs steps, provided that method fits the applicable rules and security policy. Do not reveal passwords on screen. Never leave an unattended remote session open, and do not allow a technician to trade as a test. End the session, revoke temporary permissions, inspect installed software, and change any secret that may have been exposed.

Credential sharing is dangerous even when the recipient is trusted. A shared password makes attribution harder, expands the attack surface, and may conflict with account obligations. Password managers can secure personal storage, but a shared vault does not make delegated account use acceptable. Recovery email and telephone access matter as much as the primary password because they can enable takeover. Review those channels after travel, device loss, contractor work, or a relationship change. Contact FTMO promptly through official methods if compromise is suspected.

Analytics tools can request broad permissions while appearing passive. Determine whether a service reads history, submits orders, changes settings, stores account numbers, or retains tokens after cancellation. Read its privacy and security materials, but remember that vendor documentation does not settle FTMO permission. Grant no more access than required, and revoke it when the purpose ends. If the only integration method requires trading credentials or control by another party, pause and ask FTMO before connecting it.

Coaching should remain clearly distinguished from operation. Education can discuss risk concepts, platform features, and review methods without taking control. A coach who logs in, selects exact live orders, adjusts positions, or operates software may create materially different facts. Avoid euphemisms such as assistance, setup help, or mentorship when describing the conduct to support. A plain factual account produces a more useful answer. The account holder should never make a false statement about who acted.

After any accidental disclosure, contain the incident. Disable or close questionable sessions where safe, rotate credentials using official processes, inspect account and platform history, and notify FTMO when appropriate. Preserve truthful logs instead of cleaning them to improve appearances. Record what information was exposed, to whom, when, and what remediation occurred. Do not continue trading while another person may retain access. FTMO alone determines consequences under its agreement; this guide cannot promise an outcome.

Keep useful evidence without manufacturing a narrative

Good records help a trader remember decisions, investigate security events, and answer legitimate questions. They are not a device for transforming prohibited activity into acceptable activity. Create records at the time of each material event and keep them accurate. Never backdate a note, alter a log, crop away relevant context, or generate a false travel or residence explanation. If a mistake occurred, an honest chronology is more responsible than a polished fiction.

Maintain an access inventory containing device type, operating system, platform installation, personally controlled VPS, and authorized account holder. Dates of activation and retirement are more useful than a giant collection of raw addresses. Store sensitive technical details in an encrypted location with limited access. Do not publish them in a forum when asking for advice. Publicly exposing identifiers can create a second security problem without resolving the first compliance question.

Keep official correspondence in complete form. Save the question, response, date, sender domain, account context, and any stated conditions. Verify that messages genuinely came through FTMO's official channel before following instructions or uploading documents. Phishing messages often manufacture urgency. Navigate independently to known official contact points rather than trusting an unexpected link. When uncertain, start a new support request through the authenticated site and reference the suspicious communication.

Platform history can show orders, modifications, comments, and timing. Server or operating system records can show technical activity. Interpret either cautiously. A log entry may need context, and the absence of an entry does not prove that nothing happened. Do not make technical claims beyond your expertise. Preserve originals and provide requested records through secure official channels. If professional forensic assistance is needed, first clarify access boundaries so an investigator does not gain unauthorized power over a live trading account.

For travel, retain ordinary records that already exist, such as itinerary dates or provider notices, rather than assembling excessive surveillance about yourself. Share evidence only when FTMO legitimately requests it and through a verified process. Redact information only where permitted and never in a way that changes the meaning. Ask support what format and scope are needed. Privacy minimization and factual cooperation can coexist.

For automation, record software name, developer, license, version, installation date, meaningful inputs, connected services, and manual stop method. Note any vendor support session and whether permissions were revoked. Keep a change log for updates. This material helps explain system operation, but it cannot establish that a strategy was permitted merely because it was documented. Rule verification remains a separate task tied to the current FTMO agreement.

For network changes, record the practical cause rather than speculating about geolocation. Examples include provider maintenance, mobile fallback, relocation, travel, or migration to a VPS. If the cause is unknown, say that it is unknown and investigate securely. Do not select an explanation because it sounds more acceptable. A truthful unknown is preferable to an invented certainty. Ask the provider for ordinary service information if needed, without requesting falsified location evidence.

Set a retention plan proportionate to account obligations and applicable privacy law. Delete obsolete copies securely when they are no longer needed, unless a legitimate dispute, request, or legal duty requires preservation. This article cannot set a universal retention period or provide legal advice. The NFA and CFTC educational sources offer broad risk-awareness context, but neither source establishes a specific record schedule for an FTMO participant. Seek qualified advice where statutory duties may apply.

Trader reading official prop firm rules
Trader reading official prop firm rules

Responding to access prompts, travel questions, and incidents

An access prompt or security inquiry should produce a calm pause, not a search for concealment. Read the message carefully, verify its origin, and avoid placing new trades if account control is uncertain. Use FTMO's official contact route to confirm what information is requested. Do not send identity documents, credentials, or payment information to an unverified address. If the communication sets a deadline, acknowledge it through the authenticated channel and ask for clarification where necessary.

Build a factual timeline before responding. Include the last known normal access, device used, network category, physical location, relevant travel, VPS status, automation status, and any third-party contact. Distinguish direct observations from assumptions. For example, "my provider reported an outage at 14:00" is an observation supported by a notice, while "the system must have viewed my hotspot as foreign" is speculation. Clear separation improves accuracy and avoids escalating a technical guess into a false claim.

If credentials may be compromised, secure recovery email and telephone channels first, then follow supported password-reset and session-revocation procedures. Scan personally controlled devices with reputable security tools and update them. Do not ask the suspected person to help investigate through the same remote connection. Preserve relevant evidence and tell FTMO what protective actions were taken. Security remediation should not include deleting truthful platform history or inventing a benign operator.

If travel caused the change, state dates and locations accurately. Explain whether the same personal device was used and whether a VPS continued operating. Do not claim that a hosted server means you remained physically in its region. If residence or eligibility information changed, ask FTMO how to update it. Questions about immigration status, tax residence, sanctions, consumer rights, or local trading law require qualified advice. An official support response about platform access is not necessarily a legal opinion on those separate matters.

If a vendor or technician accessed the environment, identify the person's role, permission, duration, and actual actions. Avoid minimizing the event with a vague phrase such as routine setup. If that person could see credentials, place orders, or change automation, say so. End access and rotate secrets. FTMO determines how its agreement applies; the trader should not attempt to coach the third party into matching a preferred story.

If an EA generated unintended activity, disable it where safe, preserve the configuration, and note the version and observed behavior. Review open exposure through supported platform controls. Contact FTMO if the incident raises a rule or account question. Do not rewrite code or logs before preserving what occurred. A software defect does not guarantee a particular account outcome, and this page cannot predict FTMO's response. Honest containment is the proper first objective.

A denied request or adverse account decision may have a review procedure stated in current official materials. Follow that procedure, use the specified channel, meet applicable deadlines, and provide relevant authentic evidence. Keep the communication concise and professional. Do not threaten staff, publish private employee details, submit fabricated records, or repeatedly open duplicate tickets. If a substantial legal or financial issue exists, consult an appropriately qualified adviser in your jurisdiction rather than treating online commentary as representation.

After closure of the incident, perform a lessons review. Ask which control failed, whether the access inventory was current, whether software permissions were excessive, and whether travel planning was adequate. Update security and stop conditions without rewriting the historical record. Recheck FTMO's current terms before resuming. An incident-free period does not grant permanent approval for a setup, while one legitimate change does not justify assuming every future change is equivalent.

A compliance-focused pre-trade access checklist

Run this checklist before the first session, after travel, after a device or provider change, after installing automation, and whenever official terms change. It is a decision aid, not a certificate of compliance. A checked box cannot override FTMO's agreement or a direct instruction. Where an item is unresolved, keep the platform inactive and obtain current official guidance. Record the review date so an old conclusion is not mistaken for a permanent rule.

Identity and account

  • Confirm that the correct named account holder is personally operating the account.
  • Verify the exact FTMO product, phase, platform, and applicable agreement.
  • Check that registration, residence, and contact information remain accurate.
  • Ensure no passing service, account manager, friend, or vendor can trade.
  • Stop if another person possesses a password, recovery code, or active session.

Identity review is not satisfied merely because the platform displays the expected account number. Check the human control behind the session. If a family member helped recover email, a technician retained remote access, or a vendor configured an unattended service, resolve that access before proceeding. Ask FTMO about facts that current terms do not clearly address. Never use another person's identity information or ask another person to complete verification.

Device and connection

  • Confirm that operating system and trading software updates are supported and current.
  • Use a connection chosen for security and reliability, not identity concealment.
  • Review active remote users, startup services, integrations, and saved sessions.
  • Document genuine travel, provider, device, or hosting changes in private records.
  • Ask FTMO before trading when a material location arrangement remains uncertain.

A checklist should never contain a target number of IP addresses or an assumed safe pattern. This article has no verified basis for such a number, and publishing one would encourage false certainty. Focus instead on personal custody, accurate account information, supported software, and transparent communication. If a geolocation service displays surprising information, do not manipulate the connection to obtain a preferred label. Ask the provider for an explanation and tell FTMO the facts if relevant.

VPS and automation

  • Verify that current FTMO materials support the proposed setup or seek clarification.
  • Confirm the account holder administers the host and can disable all trading.
  • Record the EA license, version, inputs, connected services, and update status.
  • Remove vendor credentials and temporary support permissions after legitimate work.
  • Review risk limits against the exact current account rules before activation.

Do not let uptime become an excuse for unattended risk. Confirm open positions, pending orders, volume logic, stop behavior, and the response to lost connectivity. Use the MetaTrader manual to understand controls where relevant, then reconcile the behavior with FTMO's current conditions. If the strategy depends on a prohibited practice, technical anomaly, hidden external operator, or misleading location representation, it should remain off. This page gives no HFT bypass, copier disguise, or monitoring-avoidance instructions.

Records and communication

  • Open the official terms URL and record today's review date.
  • Retain complete official support responses with their conditions and context.
  • Keep authentic access and software records in protected storage.
  • Verify requests before transmitting identity or account information.
  • Define who will contact FTMO and what event triggers an immediate pause.

End the checklist with a written decision: proceed, pause for clarification, or stop for remediation. Include a short reason. "Proceed because the personally controlled setup matches the current documented answer" is more meaningful than a bare check mark. "Pause because travel and VPS use have not been clarified" identifies the next action. "Stop because vendor access remains active" identifies a security defect. Revisit the decision after any material change.

Risk management also belongs in the pre-trade review, although it cannot cure an access violation. Confirm current loss definitions, reset timing, open exposure treatment, scheduled restrictions, and instrument conditions from FTMO's official materials. Do not rely on numerical examples from unrelated accounts. Select conservative personal limits and a manual stop. Neither careful sizing nor a profitable trade makes unauthorized account operation permissible.

Conclusion: FTMO IP Detection Rules

The sound conclusion about FTMO IP detection rules is not a theory about invisible thresholds. It is a method for maintaining legitimate, secure, and explainable account access. Keep the named trader in personal control. Protect credentials and recovery channels. Use home, mobile, travel, or hosted connections only for genuine operational reasons. Describe material changes accurately. Review the current FTMO Terms and Conditions and ask official support when the applicable answer is unclear.

An IP address provides limited technical context and should never become a substitute for examining actual conduct. A stable address does not authorize third-party management, copying, prohibited automation, or identity misrepresentation. A changing address can have ordinary causes, but those causes do not automatically establish permission under a particular agreement. Avoid both extremes. Do not treat every change as proof of wrongdoing, and do not treat technical variability as freedom to conceal the operator.

VPS use should be organized around reliability and security, never around appearing to be somewhere else. Personally administer authorized access, remove obsolete users, document software, and verify the current firm position for your exact workflow. An EA should be mapped from signal source to order, with the account holder able to explain, supervise, and stop it. HFT labels, copier labels, and vendor marketing do not resolve compliance. Observable behavior and current official language matter more than names.

Third parties create the clearest reason to slow down. Do not hand credentials to a passing service, account manager, signal seller, installer, or coach. If technical support is required, minimize permission and confirm boundaries before allowing access. A software purchase, refund promise, impressive screenshot, or claim of previous success is not FTMO authorization. This guide intentionally supplies no prices, performance results, pass rates, testimonials, or forecasts.

When travel or an incident changes the access picture, pause and construct an honest timeline. Secure compromised channels, preserve authentic records, verify official messages, and respond with facts rather than guesses. Do not alter logs or manufacture evidence. FTMO determines how its agreement applies to an individual account. Where legal, tax, sanctions, residence, or consumer-rights questions arise, seek qualified advice for the relevant jurisdiction. Nothing here is a legal conclusion.

Use the pre-trade checklist as a recurring control. Verify identity, account type, device custody, network purpose, VPS administration, software version, external services, risk settings, and current rule sources. End with an explicit proceed, pause, or stop decision. A pause protects the account holder from acting on an unsupported assumption and creates time for a narrow written question. There is no trading target important enough to justify uncertain authorization.

Finally, verify the rules again before acting. The official FTMO page linked below is the cited source for current firm terms, and your account may include additional applicable information. Platform documentation and public investor-education resources serve supporting roles only. Keep your arrangement simple enough to describe truthfully, secure enough to withstand ordinary mistakes, and controlled closely enough that no outside person becomes the hidden operator. That compliance-first approach is more durable than any attempt to predict or defeat detection.

Bottom line: Trade only through access you are authorized to use, retain personal control, communicate genuine changes honestly, and remain inactive until FTMO clarifies any material uncertainty under the current rules.

Sources and rule verification

FTMO IP Detection Rules video