What SEBI changed
SEBI's framework for safer participation of retail investors in algorithmic trading moved API trading onto identifiable infrastructure. Brokers now ask every API user to register the static IP address their orders come from, and they reject orders from any other address.
A normal home or mobile connection changes its IP address from time to time. If the address changes, the broker sees an unregistered IP and the order fails, usually at the worst moment.
Three ways to get a static IP
| Option | Typical cost a month | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static IP from your ISP | About ₹250–₹300 (Airtel lists ₹299 + GST) | Trading from one office PC | Power cuts, router restarts and your PC must stay on |
| Static IP service | About ₹200–₹300 for IPv4 | Routing an existing setup through a fixed address | Adds a network hop; your code still runs at home |
| VPS with a dedicated IP | From ₹1,499 with Dataklo | Strategies that must run all market hours | Costs more than an IP alone, but replaces the PC too |
If your strategy needs to run unattended, a VPS is the safer choice: it stays on, sits in a Mumbai data centre close to the brokers, and its IP never changes.
How to register the IP with your broker
- Get the static IP: from your ISP, your IP service, or the welcome email of your VPS.
- Log in to your broker's API or developer console. The setting is usually next to your API key.
- Add the IP address as the allowed address for that key. Some brokers allow a primary and a backup IP.
- Place a small test order from the server to confirm it is accepted.
- Keep a note of the date: some brokers limit how often you can change the registered IP.
Brokers and what to check
Our customers use static IPs with Zerodha Kite Connect, Upstox, Angel One SmartAPI, Dhan and Fyers. Each broker publishes its own rules, and they change. Before you order, check three things in your broker's latest API notice:
- How many IP addresses you can register per API key or account.
- Whether a backup IP is allowed, so a standby server can take over.
- How often you can change the registered IP.
A setup that survives market hours
- Run the strategy on a VPS in Mumbai, not on a laptop.
- Log every order and error to disk, so you can see what happened after a bad day.
- Keep a second VPS in Delhi NCR as a standby, if your broker accepts a backup IP.
- Restart and update the server on weekends, never during market hours.