Prop Firm IP Address Rule Explained: Why Does it Exist

You've passed the challenge evaluation, secured your trading account, and now you're ready to start trading. But wait. What is a Funded Account if you can't access it because of an IP address violation? Many traders discover too late that prop firms enforce strict location and connection rules, and a single login from the wrong network can flag their account or even result in termination. Understanding these IP address restrictions before you begin is the difference between building your trading career and losing your opportunity entirely.

That's where a transparent funded trading program becomes essential. AquaFunded removes the guesswork by clearly explaining connection policies upfront, ensuring you know exactly which networks are acceptable, whether VPNs are allowed, and how to protect your account from accidental violations. Instead of stumbling through vague terms and conditions, you get straightforward guidance that helps you trade with a funded account confidently, focusing on your strategy rather than worrying about technical compliance issues that could derail your progress.

Summary

• Prop firms track IP addresses primarily to verify that a single person operates a single account, automating identity verification across thousands of traders without requiring manual reviews for every login. The monitoring detects account sharing, trade-copying networks, and coordinated strategies that would otherwise undermine the evaluation model, allowing skilled traders to pass multiple accounts simultaneously and execute hedged positions across a portfolio while shifting all downside risk to the firm.
• IP consistency expectations don't prohibit all location changes, but firms interpret frequent switching without explanation as evidence of location masking or shared infrastructure use. The enforcement centers on behavioral patterns rather than technical absolutes. A trader logging in from New York one day and London the next without prior notice creates red flags, not because travel violates rules, but because sudden geographic shifts match patterns associated with account sharing or VPN masking that firms specifically prohibit.
• Multiple accounts from the same household violate most firm policies, even when those accounts belong to different people trading independent strategies. Firms like Top One Trader explicitly state that one household equals one account, extending restrictions beyond individual traders to physical locations. This eliminates scenarios in which coordinated activity could theoretically occur, even if coordination does not occur, leaving household members who believed they followed the rules suddenly locked out with no recourse.
• Device fingerprinting creates hidden enforcement triggers that persist even when you change networks or wait months between accounts. Browser fingerprints, operating system details, and hardware specifications create unique signatures that flag potential ban evasion when a new account appears on a device previously associated with a terminated account. Traders face violations based on device reuse across accounts that never operated simultaneously, with enforcement prioritizing system flags over contextual review of whether genuine coordination occurred.
• Terminations for IP violations often occur just before traders reach payout thresholds or pass final evaluation stages, creating suspicion that firms use compliance enforcement strategically to avoid funding accounts. The pattern repeats: accounts sail through evaluation phases without compliance questions, then face sudden scrutiny, citing evidence from months earlier when requesting withdrawals. Support teams respond slowly and refuse to provide detailed explanations of exactly which policy was violated and when, making it impossible for traders to understand what triggered enforcement or how to avoid future violations.
• Geographic restrictions require that funded accounts trade from the same country or region where the evaluations were completed, preventing traders in prohibited jurisdictions from using location masking during the assessment and then reverting to their actual location once funded. 
• This is where AquaFunded's trading program fits in: it publishes explicit IP and location policies before traders purchase evaluations, so they understand the requirements upfront and receive specific explanations with timestamps and evidence when enforcement occurs, rather than vague references to policy violations.

What is the Prop Firm IP Address Rule

Prop firms monitor IP addresses to verify that each funded account is operated by a single authorized trader from a consistent location. The rule exists to prevent account manipulation, trade copying between multiple accounts, and coordinated strategies that violate firm policies. Most firms track IP patterns rather than penalizing every minor change, focusing enforcement on suspicious activity like simultaneous logins from different locations or multiple accounts trading identical positions from related IP addresses. The critical distinction lies between incidental IP changes and deliberate rule circumvention. If you travel and trade from a hotel, most firms won't terminate your account. If you run three accounts from the same household executing mirrored trades, that triggers immediate scrutiny. The enforcement centers on behavior patterns, not technical absolutes.

What Firms Actually Monitor

Prop firms don't just log your IP address when you log in. They track device fingerprints, browser metadata, login timestamps, and geolocation data to build a profile of normal account activity. When deviations appear, automated systems flag the account for review. A trader logging in from New York on Monday and from London on Tuesday without prior notice raises a red flag, not because travel is prohibited, but because sudden geographic shifts align with patterns associated with account sharing or VPN masking. The monitoring extends beyond simple IP logging. Firms compare trading behavior across accounts originating from similar network ranges. If two accounts from the same IP block execute trades within seconds of each other, algorithms detect potential coordination even if the traders never communicated directly. This layer of surveillance is necessary because manual review can't scale to thousands of active accounts.

Single IP Consistency Expectations

Most firms expect you to trade from a single primary location with a stable, identifiable IP address. This doesn't mean you're locked to a single physical address forever, but frequent IP address changes without explanation suggest you're either masking your location or operating from shared infrastructure. Firms interpret consistency as a signal of trust. When your account shows predictable login patterns from recognizable locations, compliance teams spend less time investigating you and more time catching actual rule breakers. The expectation isn't about control. It's about verification. Firms need confidence that the person who passed the evaluation is the same person trading the funded account. IP stability provides that assurance without requiring invasive identity checks on every login. The moment that stability breaks, questions arise.

Multiple Accounts and Household Trading

Trading multiple accounts from the same IP address or household violates most firm policies, even when those accounts belong to different people. From the firm's perspective, the risk is straightforward: coordinated strategies that hedge risk across accounts or duplicate profitable trades create an unfair advantage while shifting all downside to the firm. Enforcement doesn't require proof of coordination. The mere presence of multiple accounts under one roof often suffices for termination. A common pattern surfaces when household members decide to trade independently.

Spouses, roommates, or siblings each fund their own accounts, follow different strategies, and never discuss trades. Despite operating in good faith, they face termination if the firm's systems detect multiple accounts accessing the platform from the same IP address. The firm's terms prohibit this arrangement regardless of intent, leaving traders who believed they followed the rules suddenly locked out with no recourse. Firms like Top One Trader explicitly state that one household equals one account, extending the restriction beyond individual traders to physical locations. This policy eliminates gray areas but creates frustration for families where multiple members trade professionally. The enforcement isn't about catching cheaters in these cases. It's about eliminating any scenario in which coordinated activity could occur, even when it doesn't.

VPN and Proxy Restrictions

Virtual Private Networks and proxy servers mask your actual IP address, making it impossible for firms to verify your true location. Most prop firms ban VPN usage outright, treating any detected VPN connection as grounds for immediate account termination. The logic is simple: if you're trading legitimately from an allowed location, you have no reason to hide your IP address. VPN usage signals either circumvention of geographic restrictions or an attempt to obscure multi-account activity. The ban creates legitimate problems for traders concerned about network security or those working from public WiFi. A trader at a coffee shop who uses a VPN to protect financial data from potential eavesdropping violates firm policy, even if they have no intent to manipulate. Firms prioritize monitoring over individual security preferences, leaving traders to choose between personal cybersecurity practices and account compliance.

Some firms, like FundedNext, allow limited flexibility, permitting device changes as long as the IP address remains within the same geographic region used during evaluation. This approach acknowledges that traders move between locations while maintaining the core principle: your funded account should operate from the same country or region where you demonstrated trading competence. Shifting from a New York IP during evaluation to a Singapore IP on the funded account raises questions about who's actually executing the trades.

Device Fingerprinting and Hidden Triggers

Beyond IP addresses, firms track device-specific identifiers that persist even when you change networks. Browser fingerprints, operating system details, screen resolution, installed fonts, and hardware specifications create a unique signature for each device. When a new account suddenly appears on a device previously associated with a terminated account, automated systems flag potential ban evasion, even if months have passed since the accounts were terminated and there is no IP overlap.

This creates a trap many traders don't see coming. You fail a challenge, close the account, wait several weeks, purchase a new evaluation on the same laptop, and get terminated for device-sharing violations. The firm's system recognized your hardware signature and applied retroactive enforcement, treating your new attempt as a continuation of the old account rather than a fresh start. The policy isn't documented in user-facing terms of service, leaving traders blindsided when enforcement occurs.

Traders face account termination based on device-sharing accusations that contradict temporal evidence. When accounts were never active simultaneously, with weeks or months separating their active periods, the violation appears technical rather than substantive. Yet firms maintain that device reuse across accounts, regardless of timing, constitutes sharing. The interpretation prioritizes system flags over contextual review, automating decisions that feel arbitrary to affected traders.

Enforcement Patterns and Timing Concerns

Terminations for IP-related violations often occur just before traders reach payout thresholds or pass final evaluation stages. The timing creates suspicion that firms use compliance enforcement strategically to avoid funding accounts. A trader spends weeks building a profitable track record, approaches the profit target, and receives a termination notice citing evidence of device sharing from months earlier. The delayed enforcement feels less like rule application and more like payout prevention.

The pattern repeats across firms and trader experiences. Accounts sail through evaluation phases without compliance questions, then face sudden scrutiny when requesting withdrawals. Support teams respond slowly, often taking 24 hours or more to reply, and refuse to escalate cases or provide detailed explanations of which policy was violated and when. The lack of transparency compounds frustration, making it impossible for traders to understand what they did wrong or how to avoid future violations.

Some traders lose hundreds or thousands in evaluation fees when firms apply undocumented interpretations of IP and device-sharing rules. The financial impact extends beyond the terminated account. Traders who invest across multiple challenges simultaneously see all accounts closed under the same violation, instantly multiplying losses. The enforcement feels disproportionate when the alleged violation involves a technical device history with no evidence of actual coordination or manipulation.

Platforms like funded trading program approach this differently, publishing clear IP and device policies upfront so traders understand exactly what constitutes a violation before purchasing evaluations. When enforcement occurs, traders receive a clear explanation of the flagged activity, including timestamps and evidence, allowing them to verify whether a genuine violation occurred or a system error resulted in a false positive. Transparency doesn't eliminate all disputes, but it eliminates the guessing game that leaves traders feeling ambushed by hidden rules.

Geographic Restrictions and Location Verification

Firms require that your funded account be located in the same country or region where you completed the evaluation. The restriction prevents traders in prohibited jurisdictions from using VPNs or proxies to appear compliant during evaluation, then reverting to their actual location once funded. Geographic consistency serves as a proxy for identity verification, confirming that the person trading the funded account matches the person who demonstrated competence during assessment.

FundedNext explicitly states that evaluation and funded account IPs must originate from the same region; any inconsistency will trigger an investigation and may result in documentation requests. Traders who travel frequently or relocate between evaluation and funding face compliance hurdles even when operating in good faith. The burden falls on the trader to prove their location with utility bills, government IDs, or other documentation, creating friction in what should be a straightforward funding process.

The policy poses particular challenges for digital nomads and expatriate traders who regularly move between countries. A trader might complete an evaluation in Thailand, return to Canada for a month, then travel to Mexico before receiving access to a funded account. Each location shift requires explanation and documentation, and firms reserve the right to deny funding if the movement pattern appears suspicious. The restriction prioritizes firm risk management over trader flexibility, assuming mobility indicates potential fraud rather than legitimate lifestyle choices. But here's what most traders don't realize until it's too late: the IP rule isn't really about your internet connection at all.

Why Does the IP Address Rule Exist

The IP address rule exists because prop firms need a reliable way to verify that a single person trades from a single account. When firms scale to thousands of traders, manual identity verification becomes impossible. IP tracking automates the process, creating a digital signature that connects account activity to a specific person in a specific place. The rule prevents account sharing, trade-copying networks, and proxy trading schemes that would otherwise undermine the evaluation model. The system works like a security checkpoint at an airport. Your boarding pass gets you through once, but if someone else tries to use it five minutes later at a different gate, alarms sound. Prop firms apply the same logic. Your IP address becomes your digital boarding pass. When the same account suddenly appears from multiple locations or multiple accounts appear from one location, the system flags potential fraud.

The Economics Behind Enforcement

Prop firms operate on a business model in which evaluation fees fund operations, while a small percentage of traders receive payouts. According to research analyzing 10 years of IPv4 transfer data, IP address tracking infrastructure has become increasingly sophisticated as firms compete to prevent coordinated trading schemes. The investment in monitoring technology reveals how seriously firms take this threat. They're not tracking IPs because it's convenient. They're tracking because coordinated account manipulation directly threatens profitability.

When traders share accounts or run coordinated strategies across multiple evaluations, they essentially hack the risk model. One skilled trader could pass ten evaluations simultaneously, collect funding on all ten accounts, then execute a single high-conviction trade across the entire portfolio. If the trade wins, they withdraw profits from all accounts. If it loses, the firm absorbs losses multiplied by ten, while the trader risks only the evaluation fees. This asymmetry explains why firms react aggressively to any hint of coordination. The enforcement isn't about catching every violation. It's about making coordination risky enough that most traders won't attempt it. Firms accept that some sophisticated actors will evade detection. What they can't accept is casual account sharing becoming a normalized behavior that erodes the entire funding model.

What Triggers Actually Detect

IP monitoring systems don't just log your address when you log in. They build behavioral profiles that identify normal patterns and flag deviations. A trader who logs in from the same residential IP address every weekday between 8 AM and 4 PM creates a predictable baseline. When that account suddenly shows activity from a data center IP at 2 AM, automated systems don't assume the trader moved. They assume someone else accessed the account. The pattern recognition extends to trading behavior itself. If two accounts from similar IP ranges use identical position-sizing, entry timing, and exit strategies, algorithms can detect correlation even when the traders have never communicated. The system doesn't need proof of coordination. Statistical improbability becomes the evidence. When trading decisions align too consistently across accounts sharing network infrastructure, firms investigate.

Device fingerprinting adds another detection layer. Your browser reveals dozens of data points: screen resolution, installed fonts, timezone settings, language preferences, and plugin configurations. These details create a unique identifier that persists across IP changes. When a device previously associated with a terminated account suddenly appears on a new evaluation, the system connects the dots. The trader thought they started fresh. The firm's database says otherwise.

Why Firms Don't Publish Detection Methods

Transparency creates an arms race. The moment firms explain exactly how they detect violations, sophisticated actors engineer workarounds. If a firm states that it flags accounts when two evaluations from the same IP execute trades within 30 seconds of each other, coordinated traders simply add 60-second delays. If firms reveal they track browser fingerprints, traders start using virtual machines with randomized configurations. This opacity frustrates legitimate traders who want clear boundaries. You can't optimize for rules you don't fully understand. But firms prioritize catching bad actors over reassuring good ones. The calculation is cold: losing some legitimate traders to confusion costs less than letting coordination networks operate freely. The information asymmetry also allows firms to adjust detection thresholds without announcing changes. As evasion techniques evolve, firms tighten monitoring parameters. Behaviors that passed unnoticed six months ago suddenly trigger flags. Traders experience this as arbitrary enforcement, but from the firm's perspective, it's adaptive security. The rules didn't change. The sophistication of violations did.

The Account Sharing Economy

A shadow market exists in which skilled traders sell their services to help others pass evaluations. The buyer purchases a challenge, provides login credentials, and the hired trader completes the evaluation. Once funded, the buyer takes over and trades the account. This arrangement violates every firm's terms, but detection is difficult when the IP address remains consistent. Some operations scale this model industrially. A single trading team might manage dozens of evaluations simultaneously, using residential proxy networks to obscure the fact that all accounts originate from a single location. They rotate through evaluations systematically, passing enough to generate steady funding while staying below detection thresholds that would reveal the coordination. Firms combat this by tracking not just where accounts log in from, but how they behave after funding. When a funded account's trading style suddenly shifts completely from the evaluation phase, it suggests that different people control the account at different stages. The IP might match, but the decision-making pattern doesn't. This behavioral analysis catches schemes that pure IP tracking misses.

Why Geographic Consistency Matters

The requirement that funded accounts trade from the same region as evaluations serves a specific purpose: it prevents traders in restricted jurisdictions from using location masking during evaluation, then reverting to their actual location once funded. If firms allowed this, they'd inadvertently provide capital to traders in countries where they lack legal authority to operate or face regulatory restrictions. The policy also addresses tax and compliance complexity. When a trader passes an evaluation appearing to be in one country but trades the funded account from another, the firm faces questions about which jurisdiction's regulations apply. Rather than navigate this complexity case by case, firms enforce geographic consistency as a blanket rule. Platforms like funded trading programs take a different approach by publishing explicit geographic policies before traders purchase evaluations. You know upfront which locations qualify, what documentation proves residency, and how location changes get handled. Transparency doesn't eliminate restrictions; it removes the element of surprise. Traders make informed decisions about whether their situation fits the firm's requirements before investing evaluation fees.

The Real Purpose No One Mentions

Strip away the fraud prevention justification, and you find a simpler truth: IP monitoring gives firms control. When you trade from a tracked, verified location using monitored devices, the firm knows exactly who you are and where to find you if disputes arise. The surveillance isn't just about preventing rule violations. It's about maintaining leverage.

This power dynamic becomes evident when enforcement patterns don't align with stated policies. Traders operating transparently within documented rules still face termination when firms decide their activity looks suspicious. The IP rule provides legal cover for discretionary decisions that might otherwise seem arbitrary. The firm doesn't need to prove you violated a specific policy. They just need to point at IP anomalies and invoke security concerns.

The imbalance frustrates traders who followed every published rule yet lost accounts to undisclosed detection criteria. You can't defend against accusations when you don't know what triggered them. The firm holds all the data, all the interpretation authority, and all the decision-making power. The IP rule concentrates that power by making your digital footprint the ultimate arbiter of account legitimacy. But understanding why the rule exists doesn't tell you how to live with it without losing your account to a false positive.

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How to Not Violate the IP Address Rule

Stay in one place when you trade. Use the same internet connection, device, and physical location throughout your evaluation and funded trading. Firms track consistency, not perfection. They want to see predictable patterns that confirm you're the same person operating the account every day. When your digital footprint stays stable, compliance systems leave you alone. The challenge isn't understanding the rule. It's navigating the dozens of small decisions that either build trust with the monitoring system or trigger flags you didn't know existed. Every login creates data. Every trade adds to your behavioral profile. The question isn't whether firms watch; it's whether what they see matches their expectations.

Establish a Primary Trading Location

Pick one physical address where you'll conduct all trading activity. This becomes your verified location in the firm's database. If you trade from home, that residential IP address becomes your identifier. If you use an office, that commercial connection becomes your baseline. The specific location matters less than the commitment to consistency. Residential connections carry more trust than commercial ones. Data center IP addresses, cloud hosting ranges, and shared office networks raise immediate questions because they're commonly used to obscure actual locations or to run multiple accounts. When compliance systems observe a residential IP address with consistent patterns over weeks or months, they classify the account as low risk. When they see hosting infrastructure, they assume you're hiding something until proven otherwise.

Change your location once and document it proactively. Moving cities, traveling for extended periods, or relocating abroad doesn't violate the rules if you provide advance notice. Firms provide notification processes specifically for this purpose. The violation occurs when your IP address suddenly changes without explanation, leading compliance teams to interpret the change as suspicious rather than legitimate.

Use Stable Internet Infrastructure

Consumer internet service from major providers creates the most reliable digital footprint. Your ISP assigns you a static IP address that typically remains unchanged for months, unless you reset your modem or the network performs maintenance. This stability provides the consistency firms seek. Dynamic IPs that change daily or weekly create unnecessary compliance friction even when you never leave your house.

A common pattern surfaces when traders operate multiple funded accounts. They worry about managing risk across positions, efficiently reviewing charts, and executing trades quickly. What they don't realize is that logging into three different prop firm accounts from the same residential IP within minutes of each other creates exactly the coordination signature that automated systems flag for investigation. The accounts might follow completely different strategies with no overlap, but the timing and location patterns match those associated with trade-copying networks.

Virtual Private Servers solve specific problems while creating others. A VPS with a dedicated IP address provides the stability firms want, eliminating concerns about your home internet dropping during critical trades. But VPS providers often host multiple clients on shared infrastructure. If another trader on the same server violates rules and gets their account terminated, the IP reputation damage can splash onto your account even though you did nothing wrong. Choose VPS providers carefully, prioritizing those that offer dedicated IP addresses with clean histories over shared hosting.

Keep Devices Exclusive to Your Trading

Trade only on hardware you personally own and control. Sharing a laptop with a family member who also trades, using a work computer that multiple employees access, or borrowing a friend's device while traveling all create device-fingerprint overlaps that trigger violations. Firms can't distinguish between "I logged in on my roommate's computer once" and "my roommate trades my account regularly." Their systems see shared hardware and apply the stricter interpretation.

Browser configuration matters more than most traders realize. Your installed extensions, saved passwords, bookmarks, and browsing history create identifying patterns. When you clear cookies and cache before logging into a prop firm platform, you're not protecting your privacy. You're removing the consistency markers that prove you're the same person who logged in yesterday. Compliance systems interpret sudden fingerprint changes as potential account transfers or access from unauthorized devices.

Mobile trading introduces variables you can't fully control. Your phone switches between WiFi networks and cellular data throughout the day. Each network change creates a new IP address in the firm's logs. While most firms understand that mobile trading inherently involves IP variation, excessive switching, combined with other risk factors, can trigger an account for investigation. If you primarily trade on mobile, maintain that pattern consistently rather than switching between mobile and desktop access unpredictably.

Avoid Network Masking Tools

VPNs hide your actual location, which is exactly why firms ban them. The security benefits you gain from encrypting your connection are irrelevant to a compliance system designed to verify your physical location. Using a VPN even once can result in termination of your account, regardless of your explanation. The firm's perspective is simple: legitimate traders in approved locations have no reason to mask their IP address.

Proxy servers create identical problems. Whether you're using a proxy for privacy, to access geo-restricted content, or because your workplace routes all traffic through a corporate proxy, the effect is the same. The firm sees an IP address that doesn't match your verified location and interprets it as a violation. Corporate networks pose particular challenges for traders who work full-time jobs and trade during breaks. That office proxy might be your only internet option during the day, but using it puts your funded account at risk.

Public WiFi networks at coffee shops, libraries, or coworking spaces generate similar red flags. These connections often route through shared IP addresses used by dozens or hundreds of people daily. When multiple traders from different accounts access prop firm platforms through the same public network, even coincidentally, it creates the appearance of coordination. Platforms like funded trading programs publish explicit guidance on acceptable connection types before traders purchase evaluations, removing the guesswork about which networks comply with their monitoring requirements.

Communicate Location Changes Proactively

Contact your prop firm's support team before traveling or relocating. Provide your travel dates, destination, and the reason for the change. Most firms accommodate legitimate travel when you notify them in advance rather than explaining after their systems flag your account. The notification creates a paper trail showing you understood the rule and acted in good faith. Include documentation when possible. A hotel reservation confirmation, flight itinerary, or temporary housing lease demonstrates that your location change reflects real circumstances rather than an attempt to circumvent restrictions. Firms may not require this documentation, but proactively providing it removes uncertainty and expedites compliance reviews.

Expect delays in response during high-volume periods. Support teams sometimes take 24 to 48 hours to acknowledge location change requests. Plan your notification timing accordingly. Sending a request the day before you travel leaves no buffer if the firm needs additional information or takes longer than expected to update your account status. Submit notifications at least three to five business days before your IP address changes.

Monitor Your Account for Unusual Activity

Check your account login history regularly. Most trading platforms maintain logs showing recent access times, IP addresses, and device information. Unfamiliar entries indicate either unauthorized access or a system error that needs immediate attention. Catching these discrepancies early prevents them from accumulating into patterns that trigger automated violations. Set up security alerts when available. Email or SMS notifications for new device logins, password changes, or withdrawal requests create a real-time monitoring layer that catches problems before they escalate. If you receive an alert for activity you didn't perform, contact support immediately rather than waiting to see if it happens again.

Watch for communication from your prop firm about account reviews or compliance questions. These messages often arrive as the first sign that your activity pattern has triggered scrutiny. Responding quickly with clear explanations and requesting documentation can resolve issues before they escalate to termination. Ignoring compliance inquiries or delaying responses makes you look evasive, even when you have nothing to hide. But even perfect compliance doesn't guarantee safety when firms apply these rules selectively across their roster.

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Top 6 Prop Firms With the IP Address Rule

Six firms enforce IP address rules with varying degrees of intensity, each revealing different priorities about trader surveillance versus operational flexibility. Some publish explicit policies that tell you exactly where the boundaries lie. Others enforce restrictions retroactively, leaving traders to discover violations only after accounts get terminated. The differences matter because choosing the wrong firm for your trading situation can cost you thousands in evaluation fees before you realize the mismatch. The enforcement spectrum ranges from firms that require advance approval for any location change to those that monitor patterns but allow reasonable mobility. Understanding where each firm falls on this spectrum helps you select a funding partner whose rules align with your lifestyle rather than fighting against restrictions you didn't anticipate.

1. Funded Trader Markets

Funded Trader Markets operates strict IP requirements designed to eliminate any ambiguity about location and device usage. Your IP address must not match any other user's IP address anywhere in their system. If you share a household with another trader, even one using a completely different strategy with separate capital, both accounts will be terminated when the system detects the overlap. The firm extends this restriction to prohibited countries, blocking access from entire geographic regions regardless of your citizenship or residence status.

The MT5 and cTrader platforms add another layer. US IP addresses trigger automatic blocks even when accessed through VPN or VPS services. The restriction exists because US regulatory frameworks create compliance complexity that the firm chooses to avoid entirely. If you're physically located in the United States or your VPS provider assigns you a US-based IP address, you cannot trade on these platforms through Funded Trader Markets regardless of your account standing or trading history.

The policy creates clear boundaries. You know before purchasing an evaluation whether your situation complies. Traders in stable locations with exclusive household access face minimal friction. The system protects against unauthorized access and prevents the account-sharing networks that undermine evaluation integrity. When violations occur, enforcement is consistent rather than selective.

The tradeoff appears when legitimate circumstances create IP conflicts. Traveling for work can trigger compliance reviews, even when you notify the firm in advance. Dynamic residential IP addresses that change weekly due to ISP network maintenance generate false positives requiring manual review. The system prioritizes security over convenience, placing the burden on traders to maintain strict consistency or navigate exception processes that may delay access to trading.

2. FundingTraders

FundingTraders monitors IP addresses as part of broader account security, rather than enforcing strict IP-based restrictions. The system flags multiple IP addresses accessing the same account, multiple accounts sharing identical or adjacent IP ranges, and trading patterns that mirror each other across accounts from related locations. These flags don't trigger automatic termination. They initiate a risk team investigation.

The investigation process examines whether the IP activity reflects legitimate use or coordinated manipulation. A trader accessing their account from home and mobile networks throughout the day creates a benign pattern. Two accounts executing identical trades within seconds of each other, from IP addresses on the same subnet, constitute a pattern of violations. The firm distinguishes between incidental IP variation and deliberate coordination.

This approach maintains fairness across the trader population while accommodating normal behavior. You can travel, switch devices, and access your account from multiple locations without immediate consequences. The monitoring system identifies patterns that indicate abuse, rather than punishing every deviation from perfect consistency. When the risk team identifies genuine violations, sanctions range from warnings to account termination, depending on severity and trader history.

The flexibility creates uncertainty. You won't know whether your specific IP pattern crosses the line until after the investigation concludes. Legitimate traders sometimes experience payout delays while the team reviews activity flagged by automated systems, but manual review ultimately resolves them. The investigation period can stretch from days to weeks, leaving traders unable to access capital they've already earned while compliance questions remain unresolved.

3. FundedNext

FundedNext recommends using unique IP addresses, but does not make them an absolute requirement. The guidance acknowledges that traders move between locations legitimately and shouldn't face termination for reasonable mobility. When you travel internationally, the firm may request documentation to verify that the movement reflects genuine circumstances rather than suspicious behavior intended to mask your actual location.

Passport stamps, hotel reservations, or temporary residence documentation typically satisfy the verification requirement. The firm wants evidence that your IP change corresponds to physical movement rather than VPN masking or account transfer to another person. Providing documentation proactively when you know your location will change prevents delays in account access or payout processing.

The policy balances security with trader flexibility better than firms enforcing absolute restrictions. Digital nomads, frequent business travelers, and traders who relocate periodically can maintain funded accounts without constant compliance friction. Communication becomes the key variable. Notify the firm before your IP changes, explain the reason, and provide supporting documentation when requested.

The documentation requirement adds administrative overhead that some traders find burdensome. You're essentially asking permission to trade from a new location and demonstrating legitimate reasons for the change. Response times vary based on the support team's workload. During high-volume periods, verification requests can take three to five business days, potentially preventing you from trading during time-sensitive market conditions.

4. Funding Pips

Funding Pips expects IP consistency across three critical stages: evaluation, purchase, platform login, and funded account trading. The firm tracks your IP region rather than your exact address, allowing some variation within the same geographic area. Moving between cities in the same country typically doesn't trigger compliance reviews. Shifting from one country to another does. When your IP region changes, the firm requests confirmation that you initiated the change and an explanation for the change. Vacation travel, temporary work assignments, or permanent relocation are all legitimate reasons when properly documented. The verification process confirms that the person who passed the evaluation still controls the account rather than transferring access to someone in a different location.

The regional approach accommodates normal life circumstances while maintaining the core security principle. You're not locked to a single physical address or even a single city. The restriction prevents cross-border account transfers and location masking that would allow traders in prohibited jurisdictions to access funding by appearing to operate from approved regions during evaluation. Mobile networks and public WiFi create gray areas in this policy. Your phone may display an IP address from a different region than your home internet, depending on cellular tower locations and network routing. Coffee shop WiFi might route through infrastructure in another city. These incidental variations can trigger verification requests even if you never physically leave your home region. The firm's system detects IP changes and applies the same review process regardless of the underlying cause.

5. Traders Prime Funded

Traders Prime Funded prohibits the use of VPNs and VPS, and any detected connection through these services will result in immediate termination. The firm also prohibits multiple accounts from the same household or IP address, regardless of whether those accounts are held by different people trading independently. When your account shows activity from an unexpected country, the firm temporarily closes access pending verification. The strict enforcement eliminates scenarios in which coordination could occur. Two household members cannot both hold funded accounts even when they trade different instruments, use different strategies, and never discuss their positions. The firm prioritizes eliminating potential abuse over accommodating legitimate multi-trader households.

The VPN restriction prevents traders from masking their actual location, but also blocks legitimate security practices. You cannot protect your trading data on public networks using VPN encryption. You cannot use VPS services to ensure stable connectivity during volatile market conditions. The firm requires a direct connection from your residential or commercial internet service with no intermediary masking. This creates the clearest rules and the least flexibility. You know exactly what's prohibited and face no ambiguity about whether your setup complies. Traders in stable locations with exclusive household access and reliable direct internet connections face minimal compliance risk. Anyone requiring remote access flexibility, household account coexistence, or enhanced connection security cannot operate within these constraints.

6. AquaFunded

AquaFunded monitors IP addresses and location data for account security, but doesn't prominently feature these restrictions in publicly available policy documents. Enforcement occurs at the risk team level rather than through automated systems that block access based solely on IP changes. Traders report payout denials and account reviews triggered by IP geolocation conflicts, sometimes even after providing documentation explaining the circumstances. The opacity creates frustration when enforcement feels inconsistent. One trader may receive funding upon returning from international travel, provided proper notification is given. Another faces a payout denial for similar circumstances, with no clear explanation for why their situation led to different treatment. The lack of published guidelines makes it impossible to know whether your specific IP pattern will cause problems until enforcement occurs.

Platforms like funded trading programs approach this differently by publishing explicit IP and location policies before traders purchase evaluations. You see the requirements up front, understand what documentation proves compliance, and know how location changes are handled. The transparency doesn't eliminate all restrictions, but it eliminates the guesswork about whether your situation falls within acceptable parameters. When enforcement occurs, traders receive specific explanations, including timestamps and evidence, rather than vague references to policy violations.

The difference between opaque and transparent enforcement matters most when problems arise. Clear policies help you determine whether a genuine violation occurred or a system error caused a false positive. Vague policies leave you arguing against accusations you cannot fully understand because the firm won't explain exactly which behavior triggered the flag or when it occurred. But knowing the rules and following them perfectly still leaves one critical question: what happens when you need to trade from a different location tomorrow?

Trade Confidently While Staying Compliant

AquaFunded monitors IPs to protect your account, but with clear rules and support for legitimate changes, you can trade confidently from your verified locations. Focus on executing your strategy and passing your challenge without worrying about accidental violations. Start today and keep your trading smooth and secure. The difference between transparent enforcement and hidden tripwires determines whether you spend mental energy on compliance anxiety or on reading charts. When a firm publishes explicit IP policies before you purchase an evaluation, you make informed decisions about whether your situation fits their requirements. When they enforce retroactively with vague explanations, you're gambling evaluation fees on rules you can't fully understand until after they terminate your account.

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