diff --git a/dockering/ib/README.rst b/dockering/ib/README.rst
index 9be11cc5..ad441213 100644
--- a/dockering/ib/README.rst
+++ b/dockering/ib/README.rst
@@ -24,9 +24,8 @@ here is an example using ``vncclient`` on ``linux``::
 
     vncviewer localhost:5900
 
-
-now enter the pw you set via an (see second code blob) `.env file`_
-or pw-file according to the `credentials section`_.
+now enter the pw (password) you set via an (see second code blob)
+`.env file`_ or pw-file according to the `credentials section`_.
 
 If you want to change away from their default config see the example
 `docker-compose.yml`-config issue and config-section of the readme,
@@ -39,6 +38,74 @@ If you want to change away from their default config see the example
 .. _credentials section: https://github.com/gnzsnz/ib-gateway-docker?tab=readme-ov-file#credentials
 
 
+Connecting to the API from `piker`
+---------------------------------
+In order to expose the container's API endpoint to the
+`brokerd/datad/ib` actor, we need to add a section to the user's
+`brokers.toml` config (note the below is similar to the repo-shipped
+template file),
+
+.. code:: toml
+
+    [ib]
+    # define the (set of) host-port socketaddrs that
+    # brokerd.ib will scan to connect to an API endpoint
+    # (ib-gw or ib-tws listening instances)
+    hosts = [
+        '127.0.0.1',
+    ]
+    ports = [
+        4002,  # gw
+        7497,  # tws
+    ]
+
+    # When API endpoints are being scanned durin startup, the order
+    # of user-defined-account "names" (as defined below) here
+    # determines which py-client connection is given priority to be
+    # used for data-feed-requests by according to whichever client
+    # connected to an API endpoing which reported the equivalent
+    # account number for that name.
+    prefer_data_account = [
+        'paper',
+        'margin',
+        'ira',
+    ]
+
+    # define "aliases" (names) for each account number
+    # such that the names can be reffed and logged throughout
+    # `piker.accounting` subsys and more easily
+    # referred to  by the user.
+    #
+    # These keys will be the set exposed through the order-mode
+    # account-selection UI so that numbers are never shown.
+    [ib.accounts]
+    paper = 'XX0000000'
+    margin = 'X0000000'
+    ira = 'X0000000'
+
+
+the broker daemon can also connect to the container's VNC server for
+added functionalies including,
+
+- viewing the API endpoint program's GUI for manual interventions,
+- workarounds for historical data throttling using hotkey hacks,
+
+Add a further section to `brokers.toml` which maps each API-ep's
+port to a table of VNC server connection info like,
+
+.. code:: toml
+
+    [ib.vnc_addrs]
+    4002 = {host = 'localhost', port = 5900, pw = 'doggy'}
+
+The `pw = 'doggy'` here ^ should the same value as the particular
+container instances `.env` file setting (when it was run),
+
+.. code:: ini
+
+    VNC_SERVER_PASSWORD='doggy'
+
+
 IF you also want to run ``TWS``
 -------------------------------
 You can also run it containerized,
diff --git a/dockering/ib/docker-compose.yml b/dockering/ib/docker-compose.yml
index 2f2db58f..54d62ca9 100644
--- a/dockering/ib/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/dockering/ib/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
-# rework from the original @
-# https://github.com/waytrade/ib-gateway-docker/blob/master/docker-compose.yml
-version: "3.5"
-
+# a community maintained IB API container!
+#
+# https://github.com/gnzsnz/ib-gateway-docker
+#
+# For piker we (currently) include some minor deviations
+# for some config files in the `volumes` section.
+#
+# See full configuration settings @
+# - https://github.com/gnzsnz/ib-gateway-docker?tab=readme-ov-file#configuration
+# - https://github.com/gnzsnz/ib-gateway-docker/discussions/103
 
 services:
-
   ib_gw_paper:
 
     # apparently java is a mega cukc:
@@ -50,16 +55,22 @@ services:
         target: /root/scripts/run_x11_vnc.sh
         read_only: true
 
-    # NOTE:to fill these out, define an `.env` file in the same dir as
-    # this compose file which looks something like:
-    # TWS_USERID='myuser'
-    # TWS_PASSWORD='guest'
+    # NOTE: an alt method to fill these out is to
+    # define an `.env` file in the same dir as
+    # this compose file.
     environment:
       TWS_USERID: ${TWS_USERID}
+      # TWS_USERID: 'myuser'
       TWS_PASSWORD: ${TWS_PASSWORD}
-      TRADING_MODE: 'paper'
-      VNC_SERVER_PASSWORD: 'doggy'
-      VNC_SERVER_PORT: '3003'
+      # TWS_PASSWORD: 'guest'
+      TRADING_MODE: ${TRADING_MODE}
+      # TRADING_MODE: 'paper'
+      VNC_SERVER_PASSWORD: ${VNC_SERVER_PASSWORD}
+      # VNC_SERVER_PASSWORD: 'doggy'
+
+      # TODO, see if we can get this supported like it
+      # was on the old `waytrade` image?
+      # VNC_SERVER_PORT: '3003'
 
     # ports:
     #   - target: 4002
@@ -76,6 +87,9 @@ services:
       # - "127.0.0.1:4002:4002"
       # - "127.0.0.1:5900:5900"
 
+  # TODO, a masked but working example of dual paper + live
+  # ib-gw instances running in a single app run!
+  #
   # ib_gw_live:
   #   image: waytrade/ib-gateway:1012.2i
   #   restart: no