diff --git a/piker/brokers/ib.py b/piker/brokers/ib.py
index 51cf4a39..f85b1120 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/ib.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/ib.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 from dataclasses import asdict
 from datetime import datetime
 from functools import partial
+import itertools
 from typing import (
     Any, Optional,
     AsyncIterator, Awaitable,
@@ -32,7 +33,6 @@ from typing import (
 import asyncio
 from pprint import pformat
 import inspect
-import itertools
 import logging
 from random import randint
 import time
@@ -727,7 +727,17 @@ async def load_aio_clients(
 
     # attempt to get connection info from config; if no .toml entry
     # exists, we try to load from a default localhost connection.
-    host = conf.get('host', '127.0.0.1')
+    localhost = '127.0.0.1'
+    host, hosts = conf.get('host'), conf.get('hosts')
+    if not (hosts or host):
+        host = localhost
+
+    if not hosts:
+        hosts = [host]
+    elif host and hosts:
+        raise ValueError(
+            'Specify only one of `host` or `hosts` in `brokers.toml` config')
+
     ports = conf.get(
         'ports',
 
@@ -735,17 +745,18 @@ async def load_aio_clients(
         {
             'gw': 4002,
             'tws': 7497,
-            'order': ['gw', 'tws']
+            # 'order': ['gw', 'tws']
         }
     )
-    order = ports['order']
+    order = ports.pop('order', None)
+    if order:
+        log.warning(f'`ports.order` section in `brokers.toml` is deprecated')
 
     accounts_def = config.load_accounts(['ib'])
-
-    try_ports = [ports[key] for key in order]
+    try_ports = list(ports.values())
     ports = try_ports if port is None else [port]
-
     we_connected = []
+
     # allocate new and/or reload disconnected but cached clients
     try:
         # TODO: support multiple clients allowing for execution on
@@ -756,7 +767,8 @@ async def load_aio_clients(
 
         # (re)load any and all clients that can be found
         # from connection details in ``brokers.toml``.
-        for port in ports:
+        combos = list(itertools.product(hosts, ports))
+        for host, port in combos:
             client = _client_cache.get((host, port))
             accounts_found: dict[str, Client] = {}
             if not client or not client.ib.isConnected():
@@ -768,7 +780,12 @@ async def load_aio_clients(
                     client_id = next(_client_ids)
 
                     log.info(f"Connecting to the EYEBEE on port {port}!")
-                    await ib.connectAsync(host, port, clientId=client_id)
+                    await ib.connectAsync(
+                        host,
+                        port,
+                        clientId=client_id,
+                        timeout=0.5,
+                    )
 
                     # create and cache client
                     client = Client(ib)
@@ -804,12 +821,25 @@ async def load_aio_clients(
                     we_connected.append(client)
                     _accounts2clients.update(accounts_found)
 
-                except ConnectionRefusedError as ce:
+                except (
+                    ConnectionRefusedError,
+
+                    # TODO: if trying to scan for remote api clients
+                    # pretty sure we need to catch this, though it
+                    # definitely needs a shorter timeout since it hangs
+                    # for like 5s..
+                    asyncio.exceptions.TimeoutError,
+                    OSError,
+                ) as ce:
                     _err = ce
                     log.warning(f'Failed to connect on {port}')
         else:
             if not _client_cache:
-                raise ConnectionRefusedError(_err)
+                raise ConnectionError(
+                    'No ib APIs could be found scanning @:\n'
+                    f'{pformat(combos)}\n'
+                    'Check your `brokers.toml` and/or network'
+                ) from _err
 
         # retreive first loaded client
         clients = list(_client_cache.values())